Robin Reid vs Mikkel Kessler.

Why the hell are people picking T/KO?

Prime Reid had a granite chin. He took endless shots from Joe, back when Joe actually had a punch. Kessler has good power, but he's no KO artist. He only got stopped when he was about 5 years past his sell by date, both of which he actually retired in

Kessler UD

 

Kessler UD

No way he stops a prime Robin Reid. That guy had a chin made of iron.

 

Very true...Reid would not get stopped and he would give Kessler more trouble than Andrade did, for sure! Would probably be his hardest fight, after Calzaghe.

 

Kessler has an awful style for Reid, I don't see Reid taking more than 3 rounds from Kessler and I see him getting brutalised down the stretch.

Reid's success against Calzaghe was a lot due to Joe, mistakes that Kessler just wouldn't make as a technical boxer-puncher stylist. The older Calzaghe of now even wouldn't let Reid take but 3 rounds MAX and if he boxed a perfect fight, he'd take all of the rounds.

Reid's a bit of an underrated fighter, but Kessler is a poison style for him, where as the younger Calzaghe was someone he could do well against.

To be fair, I'd take Reid over most of the others now at his best, including Anthony Mundine and Lucian Bute, both wins coming by decisions in competitive match ups. I'd also take him over Jermain Taylor and Kelly Pavlik, I feel he'd stop Pavlik late and decision Taylor clearly.:good

 

We saw how good Reid's right hand was...not least against Froch; it would do a lot of damage on Bute. We still haven't seen the best of Bute, though...

 

And Mundine would get dropped and then proceed to be extra tenative in survival form to drop enough rounds to lose a decision. Mundine would be in the lead until that point however.

Froch would have been detailed nasty if Reid was even in condition where he was 5 years back.:yep

 

Kessler TKO

 

I dislike his trainer. Bute ought to drop the boxer style and focus on being an aggressive boxer-puncher and then just tighten defence, he'd be much more successful because he can absorb punishment.

They have him fighting way too tentative, a guy who take Berrio's best shot and not get shaken up doesn't need to be concerned over the likes of William Joppy. A correct gameplan would have been to just go in there and smash him and it would have done his profile wonders.

What I mean by aggressive with a good defence is like Calzaghe, not afraid to take 1 to dish them out, but also difficult to hit with anything substantial. At the moment, he's too tenative.

 

I think Bute fights much too tentatively too. His trainer says it's to help him learn to exploit the weakness of his opponent or to take advantage of his opponent being hurt as much as possible whilst taking as few risks as possible himself and minimising the chance of being hurt himself. Larouche also says it's a good attitude when you want to improve on your defence.

I'm not sure...Bute fights almost negatively now, not just as a defensive counterpuncher, but almost negatively. It certainly doesn't look too good. Not convinced it does that much for his defence either...although it has improved a bit

:think

What is clear however is that he won't be able to fight like that and win against Andrade, for example. He cannot let Andrade chase him around the ring and respond with potshots from a distance...its not enough to win clearly.

Larsen looks like could be his next opponent, and Larsen likes to come to fight. It'll be interesting to see how he fights Larsen in preparation for Andrade.

Andrade will be where we draw the line and take a view of Bute's likely future chances at 168...many questions will be answered then.

 

Defend and counter? Lay and unload?

This makes little sense, maybe he means hitting and not being hit, the basic concept of boxing.:yep

Defence is not tenativeness, it's an artform. The best defensive fighters have never been gunshy for the most part, Whitaker comes to mind and so does a prime Floyd and even Winky, these guys lead an offensive assault.

This is a terrible trainer.

Defences naturally improve as you improve, same went for Calzaghe. Calzaghe always had a better defence than Bute, but as he's aged, it's become a more potent weapon as he can be extremely slick when needed.

Right, tentative while throwing single counters is what I am saying. Against Andrade he should jab constantly and turn Andrade, then throw power lefts and other combination arrangements and clinch when in close.

If he dances around and lets Andrade bull charge, he's getting messed up, I promise.

Kessler showed us how to fight Andrade to perfection, Bute is capable of doing that less masterfully and pulling out a win where he loses several rounds but gives an entertaining show.

Don't overlook Larsen, a past it veteran who can bring plenty of trouble and upset some people.

Andrade is the perfect test if you're an elite or not, if you can make him look like garbage for 12 rounds or stop him in a dominant fight and not succumb to his pressure, or get chopped down gradually and then put away, then you're an elite SMW, because most of these guys are going to have ALL they can handle with Andrade, Bute included.

 

:good

 

Kessler would win but not dominate.. Robin Reid seems to be much underrated around here.. coming from a Kessler fan, 3-5 point decision.

 

Reid was a hell of a fighter at the peak of his abilities. Close fight, probably Kessler however.

 

Yes he was! NO TKO HERE GUYS!