Kessler turns down Dawson fight...

The numbers I saw showed Calzaghe making more money

That's all good, but the win over Lacy is what lead to the fights vs. Kessler, and Hopkins, and Jones. A win over Dawson could open similar doors for Kessler as he would become a mainstay on HBO.

We're not talking about Hopkins and Pavlik. We're talking about the money fights that became available to Calzagh after he beat Lacy and how Kessler could be in line for similar fights if he beats Dawson. Kessler is the one who claims he wants to make a name for himself in the states. Fighting guys like Haussler and Sartison isn't going to help him achieve that goal.

 

Dawson would offer a bigger reward than Mundine. And if Kessler beat Dawson on HBO it would do more for his career than a win over Taylor. Taylor is already seen as damaged goods.

 

Sartison was a comeback-fight and a titlefight ... Häussler was the mandatory (bought and paid for by Sauerland) ... those wins wouldn't get Kessler big fights - but the WBA-belt is a good thing for Kessler. Kessler without a belt wouldn't get anything in the US - that belt might very well be his ticket for a fight with Taylor, Froch, Inkin or Bute ... without it them wouldn't go near him ... risk/reward nightmare...

Kessler is a SMW and he has plenty of fights to fight in SMW before considering moving up - as I said earlier it's far too early for Kessler-Dawson ... they are both young there is no hurry

 

Mundine was mandatory ... so there was no real way around it - plus at the time it was a very good payday for Kessler - but it's correct that Dawson would pay more, but then again Kessler is worth much more now than he was then... and I'm pretty sure Palle can make Kessler fights that pay the same or more than the Dawsonfight would at this time.

 

No need for Kessler to move up to 175 so soon. A very risky fight and Kessler's people know this.

 

Dawson v Kessler , i would have to pick Dawson , Kessler hasn''t got that much to offer , he should fight carl froch instead

 

Super middle will soon be a goldmine over the next 18 months. Wait and see. And when it is, who is the most highly regarded champ, but Kessler. New generation of Americans are coming thru (Dirrell, Ward), all the big middleweight names outgrowing 160 (Taylor fighting at super middle tomorrow, Pavlik and Abraham already been in catchweights...). The champ that ppl will come to will be Kessler. Patience, my friends.

Some very good fights will come Kessler's way at 168 soon, fights that he could slip up in.

Dawson should have his hands full with mandatory Tavoris Cloud. Kessler being smart, like Dawson is smart to get rid of that WBC belt.

 

I agree with some of your points, but IMO you're giving Palle way too much benefit of the doubt.

First, though, your attack of Dawson's record is fallacious. Chad did catch a break against Johnson, but he dominated Adamek and Tarver, and Harding was top 10 as well. The only reason he fought those other guys was to placate Showtime and Tarver, who kept putting off the Dawson bout.

For 26-years old, one top 10 and three top 5s -- including one prime, undefeated beltholder -- is extremely impressive. There's no "all mouth" about it.

I agree that Dawson/Kessler isn't ready yet. Ideally, Chad will get Calzaghe or if not then unify with the Johnson/Diaconu line, or maybe fight Hopkins.

Kessler has lots of options at 168. Where we disagree is that you seem to believe Palle has some sort of plan. When Team Dawson turned down the big money to fight Diaconu in Romania, it put pressure on them to connect big. They did, getting Tarver on a prime Showtime TV date. Remember, Dawson/Diaconu was going to happen without the support of American television.

Palle messed up the deal to fight Miranda, a name opponent whom Kessler should have defeated easily. And then settled on a journeyman. Now he rejects HBO's pitch for Dawson out of hand; that's fine, but he'd better land a big fish for the spring. No excuses.

And this doesn't even mention Calzaghe. If Kessler really wanted JC, Dawson represented his only chance. By turning down that possibility, he needs to STFU about Calzaghe forevermore.

 

It all depends on his next opponent. If Kessler gets Taylor or Hopkins, then he made the right decision. Although his stock has fallen and especially among purists, Taylor is by far the bigger name to HBO viewers over Dawson. Not only that, he's coming up to 168 and is in Kessler's division.

If, however, Palle's version of a "big fight" is against Inkin or the like, he will have blown it yet again.

 

i'd quite fancy this matchup.....enough of the talk...man up...an lets get it ON!!!!?

 

Dawson by wide UD maybe a late stoppage

 

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Kessler isn't getting Calzaghe - beating Dawson wouldn't mater. The only thing that would give him even a remote chance would be a convinsing win against Hopkins - and not even getting into how hard that would be - a rematch would still be exstremely unlikely.

I've never been sold on Tarver and Harding isn't top10 in my book - a good fighter but that's it. I'm not saying Dawson is protected just pointing out that he has faced opponents worse than Sartison while wearing his belt, but it's Kessler that is being critisised for being protected - the same guy who fought Mundine away in his first defense - who unified within a few years and who went to Wales to face the best fighter in the division.

Then he fights Sartison who I believe is some what better then his reputation here (no world beater, but a good fighter around 15-20 in SMW) and then defends his belt against the mandatory - now the mandatory was crap yes, but that's hardly Kessler's fault. And Kessler isn't a big enough name to make big fights without belts... not yet anyway ... and for those two fights Kessler is all of a sudden an overprotected eurobum...

As for Palle's abilities ... no-one else could have made the deal Kessler got for the Calzaghe-fight - the biggest paying fight in SMW ever! - by a mile ... he is an *sshole as most promotors, thinking of his own earnings before his fighters, but he is very talented at what he does ... and if Kessler's next opponent is named Taylor/Lacy or Hopkins, then the Miranda-failior will have proven a sound move...

 

Hopkins actually said that he would be interested in fighting Kessler at the Calzaghe-RJJ card - but of course he might just have been polite

 

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