Is Mikkel Kessler finished?

Due to his managerial issues with his previous promoter he was highly inactive after his loss to Calzaghe, never quite has looked the same after that fight. He was incredibly sloppy vs Ward and in his fight against Froch still wasnt precise but put up a good last stand and won that fight on my card (116-112) despite suffering cuts to the eye in Ward and Froch.

He came out against a mediocre opponent in Bhoulda after a year layoff then for some reason was inactive again against Green where the ring rust showed and he was dropped early on (to his credit he was still able to knock Green completely out for the first time ever)

Personally I see Kessler prime for prime and even slightly removed from his prime is a much better fighter than Froch but if he were to make the same mistakes he did against Green early on then he would be in trouble of losing a clear decision to Froch in a rumoured rematch for late next year, hell he could even get dropped or stopped!

Kessler needs to get back into the ring Asap against a top level fighter :

Sakio Bika - Tough, durable (all be it dirty) but comes to fight. the poor mans Froch

Thomas Oosthuzien - Top contender who turned down a fight with Froch but may take on Kessler. holds the IBO strap

Adonis Stevenson - Pretty much the number one challenger to Froch, removes any technicalities of this fight from happening should he win

Robert Stielglitz - Now former WBO champ put up a good fight against Abraham, few rounds in the bank for Kessler and perhaps a stoppage win

Kelly Pavlik - Another lead up to Froch, Pavlik is done however he is the perfect opponent to set up for Froch stylistically

Karoly Balzsay - Former WBO and current WBA regular belt holder. Good win for Kessler

Andrzej Fonfara - Beat Glen Johnson recently and would be a decent tune up

Beibut Shumenov - WBA lightheavyweight champ, unlucky not to land a fight vs Braehmer or Cleverly and would relish a big name

Juergen Brahmer - Former WBO lightheavychamp, just signed with saurland

Do you disagree? can Kessler still beat Froch? and who should he fight next?

 

Well Pavlik was named as a possible opponent for Froch and has been calling him out, I meant it being more of a big name tune up rather than a genuine threat

 

In the later stages against Froch he did incredibly well on the inside and then created Distance to make Froch miss when he lunged forward

My problem is that he isnt fighting enough and the pressure Froch puts on I doubt he would be able to deal with. Its hard to tell how much he has left after the Green fight although he took care of him in style he was still wilting under pressure.

He just needs to be a lot more active against the type of opponents who will present problems and will give him much needed rounds or else the lay offs will hurt him

 

Thats why Kessler went onto score the biggest win of his career straight after? atsch

Ward is a good fighter technically as much as I hate him clinching and headbutting, I hate that style of fighting in general (Hopkins and Bradley are also big culprits)

The type of fighter that can beat Ward is someone who keeps at distance with high volume punching who can turn him on the inside and beat him at his own game, You saw how Bika was able to frustrate him by fighting rough

Dawson has the potential to beat Dawson however he turns off in fights which puts question marks to his mentality and stamina and with the weight issue at hand so I can see a clear points victory for Ward