Kessler - Froch 28/2-2009

I agree ... although there is a little difference - Taylor has actually been negotiating for a fight in Europe ... Calzaghe never did (neither did Ottke). But that's water under the bridge - just hope the new generation goes travelling ... With Kessler already doing it, it's much harder to hide for anyone

 

Who has Taylor been negotiating with? How do we know? What does that even mean?

Of course Calzaghe 'negotiated' for fights overseas. He had a well documented one agreed with Bernard Hopkins in the US in 2002.

 

Well according to Palle they've been in negotiations several times... but yeah it's just rumours... actions are what's needed.

Wasn't the Hopkins-fight suppose to be in the UK? - or is it just my memory playing tricks on me?

 

Nah, was set for the US. Calzaghe v Johnson was to be in the UK.

 

What was the reason for the fight to be cancelled?

 

Thinking on this, here would be my ideal format for the next nine months.

Springtime:

Kessler v Wright in the US
Larson v Bute in Germany
Froch v Stieglitz (or similar as mandatory) in UK
Taylor v someone

Summertime:

Kessler v Froch in Copenhagen
Bute v Taylor in Montreal

Both on same night, the Copenhagen bill around midnight GMT, then the Montreal bill later. Could be double bill PPV on HBO and the European end is still early enough to be big on European TV.

Autumn:

Winners face off.

 

Kessler would destroy Froch

 

only problem being Larsen beating Bute

 

Yeah right

 

Which one?

The Hopkins fight was agreed with BHop, Don King and Showtime as part of a four fight contract between Hopkins and Showtime. Hopkins then came back with a demand for double the money and the whole contract fell through. Hopkins ended up fighting Morrade Hakkar (who he was going to get $2 million for fighting under the Showtime contract) for about $1 million.

The Johnson fights were agreed several times. In June 2004 they were due to fight in Manchester for the IBF LHW title. Calzaghe pulled out, citing a back injury, although he was going through a fairly nasty divorce at the time, and many speculate that that the problems were as much psychological as physical. It was then rearranged for Cardiff the following month, but Calzaghe again pulled out, again citing a recurrence of the same injury. The bout was then rearranged for September, but Johnson then walked away from that one to instead fight Roy Jones (a wise move for his career, given how that turned out). There was another fight arranged for July 2006 (after Calzaghe beat Lacy, but hand problems forced Calzaghe out of that one).

 

Froch is no bad fight for Kessler. Okay, it's perhaps not an opponent picked from the top shelf that'll do Kessler a hell of a lot of good in the US. On the plus site though are the following:

i) A fight against a champ that can punch. Against Calzaghe we saw what a properly timed bodypunch can do to Kessler. Froch throws some nice ones. How will Kessler's body absorb those?

ii) Froch appears to be just about slow enough for Kessler to have time to load up the big guns. I can easily imagine Froch will be at the receiving end of some of the heaviest artilleri Kessler has in his arsenal.

iii) As the warrior Kessler claims to be he'll not consistently try to step away from heavy exchanges. Froch will be Kesslers first opponent where this might be serious gambling. Kessler's chin will be tested against a trully legitimate opponent.

iv) Not to forget it's a unification fight. Should bring in at least 30k in the audiences both in Denmark and the UK.


Froch-Kessler is a crowd pleaser in all scenarios I can imagine. If Froch is outboxed, as some suggest here, he'll be forced to take risks, which should garantee us spectators a "nice" KO. If the fight is even, one should be able to see loads of nice power exchanges, making for great entertainment value. I want to see it.

 

Kessler 120-108. I just can't see Froch winning a round, unless he manages to hurt Kessler in a round.

 

edit

 

Hard to imagine. Larsen's open style is made for a guy with really quick reflexes. He doesn't have that anymore. IMO he's too open to survive among the best fighters in the world. Of course I hope I'm wrong.

 

Pretty much summed up how I think the fight will go. I can't see Froch winning it, I think Kessler will teach him a lesson in all honesty but won't come away with a knockout. Froch leaves himself way to open and against class opposition like Kessler, he will get found out.