Kessler-Ward Countdown But I Can't Stop Thinking About Pacquiao

Kessler-Ward Fight Diary: Day 1

It’s Tuesday a few days, less than a week to go and I’m all in. This is perhaps the biggest boxing tournament ever in terms of the competitive nature of the field. The credential is approved, the flight is booked to Bay Area. The final bout of Super Six World Boxing Classic, Stage 1, Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward: here I come.  

But, all I can think about is Manny Pacquaio.

He was a beast on Saturday. He dismantled Cotto. He was the “ferocious tiger” he described himself as in the post-fight presser. At the same time Manny looked almost

Like he wanted to stop hitting Cotto as the fight wore on. Cotto was on his bicycle, back

peddling after the 5^th round.

Doe’s Manny beat Floyd Mayweather? Can the Pacman gobble him up like he did Cotto?

I don’t think so. I still think Mayweather has the tools to win that fight. True he can’t jab and roll against a southpaw but, I still think he can neutralize Manny’s speed with his superb defense. Mayweather is one of the best defensive fighters of this era.

One of Cotto’s problems from a marketing perspective is he has never had the backing of all of Puerto Rico. Many Puerto Ricans see him as brash. Sources in Puerto Rico during the fight tell me many people in public viewings of the fight were opennly rooting against him.

This is not a problem for Andre Ward in marketing the Kessler fight. The clean, cut and nicely spoken former Olympian has fought most of his fights in the Bay Area. He will have the entire crowd behind him this Saturday against Mikkel Kessler.

And he’s going to need it. Like a claiming horse entering a stakes race, Andre War is taking a tremendous jump in class in this fight. Kessler’s only loss was to Welsh-Italian Joe Calazghe. Still he is a bit older and this Saturday’s fight will be the classic match up of  youth versus experience.

I'm all in, just as soon as I stop looking at Manny Pacquiao footage on youtube