Is Kessler the Most Respected Fight Dodger Active at World Level?

Hear me out.

I love to watch the great Dane, Miiiiiiiikkel Kessler fight. He leaves it all in the ring, travels to do so, and has given us showreel KO's over the years. That Green KO would win a boxing Oscar, if we had one.

However, consider the following:

After fighting Joe C, a fight which i gave him HUGE respect for taking by the way, 50,000 fans and an undefeated Welshman must have been really nerve racking to face, and Mikkel did himself very proud. Still, once that fight was over he fought fodder in order to reclaim a title. That was disappointing.

Once you reach the world level and compete as well as he did, why tune up and manufacture belts? Why not continue to fight the best around? Froch back then would have been decent, Bika is always up for a scrap, even Magee a bit earlier would have topped the bums he fought to reclaim the WBA. Also, a move to LH was not out of the question. HBO had showcased him well with the JC fight and Glenn Johnson, Roy Jones and others were there at LH.

When he fought Andre Ward, a fight i really respected him for taking as it was in the yanks backyard, we saw the same thing happening again. Well, kind of.

A push to win a manufactured title seems to have been Kessler's goal, and now he has the WBA. In order for that to happen there have been several fights against complete hags over the last two years, AND a departure from the Super Six. Yes, he beat Froch before he began to do these things, but surely contracts dictated he took that fight? and home advantage surely helped convince him to stick around at world level for one more ruck.

I fear that Kessler is going to avoid Froch and cash in on his title reign. He wont make as much money in one single fight, but i think he knows Froch beasts him in a rematch, and will look to fight three or so more bums and then retire. I doubt he'll even face Bute or Pavlik, two easy scalps for him IMO. Both are shot after bad beatings.

Is Kessler a hyped fraud these days, cashing in on his old reputation?

Thoughts?

Let me get this straight he's fought Calzaghe, Ward, Froch and Beyer yet you still think he's a fraud?

In terms of being hailed as a man who fights all and wars. His record is padded not elite IMO. I like him a lot though. Beyer was nothing amazing.

So he's faced the top 3 in his division as well as the once highly regarded pair of Mundine and Andrade but still that's not good enough?

If you looked things up rather than spouting Love sacks you'd know that he fought that way under instructions from his promoter - with whom he was locked in dispute with - he's an astute businessman and would have known how best to capitlize on the Kudos he got after that Calzaghe fight. Up until 2009 he was in Limbo http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A48430541

No free from that he still makes the same choices. War or retire Kessler. Prove yourself and fight Carl the Cobra Froch.

"Fraud" is an appalling word for a boxer like Kessler. You should be ashamed of yourself for using it, although such is your desire for attention that I suspect delight in hooking a couple of idiot fish like me will be your presiding emotion. You should go off and write for the Sport.

Side note: that article got one response and wasn't exactly fact heavy, was it?

Calling yourself a 'fish' doesn't improve your chances of me not thinking of you an idiot.

Also, it is an opinion, speak on it or ignore it, the choice is yours, fishy.

Moving on from fishy, anyone else have an opinon? Boxing opinion?

Let's not be hokey. I'm talking about the Kessler we know of today, and his history with such antics. His form to talk and manufacture for a period of time. Long period.

We may as well start calling Froch a fraud next, christ fighting Mack doesn't exactly live up to his warrior tag does it or do we use a bit of common sense and realise that just like Kessler he's tried testing himself consistently.

davidemore wrote:Prove yourself and fight Carl the Cobra Froch.

He did fight him and he won

Here comes the thought police. You can read can't you?

The attack of Davidemore has come in threefold this evening. Ban these monkeys or become one Seanus. This is no time for red ink.

Oh, and hi seanus, what do you think about my BOXING article?

Steffan, good point. Then he had to retire for a bit due to having no eyesight. We both know he was lucky to have faced a very below par Froch. But well done to him for winning. Carl Froch would devastate him now. KO inside 8, easily.

Seanus captain "fishy" is out of order there. I"m trying to keep this boxing. Calling timeout on him yet?

Captain. I expect more restraint from a poster such as thee.

Emore. One more crack and you will be going for a nappy nap until tomorrow.

Ok.

I think the Captain like me has grown tired of these buffoons. Whether it be Gordy, Towzer, Emore or the countless others, they have the sole purpose of antagonising while bringing nothing to the board. It's post after post of 'look at me', 'look how amazing I am'.

Err, i have not done that today or for a long time. If you look at my posts and opinions i have always tried to keep it boxing related. Your frustration comes from your inability to out spar me. Verbally.

Talk boxing or push off. I'm a HW and you sir, are a FW.

Can we all just calm the frig down a bit, please? I've just had to remove a few posts from the 'Boxers you want to see knocked out' thread for obvious reasons, can do without it on this one as well.

Anyway, getting back on track, Kessler would be the most respected fraud going if he was one - but he clearly isn't. Maybe he's playing hard ball with the current negotiations with Froch, maybe he isn't, but it takes little more than a cursory look at his record, his conduct both in and out of the ring and also the fact that he's more than held his own with even the cream of the 168 lb weight class in the past half dozen years or so to conclude that he's the real deal, a proper figher.

I do feel bad for calling him a 'fraud'. I actually have way more respect for him than that. Just frustrated he wont take the fight.

Tried posting a comment already and it didn't materialise!

Kessler is a proper warrior that has faught anyone available. Having said that I would favour froch in a rematch.

With regards the captain he is a valued member of the forum with more informative input than the rest of us put together

But spencer, the man reffered to himself as a fish.

I'm seeing that Kessler is indeed a great fighter now. However, I am annoyed at his lack of decent fights recently. And the dodging.

I don't see him as a dodger. More he wants t negotiate a better deal. You won't find many more bigger froch fans than myself on here but the stats read that he won the first fight. Ergo he has the pulling power

spencer stats aint everything but yeah, he won, just.

50/50 is a great deal when you consider Hearn and Froch bring 70 percent of the loot to the table?

davidemore wrote:Carl Froch would devastate him now. KO inside 8, easily.

Doubt it as Kessler hasnt been KOed ever and Froch is hardly a knockout king. Kessler on points for me again

Froch is beasting opponents at the minute and had Kessler very hurt in their first fight. Plus, Green dumped him on his arse recently, the man can be got Steffan.

I know it's not David. I just understand hos requirement for home advantage even if I don't agree with it.

Steffan, I feel with the improvements froch has made since then he is capable of edging a decision.

Edging, beasting man, beasting. We all love Kessler but lets not pretend he isn't shot.

Haha I love your confidence and hope you are right but I see a titanic battle myself

Could well be to be honest, and I would hate to see Kessler get Bute'd.

Steffan wrote:

davidemore wrote:Carl Froch would devastate him now. KO inside 8, easily.

Doubt it as Kessler hasnt been KOed ever and Froch is hardly a knockout king. Kessler on points for me again

We meet again, Steffan.

Froch by PTS or late stoppage

War Carl Froch! War Nottingham! War the World! (not literally)

F ING GET IN THERE AND BUTE HIS ASS FROCHY!!!!! PANCAKE THAT DANISH BACON!!!!!!!!!!!! RESPECTFULLY.

Come on then il f ing take you all on. KESSLER KESSLER KESSLER

I like it Steffan!

Whatever happens, as long as the fight happens, we'll be chuffed!

War Froch!

Someone get on Twitter and ask Eddie Hear what the hell is happening.

I think Kessler might beat Froch a little easier this time around although not certain why. I've got a little bit of a feeling that his destruction of Bute and Mack might have made him little looser and wilder than he was before. His problem in the first fight was that he started too slowly - it might just be that hes now starting too fast and somewhere down the line Kessler will give him too much back for him to sustain that aggression and take all the later rounds.

No chance, never seen Froch tire down the stretch or be the one finishing weakest. It's never happened.

Kessler deserves more respect...I'm sorry he has this wally criticising him...

The Op states he's fought Calzaghe....Froch too.......

Some ducker!!!!!

Just stop it.................

Ridiculous isn't it Truss, he faces his 3 nearest rivals and gets subjected to dross like this. I have nothing but respect for the 168lb division since Calzaghe has moved on, we know the level of everyone because they've pretty much all faced eachother.

TRUSS he has a history of chasing manufactured titles. He tends to win a title against sub par opposition after a loss. As proven on his record. Also, he has fought toffee after a loss, as proven. But yes, the man deserves ultimate respect for being a true warrior. I just wish he wouldn't do a Nathan Cleverly after every big fight.

davidemore wrote:TRUSS he has a history of chasing manufactured titles. He tends to win a title against sub par opposition after a loss. As proven on his record. Also, he has fought toffee after a loss, as proven. But yes, the man deserves ultimate respect for being a true warrior. I just wish he wouldn't do a Nathan Cleverly after every big fight.

After ward he fought Froch the Toffee

I mentioned this as the one difference in my article. It was contract/title driven.

He has only lost two fights you moron How can you discern a tendency from one instance

kessler is missing a few big name wins from his cv, froch, ward and calzaghe are his best fights and he lost all three imo, but 2 of them werent even close. that said he has stepped in with the best and can never be called a ducker.

i think froch should be rated higher in the all time rankings even if they dont fight again- he has several big names in his win colum whereas kessler has almost none (especially for 40 odd fights)

ShahenshahG wrote:He has only lost two fights you moron How can you discern a tendency from one instance

Two you monkey. After he left the Super Six he went on the 'rebuild' to title glory. Much like he did after JC.

eddyfightfan wrote:kessler is missing a few big name wins from his cv, froch, ward and calzaghe are his best fights and he lost all three imo, but 2 of them werent even close. that said he has stepped in with the best and can never be called a ducker.

i think froch should be rated higher in the all time rankings even if they dont fight again- he has several big names in his win colum whereas kessler has almost none (especially for 40 odd fights)

The guy needs a defining win. This Froch fight gives him that chance. It's a huge fight now. HUGE.