Calzaghe Beats Kessler

Joe Calzaghe carved out a points win over previously-unbeaten Dane Mikkel Kessler in their much hyped fight.

Calzaghe showed great versatility after working out his upright opponent during five tough opening rounds to record his 21st WBO title defence and add Kessler's WBA and WBC belts to his collection.

Kessler had come to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with a 39-fight unbeaten record, intending to prove to the 50,000 Calzaghe fans in attendance this was his night, instead, it was Calzaghe who turned on the style in the later rounds, moving to his left and working behind a stiff jab to negate the Dane's relatively one-dimensional approach and win in style.

Kessler had shaded much of the early action behind his crisp left jab, and enjoyed success from a trademark jolting right hand in the fourth round as the Welshman continued to try to work out his opponent.

But peppering Kessler with jabs of his own whilst circling out of range of his right hand, Calzaghe turned the tide and flung home hurtful hooks from both wings in a strong round eight.

Kessler was still enjoying some success as late as the ninth, but Calzaghe stayed on his toes, and in the end, it was a vindication of Calzaghe's status as an all-time great.

Now Calzaghe is trying to get a fight in the US against Bernard Hopkins. We shall see what happens.

Joe Calzaghe Vs. Mikkel Kessler

This weekend:

Joe Calzaghe Vs. Mikkel Kessler

Saturday, November 3, 2007. At Cardiff, Wales (HBO 9pm EST)

12 rounds, Ring/WBO/WBC/WBA super middleweight unification

Boxing: Joe Calzaghe Promo

In light of the upcoming Calzaghe Vs Kessler fight, here's a DVD promo in honor of Joe Calzaghe.

Boxing News: "I want Calzaghe" - Hopkins

More Boxing News
Bernard Hopkins has set his sights on a showdown with WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe after defeating Winky Wright in Las Vegas.
42-year-old Hopkins retained his IBO light heavyweight title by a unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay and then threw out a challenge to 168 pounds champion Calzaghe, who meets Mikkel Kessler in Wales on November 3 to unify the division.

Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs) has won his last two fights at this weight after inflicting a first defeat since December 1999 on Wright and winning a decision against Antonio Tarver in June 2006.

Judges Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge scored the fight, 117-111, while judge Glenn Hamada had it 116-112 for the winner.

A headbutt by Hopkins in the third round left a significant cut over the left eye of Wright, whose wound began to bleed at a significant rate. And afterwards Wright accused his opponent of dirty tactics.

The referee briefly stopped the match and warned Hopkins as Wright was treated by the ringside doctor. Hopkins, however, insisted the incident was an accident.

Hopkins was to earn three million US dollars for this fight.

So what next? Will he move back down a weight? I don't think Calzage will move up. This should be interesting. It's good to see Hopkins still has some fight in him and is going after quality opposition.

Record Breaking Super Fight?

Will Joe Calzaghe's unification super fight against Mikkel Kessler set a new world attendance record for an indoor boxing event?

The Millennium Stadium, in Calzaghe's home country of Wales in the UK, will host the showdown on November 3 with 70,000 tickets available, of which 17,500 have already been sold even though the fight was only confirmed last Wednesday.

Muhammad Ali's rematch against Leon Spinks holds the record with 63,500 descending on the Louisiana Superdome in 1978 to watch 'The Greatest' win the world heavyweight title for a third time.

Promoter Warren said: "Getting Joe and Mikkel together is very expensive.

"Kessler's people wanted the fight in Copenhagen but ultimately money swung it to be held over here. It's always about the money! "The record for an indoor gate in the sport is 63,500 and I think we'll have more than that at the Millennium Stadium on November 3. If that happens it will be the world's biggest indoor boxing event."

Kessler is arguably Calzaghe's greatest challenge to date with the 28-year-old WBC and WBA super-middleweight champion unbeaten in 39 fights.

But Warren believes the Dane will bring the best out of Calzaghe, whose WBO belt and unblemished record will also be on the line in Cardiff.

It's great that this fight has finally been nailed down. The worrying rumours of a novelty 'super fight' with Bernard Hopkins or Roy Jones eventually died down, and Frank Warren has managed to make the fight every boxing fan wants to see.

Unbeaten Dane Kessler may not boast the box-office draw of a Hopkins or Jones in America. But the live gate receipts and interest generated by such a commendable unification clash will produce the kudos and Kroner Calzaghe craves.

Calzaghe Vs. Kessler - Another Boxing Superfight?

Boxing Promoter Frank Warren says Joe Calzaghe will go to Denmark and fight Mikkel Kessler in a blockbusting world super-middleweight showdown.

Earlier this week, Warren agreed to an offer made by Kessler's promoter, Mogens Palle, but has so far heard nothing back from the Dane.

"It's not a done deal until it's signed but we've accepted," Warren told BBC Five Live. "It's now up to Palle to send a contract."

Long-term WBO super-middleweight king Calzaghe had been linked to a fight with his WBC/WBA counterpart following victory over Peter Manfredo Jr in April.

Both fighters - neither of whom have tasted defeat before - were keen to secure home advantage, but Calzaghe is so confident of victory, he is prepared to sacrifice a partisan crowd.

"Joe doesn't mind fighting in Denmark," said Warren. "He feels he will beat Kessler anywhere and I believe that's the case as well.

"It's a great fight. It's the two best super middleweights in the world. It's probably one of the most competitive fights at the moment in boxing.

"I just hope that Palle backs up his offer. We sent him an e-mail on Tuesday along with a fax confirming what the terms were and we've not heard from him since.

"I'm hoping it's not all nonsense. He's been talking a lot about fighting Joe with Kessler and we've called his bluff. I don't believe he ever thought that Joe would go to Denmark."

Joe Calzaghe defends his WBO super-middleweight title for the 20th time

Welshman Joe Calzaghe taught 'Contender' star Peter Manfredo a violent lesson in the reality of world championship boxing with an emphatic third-round stoppage victory at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Calzaghe successfully defended his WBO super-middleweight title for the 20th time, an accomplishment which saw him equal the records of fellow greats Larry Holmes and Bernard Hopkins.

In front of a record indoor crowd of around 35,000, Calzaghe blazed out for the third round and rained a seemingly endless supply of hooks down upon hapless Manfredo.

Watching closely as the 26-year-old challenger gamely attempted to stay on his feet, referee Terry O'Connor had finally seen enough at one minute 30 seconds of the round and waved the contest off.

While such a quick win had always been expected for Calzaghe, of equal importance was its manner which cannot fail to have impressed his influential paymasters on both sides of the Atlantic.

In truth, having starred in the first series of the popular US reality TV boxing show, Manfredo had come to Cardiff with a broadcast appeal far outweighing his pure boxing credentials.

Successive knockout wins over Scott Pemberton and Joe Spina just about earned him his shot but few if any outside his camp gave the Providence native a realistic shot.

At least Manfredo went out on his feet, but the manner of Calzaghe's win underlined that the 35-year-old belongs in a different league to almost all the current crop of 12-stone contenders.

One exception is unbeaten WBA champion Mikkel Kessler, the Dane who has also been promoted by Home Box Office and would certainly pose a sterner test in a possible super-fight to come.

Despite Manfredo's questionable qualities, this was a clever fight for Calzaghe, designed to impress an American audience granted a rare free-to-air glimpse of the Welshman via the Home Box Office network.

And the challenger played his part too in the opening round, scoring with a clean right hook and largely keeping the champion at bay with his strength whenever he came into range.

Calzaghe dug home a couple of hurtful right hooks to the body at the start of the second and continued to flick jabs through Manfredo's guard as he began to take control of the fight.

The champion seized upon his advantage early in the third, cracking home a magnificent right to tee up a sustained period of punishment which had Manfredo desperately seeking to maintain his guard.

Scenting another dramatic quick win, Calzaghe blazed away with both hands, and the intervention of O'Connor was not unduly protested by the Manfredo corner.

Calzaghe told ITV: "It's amazing (to be in Cardiff) for my 20th defence in this amazing arena.

"I paid my dues for a long time and this is what dreams are made of - and there's more to come yet."

Calzaghe admitted that the stoppage may have come a little early but was certain he would have knocked his opponent out given the chance.

"I think you could make a case that it was stopped slightly prematurely but if it hadn't have been then I'd have stopped him by the fourth.

"The referee saved him from more punishment. Up close he was going (down) and in the next 20 or 30 seconds I'd have floored him.

"It looked like the ropes were keeping him up.

"I'm always supremely confident of my abilities but even at 35, you're still learning."

Manfredo was unhappy at the referee's decision to stop the fight when he did. He told ITV: "I was hanging in there, trying to get my rhythm going, and the fight was stopped too soon. There was no warning or anything.