It is a shame that American TV has not caught on to the European love for Mikkel Kessler. The only time that I can recall seeing him was his bout with Joe Calzaghe and it’s a bit unfair to be judged by a fight with the greatest fighter ever to come out of the Super Middleweight division.
That said I had the pleasure to see Kessler fight Danilo Haussler on the EuroSport network while on holiday in France. Kessler displayed a powerful jab, awesome right cross and his finishing salvo was nothing short of fantastic nearly sending his opponent in the air before coming down on his back.
He is extremely strong but what I was really impressed with was his boxing ability. I’m certain that any fighter would have trouble with his power, even Calzaghe was stunned a few times by Kessler’s right uppercut.
My mind drifted to the upcoming Jermain Taylor versus Jeff Lacey fight. These guys really need to prove their viability in the division. Lacey can be fun to watch showing flashes of Tyson-esque power but he seems to be having trouble even with B class opponents lately. During his fight with Joe Calzaghe, Calzaghe was able to reach in to Lacey’s soul and pull out his will to endure in a tough fight, a painful thing to watch.
Taylor on the other hand has the determination to win. He may have had issues with Kelly Pavlik, everyone else in the middleweight division has so this isn’t really such a black mark on his record. I don’t see how Lacey even stands a chance. Taylor is faster, a better tactician, and he has proved himself against a few greats beating Bernard Hopkins twice and fighting to a draw with Winky Wright.
I see Taylor resurrecting his jab, outboxing Lacey, cutting him, and having little trouble in the late rounds as he has been there many times before.
Once Taylor finishes with Lacey his next logical fight should be with Kessler. I am really looking forward to this. I hope HBO is smart and holds this in a major US venue to showcase what will be a fantastic battle ending in a knockout for Kessler. Is Kessler as good in reality as the busty blondes at ringside during his last bout think he is? I think so.
Long live Mikkel Kessler.
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