Kessler speaks - "2007 is coming to an end"

I very much doubt Kessler could ever win this fight, unless Calzaghe got old over night. I don't even think that was Calzaghe at his very peak

Calzaghe is just too fast, too unorthodox, too good at boxing. Perfectly suited against that stand up technically sound style Kessler employs

I gave Kessler 3/4 rounds. It was competetive, but there is no way I could envisage Kessler pulling it back far enough

There are no other Joe Calzaghe's at 168-175, so I expect Kessler to have a great career

 

The thing about being unorthodox is that it's a great advantage the first time around. Once opponents get used to it advantages often times dissappear totally. Anyone who's ever been in competive sports knows that the learning curve against highly unorthodox opponents is steep. (I think my statement is true even for JCs previous rematches? Please check!)

 

You might be right in JCs case but first you need to be granted a rematch...right!

 

Yes, that stroke me too. I would stick my neck out and claim the fight against MK was JCs most disciplined fight to date. Probably a healthy sign of extreme concentration? Anyhow, I'm sure there were tons of tricks and "faked" punches in the mix. Otherwise MK would have hit him with more than, was it 4 clean shots.

 

It was a bit more... according to punchstats:

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As for a rematch ... well one thing is for sure - Kessler learned a lot more than Calzaghe that night and Calzaghe isn't getting any younger - it would be closer for sure and I wouldn't be that surprised if Kessler pulled it off - but that's all academic as there will be no rematch.

I have to feel a little sorry for Calzaghe though - many people are already saying Kessler would beat Calzaghe in a rematch - imagine what they will say in 5-7 years if Kessler really goes on to dominate (as I hope he will) ... so I do feel a little sorry for him - on the other hand he has brought a lot of it on him self fighting at home against many a medium opponent. And a win against BHP in the US wouldn't change anything - it's too little and too late

 

Kessler definitely learned more in the fight than Calzaghe. But if they are to fight each other within the next year, i'd still pick Calzaghe to win. After that, Calzaghe will be just too damn old.

Ypur perfectly right though, he really could and should of done more earlier in his career. A paycut and a trip to Germany to beat Ottke would of looked the business on his resume. 2-3 fights in the states against lets say, Sheika, Mitchell and Brewer and he'd be laughing. As you said though, it seems to be too little too late to win over a lot of his detractors.

 

Because of their age differences, Calz. vs. Kessler was a Perfect Storm kind of fight. If the fight happened a year or two before, Joe would have been @ his peak while Kess. would still be growing and it could have been a mismatch. The fight as it occured was pretty much perfect timing for the competition, Joe not quite peak anymore and Kess. arguably @ his peak. Unfortunatly, I do no see a competitive rematch happening unless they do it Spring or Summer of 08', and that just does not fit into Joe's plans, and I do not fault Joe for frying bigger fish.

Maybe there is an outside chance for a rematch after Joe does his business @ Lt. Heavy, provided Kess. rips all the competition around him. Then a superfight would take place in a couple years and I'd most likely give Kess. the advantage of being more youthful and closer to peak.

 

Kessler is only 28! give him another 5 years of honing his craft and he will be in all probability a better boxer than Calzaghe..

 

why the hell did you go and ruin this thread with a stupid statement like that?