Sports » Boxing Betting » Joe Calzaghe v Mikkel Kessler
On November 3rd, Cardiff's Millenium Stadium will be packed to the rafters to see if their hero Joe Calzaghe can become a unified world champion. In his way that night is Danish boxer Mikkel Kessler.
Up for grabs in this huge Super Middleweight bout is Calzaghe's WBO title and Kessler's WBA and WBC titles. Both fighters come into the contest unbeaten as pros and whoever leaves Cardiff unbeaten will be the true Super Middleweight.
Let's have a look at the fighter's careers in more detail.
Joe Calzaghe
Fights: 43
Wins: 43
Losses: 0
Draws: 0
KO's: 32
KO %: 74.4
Last 3 fights:
04/03/06 vs Jeff Lacy - Calzaghe won by unanimous decision
14/10/06 vs Sakio Bika - Calzaghe won by unanimous decision
07/04/06 vs Peter Manfredo Jr - Calzaghe won by knockout
The crowning success of Joe Calzaghe's career came at the MEN Arena in Manchester on a fantastic March evening. American Jeff Lacy, regarded as one of the best Middleweights doing the rounds and Calzaghe beat him winning every round. That win earned Calzaghe the IBF title to go with his WBO title. He then defended his title in a really dirty fight against Sakio Bika from Cameroon. Calzaghe had lined up Bernard Hopkins but a deal couldn't be achieved and so he was forced to defend his WBO title against The Contender runner up Peter Manfredo Jr. That was Calzaghe's best performance since the Lacy fight but nothing in his career so far can eclipse that night. Until now.
And now let's look at the Dane.
Mikkel Kessler
Fights: 39
Wins: 39
Losses: 0
Draws: 0
KO's: 29
KO %: 74.3
Last 3 fights:
14/01/06 vs Eric Lucas - Kessler won by technical knock out
14/10/06 vs Markus Beyer - Kessler won by knock out
24/03/07 vs Librado Andrade - Kessler won by unanimous decision
Mikkel Kessler won his WBA Super Middleweight title from Manny Siaca in 2004 and then in October last year he became a double world champion when he knocked out Markus Beyer. The hard hitting Dane though has never gone in with anyone with Calzaghe's class and this will be only the 3rd time in his career he's fought outside his homeland so it's fair to say the odds are stacked against Kessler here.
Calzaghe will be roared on by a vociferous Welsh crowd at the Millenium Stadium and Kessler will need all his heavy hitting and craft to defeat Calzaghe but the 'Italian Dragon' is a very experienced fighter and can mix it and on one of boxing's greatest nights a real classic fight lies in store for us.
RESULT
Joe Calzaghe performed brilliantly against Mikkel Kessler to record a unanimous points decision by scores of 116-112 116-112 117-111.
