Calzaghe versus Kessler rematch, who would you pick...

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Funny how people say Kessler has no chance in this fight.

Odds should still favor Joe maybe about 3 to 1 max, but Kessler can do it.

I thought the gameplan from the first fight was horrible, it was competiive for the first 3 rounds, then Kessler's corner began to yell at Kessler to "go after him" which was really stupid, they made their guy into a brawler, and you arent going to beat Calzaghe if you come in to brawl.

 

To be perfectly honest I might favor Kessler in a re-match (given your stipulations). Kessler completely froze up when his gameplan wasn't working and looked like a deer in the headlights. I think he would come MUCH better prepared and wouldn't be so intimidated on neutral ground. Not to mention Joe is only getting older....

 

A Kessler KO? The records of both fighters should have told you that a points win was far more likely than a KO.

Who would win a rematch? I think some improvements need to be made with Kessler. For example, there was a round where Joe was available but Kessler appeared to scared to take advantage and punch.

 

KO was almost as likely as going on pts - both had fairly big KO ratios. One had been down twice in his career, the other not - but not as tested as the first. None of them had met anything of the quality of the other, so pretty much anything was possible.

The problem was, that Kessler don't like to take risks - call it a flaw, call it his strength(probably a bit of both, as a coin has two sides) - but against Calzaghe he was forced to take risks to win - and he did in the lasts rounds - too late - but it was also very risky.

The fight panned out perfectly for Calzaghe, because he scored a bit more in most rounds in the first half, and scored alot more in the latter because Kessler had to open up. However, most of the fight, he seemed confused as to what of the two, he should do, and therefore became tentively on more occations when opportunity presented itself.

Other than round 4, nothing really was how Kessler would have liked the fight to be - much to credit of a perfect tactical fight by Calzaghe. He had done his homework greatly. Maybe with much help from ESB

 

Do you think that if a rematch was to take place, that Kessler would take more risks?

 

Calzaghe UD.

When Joe got going and figured out how to box Kessler, bt taing away his jab and not lunging in, the fight was not that close.

 

Impossible to say until we see how Kessler comes back, mentally, after the defeat. If he comes back better than before, if he is less scared of losing and lays it all on the line more, whilst fighting more intelligently, he can win.

 

Calzaghe by UD again.

 

I agree - I hope Kessler learns from the fight with Calzaghe.

 

I'm a Kessler fan, but Calzaghe was clearly the smarter fighter, and although a second fight will be closer, a Calzaghe decision is the most likely result.

I don't think Kessler's loss and Calzaghe's age would be factors, but I have a feeling that a rematch would be very similar to the first fight, with Kessler pressing the action a bit more, but getting countered again.

Kessler might pull it off, but it takes a new strategic dimension, that he unfortunately didn't show any signs of in their bout - a new approach.

It seemed like his gameplan was to tire Calzaghe out, that his youth would prevail in the end, which was either naive or very stupid.

I pick Kessler against Miranda, Bute, Taylor, Mundine and Pavlik, and he should focus on these fights and let Calzaghe be other people's headache. And if Calzaghe is still going strong in 2 or 3 years time, then get his revenge

 

I saw Calzaghe winning too, however, it was close and it gets closer each time I watch it. Had the fight been in Germany, with Kessler boxing for a German promotor, I could easily imagine a victory being handed to Kessler. Actually, how the refs. score Calzaghe's punches in the Calzaghe-BHOP fight is the only thing that hangs in the air for me.

A rematch between Calzaghe and Kessler would be another close fight. I think Kessler on home turf would win and Calzaghe likewise. It really comes down to how they feel on the day IMO. I think it will happen because Calzaghe seems to be a decent bloke and he knows it means a lot to Kessler. Of course, it all depends on how they do in their next two fights

 

I agree with everything you said...except the last bit; Calzaghe won't be around in 1 year, nevermind 2-3, and if he was, he would certainly not rematch Kessler...