Danish Super Middleweight Oliver Zaren (5-0, 2 KOs) will face Iago Kizira (5-2, 3 KOs) on December 3 as part of a huge night of boxing promoted by Wasserman Boxing and Probellum in Ilsenburg, Germany.

The 21-year-old from Roskilde has got off to the perfect start to his professional career, recording five victories in as many contests, his latest a unanimous points win over Pavol Garaj on September 10 in Klagenfurt, Austria.

“I’m very excited to be fighting again” said Zaren. “With my team I’ve been working on becoming faster, sharper, more powerful – and I think every fight I’ll be better than the last time.To fight on such a card in Germany is prestigious for me, there are some big fights on there, now I’m going to focus on my fight and delivering the win the best way possible!”

Trained and managed by Danish boxing legend Mikkel Kessler, Zaren can draw on the expertise of the former five-time World Champion as he continues to progress through the paid ranks.

“Oliver learned a lot in his last fight, and since his last fight,” said ‘The Viking Warrior’ Kessler. “To be a champion you have to show heart, courage and the ability to learn. I am behind Oliver for his journey and I believe he will get better with every fight – starting with this one on December 3.”

Zaren is also backed by promoter Kalle Sauerland, who believes the young Dane can emulate his mentor’s success and become a future World Champion.

“Oliver Zaren is a fighter we have extremely high hopes for – he has the right attitude and a great team around him,” said Sauerland. “If he continues to work hard and dedicates himself to the sport, I believe he can follow in Mikkel’s footsteps and become Denmark’s next World Champion.”

Zaren is the latest addition to a stacked card in Ilsenburg, Germany on December 3 that also features an IBF European Middleweight Title fight between Denis Radovan and Brian Rose, Super Welterweight star Abass Baraou versus Albania’s Meriton Karaxha, and a domestic dustup between German Middleweight rivals Patrick Wojcicki and Alexander Pavlov.

This is the first in a series of high-profile events that will take place in Germany following a ground breaking new partnership between powerhouse promoter Wasserman Boxing, formerly Team Sauerland, and major global boxing and media company Probellum that is set to galvanise German boxing.

Tickets for the Wasserman Boxing and Probellum event on December 3 in Ilsenburg are available via www.eventim.de/artist/internationale-boxgala

Carl Froch and Darren Barker own some of the best wins on away territory by British fighters, and the duo talk about fighting on the road with Chris Algieri on the latest episode of ‘The Rounds’.
WATCH EPISODE TWO OF ‘THE ROUNDS’ AS CARL FROCH AND DARREN BARKER JOIN CHRIS ALGIERI
Froch began life as WBC World Super-Middleweight champion with a thrilling final round win over Jermain Taylor in Connecticut in April 2009, and then in 2010-11, ‘The Cobra’ went on the road during the Super Six series to face Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Glen Johnson and Andre Ward.

Barker’s first World title action saw him face the formidable Middleweight king Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City in October 2011 and then returned to the same city in August 2013 to achieve his World title dreams in dramatic fashion against IBF king Daniel Geale.

Both men open up on those trips and more, including great stories on their sparring sessions together.

Carl Froch: “I enjoyed being on the road. When we boxed for England we were going to hostile environments and fighting top fighters back-to-back in nations tournaments, but I was always a nervous fighter. So, when I defended my title against Jermain Taylor in Connecticut, I was nervous about it all. 

“Not so much boxing abroad, but more that it was Taylor, a former undisputed Middleweight World champion. I saw him get out of this limousine for the press conference in NYC and he just looked like the don, he had this nice suit on and looked crisp and clean. I was just there with a hoodie and t-shirt and I was thinking ‘do I belong here?’ It was quite a daunting thing for me, and I was always quite nervous and apprehensive as a fighter, I was unsure of myself, and I was a new World champion and making my first defense. I didn’t really know if I belonged at World level and here I was fighting Taylor in America. I look back at that fight now and think how naive I was at that level and I just had to put all my trust in Rob McCracken and my fitness, my refusal to quit and my competitive nature, I like to win.

“[Kessler and the volcanic ash cloud] On Tuesday of fight week we had Sky News on and they were saying all the flights we grounded so I am thinking I am definitely not going, the US broadcasters aren’t going to be able to make it over, so it’s definitely off. We had a barbecue in the garden, I had a couple of cans of Guinness; I don’t drink much, and I had a couple of them in fight week! The next day my promoter rang me and said that the Sauerlands’s were sending a private jet and the flight was at 2pm. Private jet sounds glamorous but it wasn’t, it was a five-seater, it was bumpy all the way and Rob doesn’t like heights so he was white all the way and didn’t say a word, hanging onto the seat and looking at me, and I was winding him up saying ‘I think we’re bang in trouble here this plane is all over the place!’ 

“I crashed the weight which I never do, and at the weigh-in I felt weak. It’s the first and only time I ever did that, but I don’t want people to think I’m making an excuse, I felt good to fight and had a great 12 rounds against a brilliant fighter and I just didn’t quite do enough. But going over on the Wednesday under that ash cloud in fight week and being overweight, switching off, it was horrible. I believe that things happen for a reason though and in boxing you don’t win or lose, you win or learn. I learnt how to come back and in my next fight I fought Arthur Abraham and the WBC title was back up for grabs, that boosted my spirits and that loss then didn’t feel as bad. 

“The loss with Andre Ward felt worse. Andre is a fantastic fighter, very skillful, fast, hard to hit, good with his jab. I remember getting out of the fight thinking, I had a decent rounds in 10, 11 and 12, and I was getting into it and I thought, why didn’t I start earlier, why didn’t I get into it, why didn’t I believe in myself? But that’s what we do when we lose, we look for reasons.”

Darren Barker: “I never felt more nervous or under pressure in the States and I think a big part of that was the experience of fighting all over the world as an amateur.

“I flew into New York with Eddie Hearn and we were in and out for the Martinez press conference, I remember the American’s almost laughing at me for showing any confidence, even though I was undefeated and European champion, I just hadn’t fought anybody. I was confident in my ability, but it was the unknown, I had sparred hundreds of rounds with Carl, an elite level fighter, but it’s still sparring. I knew I was capable of being in there with elite fighters, but I didn’t quite understand where I was at the time. 

“I don’t have any regrets looking back at my career, but I have a slight one looking back at that fight because I think if I had believed in myself a little more, been more aggressive and forced the action more, then potentially I could have caused a huge upset. I’m not saying that it would have happened, I just wished I gave it a bit more. But the whole unbuild up was just the reason I chose boxing, I was on top of a huge skyscraper in New York for the presser and thinking, ‘this is it, I’ve made it’. I was walking up fifth avenue with Eddie and we walked past a shop with bright green trousers in the window and Eddie said: ‘you should buy them and wear them at the press conference for a laugh!’ I said: ‘no chance, I wouldn’t be seen dead in them!’ We got to the press conference and Sergio was wearing that exact pair of trousers! 

“The Repton club had a knack of churning out top quality Southpaws so I was never fazed at fighting them, I knew I would be able to compete with him and it was a great experience for me and one that was massively valuable going onto the Geale fight.

“I’d been to Atlantic City for the Martinez fight, so it wasn’t alien to me and I was driven to right that wrong. We had a similar game plan, to be aggressive but smart, on the front-foot and hold center of the ring. It wasn’t until I got in there that I realized how awkward he was, he had a knack of getting out of range, I was falling short and adopted a different plan to get on his chest and outwork him. 

“The moment I got put down in the sixth round, a lot of people know my brother Gary passed away, he was a very good fighter and if I had have lost that fight I would never have fought again, it would have been a box that hadn’t been ticked and it would have eaten away. So, I was just so prepared to leave everything in the ring that night that a body shot was never going to keep me down, fast-forward to the 12th round and hearing Michael Buffer say, ‘and the new’, I still can’t believe it. I achieved what I set out to do. 

“There were a lot of question marks over my toughness, but I always knew I was tough. You don’t do 12 rounds of sparring with Carl and not be tough! I always knew there was a fight out there to show everyone I was mentally and physically tough.”

Froch and Barker star in the second episode of ‘The Rounds’ and the first episode, featuring Mikey Garcia, Devin Haney and Daniel Jacobs talking about the highs and lows of boxing, can be found on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Mikkel Kessler has been forced to delay his comeback after contracting Lyme Borreliosis – a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks.

The former five-time World Champion had announced his plans to come out of retirement earlier this year and was expected to make his long awaited return to the ring in November.

However, the Danish boxing icon was struck down by a mystery illness whilst in training camp, and was later admitted to hospital where following multiple tests it was revealed that he had Lyme Borreliosis.

Kessler has since been released from hospital and is currently completing a course of antibiotics. The 38 year-old is close to making a full recovery, but still suffering from symptoms including fatigue, he is yet to resume training.

“I started to feel ill around 4 weeks ago. I was tired, my muscles were aching and I was unable to train,” reveals Kessler. “At that point, I still had no idea what was causing it. I had blood tests, which showed nothing, and it wasn’t until I had a spinal fluid test that the doctors were able to identify the problem.

“I’m not sure exactly when or where I was bitten by the tick, but I’m just thankful the bacteria was caught early and hopefully there will be no long lasting effects.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed to have to delay my comeback. I want to thank my fans for their support and patience. I hope to be ready to return to the ring early next year, and I promise to repay their support with a great victory!”

“I’ve had fighters suffering from many different injuries and illnesses in the past but this is a first for me,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland.

“I know Mikkel is bitterly disappointed, but his health must come first. We are now set for March and will announce venue and opponent in the coming weeks. It will take more than a tick to stop The Viking Warrior!”

NEW YORK (November 12, 2015) – In advance of his upcoming move up to the light heavyweight division, WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KO’s) is vacating his title. Ward originally claimed the belt in November 2009 with a victory over long-time champion Mikkel Kessler in his opening fight of the Super Six tournament.

“I won the WBA belt for my first world title in 2009 and have defended it six times and it’s been a wonderful ride with the WBA,” Ward said. “Gilberto Mendoza and his team have shown me nothing but respect and I’m looking forward to moving up and hopefully winning the WBA light heavyweight belt.”

“Andre Ward has been one of the finest champions in the WBA super middleweight division’s history,” said WBA President Gilberto Mendoza Jr. “We have always been honored to be represented by such a great athlete, gentleman and incredible role model. We wish him the best success in the future and hope we can facilitate the path to him becoming a two-division world champion at light heavyweight.”

Ward’s six successful WBA title defenses came in victories over Allan Green, Sakio Bika, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson and Edwin Rodriguez.

Known for his strong character and integrity outside the ring and his warrior’s instinct inside it, Ward’s skill and talent were apparent early in his outstanding amateur career. He racked up every title in the books, culminating with a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. As the only male American boxer to claim Olympic gold since 1996, Ward joined the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya. He turned professional on December 18, 2004, scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Chris Molina at Staples Center in a fight that was televised live on HBO. He has gone on to rack up 27 more victories since then, building an ever-growing legion of fans in the process. After rising to the number two spot on the pound-for-pound list and winning the 2011 Fighter of the Year Award (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America), it was announced that Ward signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports in January 2015, opening a new chapter in his storied boxing career. The Bay Area product returned to the ring on June 20, 2015 at the Oracle Arena in front of his hometown fans in Oakland, California and scored a ninth-round knockout over Paul Smith, continuing his unbeaten streak which dates back to when he was a 13-year-old amateur. Ward recently stepped in front of the camera for a completely different role, a part in the upcoming New Line/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros. feature “Creed,” hitting theaters on November 25, a few days following fight week. Fellow Bay Area natives, director Ryan Coogler and the film’s star Michael B. Jordan, reached out to Ward so that he could provide his expertise for the film. In addition to working in front of the camera with Ward, Jordan spent time at Ward’s home gym in preparation for his role as Apollo Creed’s son.

About Roc Nation Sports
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents world champions Miguel Cotto and Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar, Justise Winslow and Willie Cauley-Stein.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com former Super Middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler has retired.

“I have thought long and hard over the options, which have been made available, but none of these options are enough to get me motivated,” Kessler wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday. “My promoter (Sauerland Event) has done a great job in creating these, but unfortunately the opportunities in the division are currently limited. I said at the time when I would fight on that I would need the right fights to motivate me. This is not a question of money. In fact these offers have been for great purses, but it is about motivation. After all if you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?

“I need big events to make me train to get me to the standard that I have been used to presenting my fans with. I said I would like nothing more than to avenge my loss against Andre Ward and also to have the decider against Carl Froch. These are fights that motivate me, but for one reason or another, they do not want to fight me. I am always in training. It is part of my life, but I consider myself in a state of retirement. Finally, I would like to thank all of my fans for supporting me throughout my career. It has been an absolute pleasure stepping into the ring, home as well as abroad.”

“I’ve talked with my team, the people around me, and they are ready to support me on the journey to become world champion again. I still have a desire for boxing. I still love to train, and I believe that I can become a world champion again. Now that I’ve made the decision, it’s all in. I’m ready for all the big names out there.”

Following months of speculation, today, former five-time World Champion Mikkel Kessler announced his intentions to continue boxing and fight his way back to the top of the sport he loves.

“I’ve thought a lot about whether I should continue my career,’’ said Kessler. ‘’I became a father and I have a life outside of boxing that I really appreciate. I’ve got a special responsibility. So it was not a decision I took lightly.

‘’But I still feel I have something to prove. I hate to lose! And I lost my last fight against Carl Froch. Many thought that I would quit, but I owe it to myself and my fans to finish on top. My last performance showed that I still belong at the top. And I know that my fans believe in me.’

“I’ve talked with my team, the people around me, and they are ready to support me on the journey to become World Champion again.

“I still have a desire for boxing. I still love to train, and I believe that I can become a World Champion again. Now that I’ve made the decision, it’s all in. I’m ready for all the big names out there. Whether it’s Ward, Golovkin or Groves, I’m ready. A third fight against Froch, why not? I’ll be ready for that too.

“I’m not rusty, but it’s been a while since I’ve boxed, so a fight in October or November would suit me best. At that point, I’d like to have a big fight.

“Like I said; it’s all in now. There is no turning back and I believe that I can do it. You don’t become world champion five times, if you don’t believe in yourself.”

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: ‘’Mikkel proved in his last performance against Froch that he still belongs at the very top of the boxing world. He could have chosen to turn his back on the sport as he has won five World Championship belts and financially he has earned very well.

‘’He is, however, a true fighter and is motivated through big fights. He still believes he has a point to prove and at his age and with his very conscious lifestyle he could still go on a while. His last performance certainly proves that he still has a lot to give. There are some great fights to be made.’’

Further details regarding Kessler’s comeback fight will be announced shortly.

In round 6 of their super middleweight match, Saturday, Englishman Carl “The Cobra” Froch and Dane Mikkel “Viking Warrior” Kessler briefly got separated by the ref after a Kessler blow struck well beneath Froch’s cranberry-satin belt line. Froch shook it out, dangling his right foot off the mat till he was rearranged enough to resume, and then the two men came together and Kessler belly-piped Froch with a 2-3 combo that was Kessler’s best of their match’s first half.

Froch, practiced as any prizefighter at showing an opponent no spiritual weakness while showing sundry technical weaknesses in a uniquely shameless way, tucked his hearth-bottom chin, took the blows, and fought back without spite or regard for personal safety – the way a gentleman is expected to do. London’s aficionados applauded raucously, the scrap continued apace, and Froch had his satisfaction, prevailing in a rematch with Kessler by unanimous decision.

There is something absurd about Carl Froch’s self-belief, and the absurder element of it is its contagiousness, an infectious impulse so potent others catch it and assign Froch many times more effectiveness than his attacks merit, a reflexive thing that confirms itself while denying reason. The affliction of Froch’s self-belief does not noy cautious and naturally suspicious technicians like Andre Ward, a man likely to believe the most potent thing about any opponent for 10 minutes, but someone like Mikkel Kessler, a man with little cause for caution who nevertheless finds his attack bilked, time and again, by the force of Froch’s absurd self-belief and its awkward manifestation – so awkward an attentive spectator must sometimes ask: Where does The Cobra practice such moves?

It’s a proper question because you cannot toss yourself at the handpads the way Froch tosses himself at an opponent, and no one would shadowbox with such raveled feet or twisted torso, and you cannot make a heavybag elusive as Froch can make an opponent; it is as if, in camp, Froch begins swimming at a line of double-end bags, punching, missing, bracing, absorbing, eluding, biting, countering, pivoting, blocking, tasting, and pirouetting, before he arrives at the rusted pipe of their frame, touches it with a spin, then swims home, getting as well as he gives, and ending each lap with an avouching nod. Pity poor Mikkel Kessler, then, for showing any vulnerability to a man capable of such random violence and indefatigable self-belief.

Their second fight, though, was very much closer than one official judge and one unofficial judge had it. Rounds 3, 4 and 5 could probably have gone either way, with two of them perhaps belonging to Kessler. Rounds 9 and 10 were good, even affairs. When five rounds of 12 were that close, there is no reason for one man to win a fight 118-110, unless a judge is scoring crowd noise, and if she is doing that, how much better is she than a decibel meter?

Lost in the cacophony about Froch’s chin was a point open to be made about Kessler’s: He caught the entirety of the fight’s unpredictable punches and the final counter in every exchange, an absurdly confident Froch punctuation mark at the end of every paragraph, and yet Kessler did not buckle as he did in their first match. He got shuffled round the ring, and his head got jammed backwards more than advisable, but he was never in danger of being stopped, and if anyone wintled from a punch, it was Froch in round 11, when the Cobra sprang into a rightcross counter and staggered ropesward immediately after.

Froch-Kessler II was a gentleman’s fight in gentlemanliness’ birthplace, an agreement between two chums to make a hellacious scrap, dirty as it need be, entertain those gathered, and embrace at the close. There was a tender moment when, after hugging the man he verily believed he’d beaten, and while still buzzing from what blows the man sloshed his brain with, Froch held Kessler’s handsome pink face between his black gloves and asked several times if his friend were all right. It was a thing Europeans have to show us how to do; our best Americans take themselves too seriously, and therefore every punch too personally, to fight so hard or show such affection immediately afterwards; and Latin America’s finest, usually Mexicans, keep score of grievances too proficiently and with much too much granularity, in their fetish for vengeance, to hope for a foe’s health while their own remains compromised.

The world does not await a rematch between Andre Ward and Carl Froch, a rematch the victor seems to want more than the vanquished; Froch alluded to Ward’s spoiler style and how incapable it often proves of uplifting observers’ spirits, Ward replied no fighter ever prefers a style than solves his own, and both men were correct. After ignoring the super middleweight division and its deserving champion for years, HBO now appears to have wagered its future on Ward’s charisma, a characteristically wrongheaded bet and typical overcorrection by a network whose commentating crew regularly swings like a tardy pendulum between proofs and disproofs of its prefight narrative, and prizes consensus more than interesting people do.

Ward convincingly defeated Froch 17 1/2 months ago by accumulating a large points lead, conserving strength, and finishing hungrily – but if Ward won the second half of their fight on an unbiased scorecard, it wasn’t by much. Which is a thing that should be said about Froch’s Saturday victory over Kessler. Froch-Kessler III will be more enjoyable for all involved than Ward-Froch II.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Carl Froch extracted revenge and retained the IBF and won the WBA Super Middleweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Mikkel Kessler in a terrific fight at the O2 Arena in London.

The bout was very competitive with Froch’s volume and come forward style being the difference in the outcome.

Froch was effective early with Kessler only looking for one shot. Kessler started to come forward and landed some vicious right hands that the Nottingham, Englad native Froch walked right through. The two had frequent toe to toe exchanges throughout the second half of the fight the had the capacity crowd of 19,000 people on the edge of their seats for much of the bout. The fight mirrored the first fight, which was won by Kessler on April 24, 2010 in Denmark in a thrilling battle.

Froch won by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113 and is now 31-2. Kessler of Denmark fought a tremendous fight but came up short and is now 46-3.

Follow all the action LIVE from the O2 Arena in London as Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler meet in a unification rematch. The fight will begin at 6pm eastern / 3 pm pacfic / 11 pm in London and Midnight in Copenhagen.

12 ROUNDS–IBF/WBA SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLES–CARL FROCH (30-2, 22 KO’s) vs Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KO’s)

Round 1 Good left from Kessler..Kessler jabs to the body..Jab..body..Froch lands a jab..good combination..Kessler lands a good body shot and left hook…10-9 Kessler

Round 2 Kessler lands a right to the body…Froch lands a left to the body and a hard right..Kessler hold on..Froch lands a right and shot drives Kessler to the ropes..lead right...19-19

Round 3 Froch has some redness around the nose…Kessler redness over the left eye…Froch lands a jab..Kessler lands a double jab..3 rights from Froch…Kessler lands a body..Froch lands a right to the head..good body punch and combination..29-28 Froch

Round 4 Kessler lands a left hook…Jab from Froch…Good left hook from Kessler..38-38

Round 5 Good left hook from Kessler..2 jabs…Hard right stuns Froch..Froch lands a right to the body...48-47 Kessler

Round 6 Big right from Kessler..Left hook..Left hook…right from Froch…58-56 Kessler

Round 7 Combo from Kessler…big left hook…Froch lands a left..good left hook from Kessler..Froch lands a body shot and a hard right wobbles Kessler…big right and left…67-66 Kessler

Round 8 Froch lands a big left hook..Kessler lands a hard right..left hook…Froch lands a huge right…uppercut from Kessler…Hard right…they trade rights…left hook from Kessler….77-75 Kessler

Round 9Hard right from Kessler..left hook..2 shots from Froch..trading shots..Froch 2 body shots…86-85 Kessler

Round 10

WBA Super-Middleweight Champion
Mikkel Kessler – 11st 12lbs 7oz
IBF Super-Middleweight Champion
Carl Froch – 11st 13lbs 9oz

New York, NY (5/23/13) – On March 30, top-rated light heavyweight contender Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (20-1-2, 9KO’s) and reigning WBC silver light heavyweight champion Tony Bellew (19-1-1, 12KO’s) battled to a 12-round split decision draw in Bellew’s backyard of Liverpool. Now, the two combatants are set to go at it again this Saturday night, on the undercard of the much anticipated rematch between defending IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler at the beautiful O2 Arena in London. The bout, promoted by Matchroom Sport, in association with DiBella Entertainment, is scheduled for 12 rounds and will once again be for Bellew’s WBC Silver light heavyweight title.

“I am sharper, stronger and definitely healthier this time around,” said WBC #3, IBF #9, and WBO #9-rated Chilemba. “I will adjust and do whatever is necessary to beat him and bring the victory home. The changes that I made this time were mostly to do with my approach to the camp and keeping healthy. Buddy has made a few changes in the ring with me as well.”

In their first bout, Chilemba got off to a slow start, allowing Bellew to take the early rounds behind a loudly partisan hometown crowd. Chilemba picked up the pace in the fifth frame, and after the sixth, trainer Buddy McGirt gave Chilemba an earful in the corner, stating, “You can’t keep backing up, you can’t win like that.”

Chilemba followed instructions and began pressing the action and controlling the pace of the fight behind his jab, frustrating Bellew and silencing the sold-out crowd in the process.

In the end, the bout was ruled a draw with one judge scoring 116-112 for Chilemba, the other tallying 116-115 for Bellew, and the third having it even at 114-114. Now the two are set to begin round 13, in what promises to be a huge night of boxing in the U.K.

“I feel like I’ve already beaten Tony, but apparently that wasn’t enough, so this time I am getting in the ring with full intentions of surpassing my last performance. If Tony thought he had it tough in our last bout, then he better be ready this time around because he is in for the fight of his life.”

IBF CHAMPION CARL FROCH:

“It doesn´t get any better than this… to be involved in a fight of this magnitude at this scale against a fighter like Mikkel Kessler at this venue…I could almost explode. I feel shaky and nervous but also confident and strong. I am so sharp. I will enjoy it, I will leave absolutely everything in the ring, heart, soul, guts, tears and blood if necessary.”

WBA CHAMPION MIKKEL KESSLER:

“A lot of people said I am crazy to come to London and fight him in his hometown because I have already beaten him once. But you know what, this is the fight I want to fight, I don´t see any bigger fight in the world right now. I am a man of my word and I shook his hand and I said I am going to fight you in your hometown and that is why I am here. I want to show him and all the fans that I am better than him in his hometown, too. And I want his belt, I have never had the IBF belt.”

WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KOs) has arrived in London prior to his blockbuster unification rematch with IBF champion Carl Froch (30-2, 22 KOs). The Viking Warrior held a media training session at the Hayemaker gym today. “The hard work has been done, Jimmy Montoya has put me through some very exhausting sessions,” Kessler said. “I´ve had the best sparring of my career against top guys like Nathan Cleverly, George Groves and Erik Skoglund. I am in fantastic shape and I am ready to beat Froch again. Bring it on!

“Carl has put himself under a lot of pressure. That can make you do stupid things and mistakes. I am in great shape, I couldn´t be more ready, I feel very comfortable. Froch will definitely not get his revenge.”

WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler will get the most competitive sparring of his career prior to his May 25 showdown with IBF Champion Carl Froch. The Viking Warrior will train with no less than three unbeaten youngsters in his Copenhagen gym this week: WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12 KOs), WBO #1 super middleweight contender George Groves (18-0, 14 KOs) and WBC Youth Light Heavyweight Champion Erik Skoglund (16-0, 9 KOs). Together, they have amassed a perfect record of 60 wins, zero losses and 35 KOs. Kessler´s KO record also stands at 35, along with 46 wins and just two defeats. “It´s great to have them in Copenhagen,” Kessler said. “This is the best preparation I could have asked for. To have three guys like that – a world champion, a youth world champion and a top-ranked contender – is probably as good as it gets in terms of sparring. They are young, hungry and unbeaten and they will push me to the limit. That´s exactly the kind of warm-up I need to beat Carl Froch again.”

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: “Mikkel is the kind of fighter who always wants to test himself against the very best, no matter whether it´s training or the actual fight. Cleverly, Groves and Skoglund – the fact that he wants to get it on with them in training really shows you what the Viking Warrior is all about. When push comes to shove on May 25, the fighter with the better preparation will prevail, and that´s just another reason why Mikkel will leave the ring victorious.”

Montreal, Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 – InterBox and Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) are proud to announce all six undercard bouts that will support the historic fight between Lucian Bute (31-1-0 24 KO) and Jean Pascal (27-2-1 16 KO) on Saturday, May 25th 2013 at the Montreal Bell Centre. 4 title belts will be on the line for this Mega Card that has already convinced over 17,000 fans to purchase their tickets. Several new good tickets have been placed into circulation for the general public on Monday.

Froch vs Kessler II: IBF and WBA World titles Unification bout aired live at the Bell Centre

The evening’s festivities will get under way at 6:30 PM at the Bell Centre, with the live presentation of the much anticipated rematch between Carl Froch (30-2-0, 22 KO) and Mikkel Kessler (46-2-0, 35 KO) on big screen. The winner of this bout will unify the Super Middleweight titles (IBF & WBA). Both boxers squared off for the first time during the Super 6 Boxing Series in April 2010 in Denmark, with Kessler walking away from a hotly contested showdown with a unanimous decision victory on home soil (115-113, 116-112, and 117-111). Having promised Carl a rematch in his Home Country, Kessler signed on the dotted line to fight Froch at the 02 Arena in London. Froch is looking to avenge his loss and add the WBA belt to his long list on accomplishments.

Alvarez vs Green

Undefeated #5 rated WBA Light Heavyweight contender Eleider Alvarez (12-0-0 8 KO) will be looking to score a 4th consecutive knockout at the Bell Centre. His customer is a tough one and certainly no stranger to Quebec. Allan Green (32-4-0, 22 KO), a former Super 6 contestant, is 2-0 in Quebec rings, having beaten Quebeckers Sebastien Demers and Renan St-Juste. This bout is scheduled for 10 rounds.

Gauthier vs Roman

Sebastien Gauthier (22-4-0 14 KO) from St-Jerome, Quebec, has not had life easy his last few fights, having come out the losing end of physical and bloody wars with ex-World champions Steve Molitor and Rodrigo Guerrero. Gauthier will be looking to renew with the win column but will be facing another tough test in California boxer Manuel Roman (15-2-3, 6 KO) over 8 rounds.

Bizier vs Rios

Quebec native Kevin Bizier (20-0-0, 14 KO) is set to dispute his second fight in 2013. His opponent, the rugged and experienced Aldo Nazareno Rios (48-6-0, 11 KO) from Argentina, will be looking to capitalize on Bizier’s inactivity. Ranked IBF #3 and WBA #6, Bizier will have his hands full with Rios, who has only been KOed once in 54 fights! Rios’ two defeats by decision in World title fights prove he is a tough contender. This bout is scheduled for 8 rounds.

Zewski vs Samuels

Strong off another eye-popping victory last April 13th in New York, Mikael Zewski (19-0-0, 15 KO), from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, will reacquaint himself with his Quebec fans on May 25th. His opponent, Derrick Samuels (18-4-1, 5 KO), will have a tough task in front of him. The last time the undefeated Zewski boxed at home, he annihilated his opponent in 37 seconds (Cesar Chavez on November 3rd 2012). Zewski will be looking to make another huge statement on May 25th. This bout is also scheduled for 8 rounds.

Bouchard vs Cotroni Jr: A local fight that promises emotion!

Sebastien Bouchard (6-0-0, 2 KO) from Quebec will face the biggest test of his young career on May 25th. Undefeated in 6 bouts, he will lace the gloves vs. Frank Cotroni Jr. (7-1-0 4 KO) in a bout scheduled for 6 rounds at 154 lbs. The blue chip prospect of the Club Empire Gym of Quebec City is looking at this fight as his spring board into bigger and more meaningful fights. Both boxers have been calling each other out for the last year, which is great news for fight fans!

New good tickets available!

Tickets for Pascal vs. Bute are on sale at the Bell Centre Ticket Office by dialing 1-877-668-8269 or by visiting www.evenko.ca. Tickets are also available at Club de boxe Champion by calling (514) 376-0980. Now that the Bell Centre configuration is complete, new good seats are available for the first time at the ticket office.

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WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KOs) today conducted a media work-out in his gym in Copenhagen, Denmark. On May 25, the Viking Warrior will collide with IBF Champion Carl Froch (30-2, 22 KOs) in front of a sell-out crowd at the O2 Arena in London. “I defeated him in the first fight and I will defeat him again,” Kessler said. “I don´t mind fighting him in his backyard, true champions fight all over the world. I have fought in Wales, Australia, Germany and the USA, no crowd can intimidate me. I know what I have to do to leave the ring victorious.”

Kessler has been working hard with coach Jimmy Montoya, who has been in Denmark since March. “Mikkel´s in great shape,” Montoya said. “This will be a good, a very hard fight. Carl Froch is a hell of a fighter, but so is Mikkel. You can´t predict knock-outs, they just happen, but let me tell you one thing, Mikkel will win by knock-out!”

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: “I´ve never seen Mikkel in his fight mode so early before a fight. It´s 33 days until he will be going to war with Froch again. You can see from his mood already now that he will put everything on the line that night. And Mikkel will win again.”

IBF Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch will take on WBC champ Mikkel Kessler in a rematch of their terrific April 2010 fight on May 25th in London according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I promised Carl we would meet again and here we are, getting ready to leave it all in the ring for a second time,” Kessler said last month when the deal was reached. “I have the utmost of respect for Carl. I feel we are very much alike. He is a great champion, a true warrior that has fought the best opponents all over the world in some of the most hostile places, just like me. Our first fight, especially the last round, showed what we are all about and I was (anxious) to do it again.”

“Our first fight was pure warfare,” Froch said last month. “We went at each other for every minute of every round and the rematch promises to be even more fiercely contested. I seriously wish I was ringside myself for this fight, because I’m gunning for revenge at all costs and the fight fans are in for a real treat.”

Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KOs) is the new WBA Super-Middleweight Champion following a spectacular third-round destruction of Brian Magee (36-5-1, 25 KOs). Fighting in front of a boisterous crowd of 10,127 fans at Jyske Bank BOXEN in Herning, the Viking Warrior sent his opponent down in the second round with a huge right to the solar plexus. Kessler followed it up and scored another knock-down – only for the bell to save the champion. Kessler kept landing in the third, and when Magee went down from a body shot again, the referee waved the bout off. “It feels great to be champion again,” Kessler said. “We planned to go to the body and it worked very well. I am back at the very top, I am ready for everybody out there at super-middleweight.”

Magee praised Kessler afterwards. “He is a great champion and he deserved to win today. I never recovered from the first knock-down, which was a huge shot from him. I tried my best but couldn´t beat Kessler tonight. Congratulations to him.”

The victory gives Kessler plenty of options. “This is another great win for Mikkel,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said. “2012 was a big year for the Viking Warrior. First he destroyed Allan Green with huge left, now he stopped the reigning WBA champion with his right to the body. We will now carefully plan the next steps. There are a lot of great fights to be made.”

WBA Super-Middleweight World Championship:

Brian Magee: 76,2 kg

Mikkel Kessler: 76,1 kg

With three days to go until the Nordic Fight Night at Jyske Bank BOXEN in Herning, Mikkel Kessler (45-2, 34 KOs) and WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Brian Magee (36-4-1, 25 KOs) held a crowded final press conference at the venue to talk about Saturday´s showdown. Here is what the two camps had to say.

Mikkel Kessler: “It´s great to be fighting in Herning again. I got two great wins here, against Perdomo and against Froch. The atmosphere is going to be fantastic and I will beat Magee on Saturday. He has knocked out Markussen and Larsen, I have briefly spoken to both of them, but there is not much to say because I know what I have to do. My team has prepared a good plan and we will get the title on Saturday.”

Brian Magee: “It´s good to be in Denmark and I look forward to Saturday. I have a lot of respect for Mikkel, he is a great fighter, but I am here to defend my belt. I am as ready as I have ever been and can´t wait to get it on.”

Kalle Sauerland (Promoter Kessler): “The stakes have never been higher for Mikkel, he really needs to win this one. For Denmark and for himself. Whoever has his arm raised on Saturday will have a lot of great options but there is only one person that can emerge victorious on Saturday and I am convinced it will be Mikkel. The stage is set, we expect a fantastic crowd of more than 10.000 fans who will all scream the Viking Warrior to another huge win in Herning.”

Pat Magee (Manager Magee): “Brian is at the very top of his game, he has just been promoted to world champion after 14 years of working his way up, so he will leave it all in the ring and give everything to defend his title. We respect Kessler, but we are here to clinch another victory on Danish soil. Brian has knocked out Mads Larsen and Rudy Markussen and now wants to add Kessler to his list of knock-outs. They call him the Dane-Killer for a reason.”

Jimmy Montoya (Kessler coach): “Brian Magee will not be called the Dane-Killer after Mikkel has been in the ring with him. Magee will need painkillers after the fight, he will go all the way from Dane-Killer to Pain-Killer! He is a good fighter and deserves to be champion, but Mikkel is in a different league and Magee will find out on Saturday.”

Bernado Checa (Magee coach): “It´s good to hear that Mikkel is ready and in his best ever shape. So there will be no excuses when Brian has beaten him.”

Georg Soerensen (CEO MCH Herning): “It´s a great honour to stage this fight at Jyske Bank BOXEN. We have had a lot of international superstars in town but hosting a fight of the Viking Warrior is always something very special. We are ready for a great night of boxing with a fantastic crowd.”

Tickets for the Nordic Fight Night at Jyske Bank BOXEN can be purchased at www.billetnet.dk.

Jimmy Montoya has predicted that Mikkel Kessler (45-2, 34 KOs) will knock out WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Brian Magee (36-4-1, 25 KOs) in Saturday night´s clash at Jyske Bank BOXEN. “I don´t want to take anything away from Magee, he is a great fighter and very skilled, but Mikkel is just too strong and too good for him,” Montoya said at today´s press training in Herning. “Mikkel is just one of a kind. Magee won´t be there for the tenth round.”

Kessler is confident he will claim another spectacular victory. “The KO over Allan Green was great, now I want to defeat Magee and become world champion again,” he stated. “This is personal now, Magee has knocked out two of my countryman, but now his winning streak in Denmark will come to an end. I´m in great shape and I´m ready to get it on.”

Magee was impressed by the pre-fight media interest. “You can tell by the hype that there is great interest in our fight,” he said. “I guess I am the most hated man in Denmark this week but that´s fine. I am here to beat one of the greatest fighters Denmark has ever had and I am confident I can do that. I love fighting in Denmark, the fans are great and the atmosphere will be brilliant. It´s going to be fantastic fight, a fantastic show. I am ready to beat Kessler.”

Tickets for the Nordic Fight Night at Jyske Bank BOXEN can be purchased at www.billetnet.dk. More pictures are available at www.facebook.com/TeamSauerlandBoxing.

(Pictures: Team Sauerland)

HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 30, 2012) — With a rematch against former World champion Lucian Bute still on the cards, as well as potential grudge rematches against Andre Ward and Mikkel Kessler in International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight champion Carl “The Cobra’s” Froch’s future, the 34-year-old British favorite admitted that his November 17th title defense against Yusaf Mack, headlining the “True Brit” pay-per-view event (in the U.S.), could be his last fight at home in Nottingham, England.

“If the Bute fight happens,” Froch explained, “it will be in Canada, and rematches with Ward and Kessler could well happen in America and Denmark, so this could well be my last fight in Nottingham.”

Froch and Mack headline an exciting night of boxing on Nov. 17 with Tony Bellew aiming to seal his second World light heavyweight title shot in a World Boxing Council (WBC) title eliminator against Argentine invader Roberto Bolonti.

“True Brit,” presented by Matchroom Boxing, will be distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 PM/ET – 12:00 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH Network and Avail-TVN for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

“True Brit” will also be available to view via Fight Now TV, America’s only 24-hour combat sports and entertainment channel, on Cablevision channel 464 as part of the iO Gold package.

Froch (29-2, 21 KOs), rated by The Ring Magazine as the No. 1 contender in the world, captured the IBF title in his last fight on May 26 with an impressive fifth-round technical knockout of previously undefeated champion Bute (30-1). In the past four years, his last eight fights have been against a Who’s Who of the 168-pound division with victories over Bute, Glen Johnson (DEC12), Arthur Abraham (DEC12), Andre Dirrell (DEC12), Jermain Taylor (TKO12) and Jean Pascal (DEC12). Froch’s only losses were by 12-round decisions to unbeaten World Boxing Council (WBC)/World Boxing Association (WBA) king Ward in the final of the Super Six Tournament, and four-time World champion Kessler during the aforementioned tournament. Seven of his last eight opponents, excluding Dirrell, have been world champion.

IBF No.5-ranked Mack (31-4, 17 KOs) has been fighting as a light heavyweight since 2008. He lost his only world title shot to IBF 175-pound champion Tavoris Cloud by eighth-round technical knockout in 2006.

“I’m in fantastic shape and itching to get in there again,” Froch said. “The Bute fight was special and the best night of my career, but there’s no chance I’ll take my foot off the pedal on November 17. Yusaf is a dangerous customer and he has nothing to lose coming here and everything to gain. Yusaf has fought for a World title at light heavyweight and he is going to be doing everything he can to prove himself at super middleweight.”

Bellew (18-1, 12 KOs) and South American champion Bolonti (30-1, 19 KOs) will fight in the 12-round co-feature, an official WBC eliminator to become champion “Bad” Chad Dawson’s mandatory challenger, with the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver light heavyweight championship on the line.

Bellew, rated No. 10 by The Ring Magazine and No. 14 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), has lost only once as a professional, last year in his only World title challenge fight to undefeated WBO champion Nathan Cleverly by 12-round majority decision.

Bolonti will be going for his 27th consecutive victory on Nov. 17. Fighting outside of his native Buenos Aires, Argentina for the first time, Bolonti is rated No. 5 by the WBC, No. 10 by the WBA and IBF.

The PPV card, pending time restrictions, will also showcase some of Britain’s top, young fighters, including bantamweight prospect Khalid “Kal” Yafai (3-0, 2 KOs), a 2008 Great Britain Olympian, vs. TBA, lightweight Scott “Scotty” Cardle (5-0, 1 KO) vs. Joe Elfidh (7-2), former European middleweight champion Kerry Hope (17-4, 1 KO) in a six-round tune-up vs. TBA prior to his December 8th showdown with Darren Barker, lightweight Martin J. Ward (2-0) vs. TBA, middleweight Ryan “Tank” Aston (7-1, 3 KOs) vs. Tyan Booth (11-6-1, 2 KOs), and featherweight Leigh “Leigh-thal” Wood (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Gavin Reid (6-16-1, 3 KOs). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Go online to www.integratedsportsmedia.com, www.fightnow.com for more information about the “True Grit” PPV. Follow Integrated Sports on Twitter @integratedppv and Fight Now TV @fightnowtv.

About Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Ivan Calderon, Pauli Malignaggi, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev. Also World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson, and Roy Nelson. In addition, Integrated Sports Media distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid,Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.

About FIGHT NOW TV: With offices in New Jersey, Las Vegas and Toronto, FIGHT NOW TV is a cross-platform media company that creates and distributes content through its television, video on demand, and online outlets.

Founded by Channel Zero, Inc. and media entrepreneur Mike Garrow, FIGHT NOW TV launched last year as the first and only 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week combat sports channel in the nation. The network’s mandate is to bring the best battles, fiercest fights and stunning knockouts to America. FIGHT NOW TV caters to fight fans of every genre, giving them a front row seat to compelling coverage of MMA, boxing, wrestling/grappling, Muay Thai, kickboxing and other combat sports. FIGHT NOW TV is the place for the best analysis, live and current events, documentaries and news coverage of the biggest PPV events and match-ups from around the

Mikkel Kessler (45-2, 34 KOs) travelled to Belfast today to promote his WBA Super-Middleweight World Title clash with Brian Magee (36-4-1, 25 KOs). Both fighters, who will collide at Jyske Bank BOXEN in Herning on December 8, and their promoters faced the media during a packed downtown press conference at the renowned Europa Hotel, which is the world´s most bombed hotel, according to Wikipedia. “This place certainly has a history,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said. “Just like Brian Magee has a history with the Danish sports fans. He has come over to Denmark twice to eradicate two of their boxing heroes, Mads Larsen and Rudy Markussen. You have to give him credit for that. But twice is more than enough. Mikkel Kessler will put an end to his streak, set the record straight and win this fight for his country.”

Kessler, a much sought-after interview partner, enjoyed the trip to the Northern Irish capital. Just ten minutes from where the press conference was held, the famous Titanic was built. “Well, I guess you can´t really compare the Titanic and Brian Magee,” Kessler said. “Brian has already made a lot of successful trips abroad, and two of them have been to Denmark. But I will make sure that his third trip over will not be a good one for him. I have a lot of respect for Brian, he is a warrior. There are a lot of similarities between us. We are solid fighters and we are not scared to fight abroad. I have fought in Wales, Australia and the US, and Brian has also fought in a lot of places, including Denmark, of course. But I think I am the better boxer, I have much more power. I have never lost a fight in Denmark and it will be no different against Magee. With my fans behind me, nothing can stop me. It will be a great fight at Jyske Bank BOXEN.”

Said Brian Magee: “Mikkel is a great fighter, he ranks right up there along with the all-time greats. We have mutual respect for each other, but once the bell goes, it will be all business and a hell of a fight. We both have a lot of power, so the fans can expect a great fight. I´ve beaten Larsen and Markussen and now I will beat Kessler.”

Said Pat Magee, Brian Magee´s manager: “It´s not very often that you see one-punch knock-outs in boxing, but Brian took out Markussen with one shot and Mikkel took out Allan Green with one shot, so this will really be a special fight. We look forward to it.”

Tickets are available at www.billetnet.dk.

(Pictures: Kessler visiting the birthplace of the Titanic, Kessler and Magee atop the famous Europa Hotel, Kessler and his promoter Kalle Sauerland in Belfast; Credit: Team Sauerland

WBA, WBC & WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (21-0, 5 KOs) lived up to her billing as boxing´s “First Lady” with a spectacular points victory over French star Anne Sophie Mathis (26-3, 22 KOs). After ten exciting rounds, she was ahead 97-93 on all three cards. “This is the happiest day of my life,” she said afterwards. “Mathis was very strong, the toughest opponent of my career, but I found a way to beat her. This is my biggest win ever.”

With 2,345 fans in attendance – at least 550 of them from Norway – at Arena Nord in Frederikshavn, Braekhus used her superior boxing skills to stay out of harm´s way, although Mathis had her moments. But Braekhus cleverly blocked her attacks and landed punches on her own – single shots as well as combinations. In the seventh, she even wobbled Mathis, but she bounced back, and it remained an exciting encounter until the very end. “Cecilia fought a great fight,” Mathis said. “She is very fast and a very good boxer.” Asked about a potential meeting with Holly Holm, whom Mathis had knocked out cold last December, she answered: “Braekhus is better than Holm. She is faster, has better movement and better boxing skills.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland praised Cecilia after “the fight of her life.” He said: “Cecilia left no doubts that she is the best female boxer out there. Mathis was very strong, very dangerous, but Cecilia proved her class in impressive fashion. This was a fantastic fight.”

In the co-featured main event, Patrick Nielsen defended his WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Title with a clear points victory over Jose Yebes. Dennis Ceylan also celebrated a successful professional debut, stopping Artsem Abmiotka in the second round. Erik Skoglund continued his winning streak with a points victory over Ivan Maslov, while Torben Keller outpointed Laszlo Szekeres. Ahmed Kaddour also defeated Max Maxwell on points.

Meanwhile, it was announced that Mikkel Kessler (45-2, 34 KOs) will challenge Brian Magee (36-4-1, 25 KOs) for the WBA Super-Middleweight World Championship at Jyske Bank BOXEN in Herning, Denmark on December 8. Tickets will go on sale at BILLETnet/Ticketmaster on Monday, October 1, at 10 am. “I look forward to fighting in Herning again,” the Viking Warrior said. “The atmosphere was fantastic last time when I fought Carl Froch. The fans made the difference that night, their support really lifted me to one of my greatest victories. With their help, I will become world champion again on December 8.”

Kessler only has the best memories of Herning. In September 2009, he stopped Gusmyr Perdomo to pave his way into the Super Six World Boxing Classic. In April 2010, he then defeated WBC Super-Middleweight Champion Carl Froch in what many thought was the greatest fight ever on Danish soil. “The fans raised the roof that night,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said. “History repeats itself, we expect a sell-out crowd, a fantastic fight and another world title for the Viking Warrior.”

Sauerland is sure that Kessler will take out the “Dane Killer” Magee, who has stopped Mads Larsen and Rudy Markussen. “It´s up to Mikkel to restore the Danish fighting pride,” Sauerland added. “But when he is at the top of his game, nobody can stop him. His KO over Allan Green was impressive. Magee is the next in line to taste the wrath of the Viking Warrior.”

Prior to Saturday´s Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn, Team Sauerland
is delighted to confirm that Mikkel Kessler (45-2, 34 KOs) will
challenge Brian Magee (36-4-1, 25 KOs) for the WBA Super-Middleweight
World Championship in Denmark later this year. The date and the venue
will be announced in due time. “This will be a massive event, I believe
the whole country will get behind Mikkel,” promoter Kalle Sauerland
said. “He can become world champion for a record fourth time and restore
the Danish boxing pride by avenging the bitter KOs of Rudy Markussen and
Mads Larsen. It´s taken a while but now all is signed and sealed –
except for the venue and the date, which we expect to be finalised
shortly. Magee will feel the wrath of the Viking Warrior! It´s a
question of honour!”

After stopping Mads Larsen (January 2010) and Rudy Markussen (February
2012), Magee will be looking to complete his Danish KO hat-trick. At the
same time, Kessler will be trying to become world champion for a fourth
time, having proved his class with a spectacular KO victory over Allan
Green at PARKEN in May. His one-punch knock-out has been dubbed as a
potential KO of the year. “I look forward to fighting Magee,” the Viking
Warrior said. “He´s a good boxer with a lot of heart. It takes something
to come to Denmark and knock out both Mads and Rudy. But his winning
streak will end when we meet. I am very keen to be world champion again
and Magee cannot prevent this from happening. It will be interesting as
I think it will be a little like a national team match, I am a proud
Dane and this guy will take a beating for having knocked out my countrymen.”

Magee is convinced he will claim another prominent Danish scalp. “I am
ready for the hat-trick of KO´s,” he said. “I´ve stopped Larsen, I´ve
stopped Markussen and now it´s Kessler´s turn. He´s a great fighter, no
doubt about that, but I have the tools to break him. He ran from a fight
earlier in the year after he was ringside and witness to the destruction
of Markussen but now I have him and he will go the same way. I have
already commenced early training and I am working on a fight plan with
my coach Bernardo Checa. Denmark has been good to me and I am happy to
be going back.”

Further details about the Kessler-Magee fight will be announced after
Saturday´s Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn. At Arena Nord, Patrick
Nielsen defends his WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Title against
Spaniard Jose Yebes. The card also features the “Pacquiao Mayweather of
women´s boxing” – the showdown between WBA / WBC / WBO Female
Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus and French KO queen Anne Sophie
Mathis. Ahmed Kaddour, Torben Keller, Dennis Ceylan and Erik Skoglund
will also be in action. Tickets are available at arenanord.dk.

Three-time world champion Mikkel Kessler (45-2, 34 KOs) has signed an
early contract extension with Team Sauerland until 2014. “I look forward
to continuing our successful cooperation,” Kessler said. “It has been
great to work with Wilfried, Kalle and Nisse Sauerland. I owe it to my
fantastic fans to prove myself against the world´s best boxers and
thanks to Team Sauerland, I can do just that. They have big plans for me
and that suits me well.”

The Viking Warrior has been fighting under the Sauerland promotional
banner ever since September 2009 when a TKO victory over mandatory WBA
Super-Middleweight Title challenger Gusmyr Perdomo set the stage for the
Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament. “In the past three years, we
have been through a lot – inside and outside the ring,” Kalle Sauerland
said. “The excitement of the Super Six tournament, the shocking defeat
in Oakland against Andre Ward, the epic comeback victory over previously
unbeaten Carl Froch, the injury setbacks and last but not least the
impressive destruction of Allan Green in Copenhagen – all this has
formed a very special bond between us. We will now carefully plan the
next steps to make sure Mikkel will be remembered as one of the biggest
fighters in the history of boxing. He already ranks up there with the
all-time greats but in the next fights he can build his very own legacy,
a legacy that will be remembered not just in Denmark, Europe or America
but all over the world. The sky is the limit for the Viking Warrior!”

Details about Kessler´s next fight will be announced in due time as
“negotiations are currently under way”, according to Sauerland.

Three-time super-middleweight world champion Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KOs) will be moving up in weight on May 19 when he clashes with fellow Super Six World Boxing Classic contestant & power puncher Allan Green (31-3, 21 KOs) on May 19. The battle at Copenhagen´s PARKEN Stadium will be contested at light heavyweight, with the WBC World Championship (Silver) at stake. The winner will be in line to face WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Bernard Hopkins, who takes on Chad Dawson in Atlantic City on April 28. “We want Mikkel to cement his place in boxing history along the all-time greats by wining world titles in two weight classes,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said at a press conference in Copenhagen today. “It is not going to be easy to face bigger and stronger opposition at a higher weight but the Viking Warrior has never turned down a challenge. We are thrilled to provide him with a new, a gigantic one. Before even thinking about Hopkins or Dawson, he needs to take out Allan Green, which is a high-risk fight.”

Kessler and Green were supposed to meet in the third round of the Super Six tournament two years ago. Back then, Kessler’s eye injury prevented the bout from happening. “There is some unfinished business both men want to take care of,” Sauerland added. “I am confident Mikkel will win. Green is a natural light heavyweight with huge punching power. His KO ratio is impressive. But with his legions of fans behind him, Mikkel will make his country proud and defeat Green.”

The Viking Warrior knows that the 32-year-old from Tulsa, Oklahoma is a very dangerous opponent, especially for his first-ever fight at light heavyweight. “This is going to be a huge challenge for me,” he said. “Moving up to light heavyweight is risky, as is taking on a power-hitter like Green at a higher weight class. But I am ready. I want to make the big fights. Green is tough and strong and has a lot of power. But I will outbox and overpower him.”

The Viking Warrior was originally scheduled to face WBO Super-Middleweight Champion Robert Stieglitz. However, a hand injury prevented the bout from happening. “My finger is fine now, it just needed more time to be fully recovered,” he said. “I am ready to rumble again.”

Green, an accomplished US amateur (2002 National Golden Gloves Championships Gold Medallist at 178 pounds), is famed and feared for his punching power. In 2002 he broke Mike Tyson´s record for the fastest KO in an amateur fight (8 seconds). As a professional, 21 of his 31 victories came by the way of KO, with almost half of them inside the first three rounds. He won the 2005 Ring Magazine KO of the Year when he destroyed Jaidon Codrington in just 18 seconds.

In early 2010, he replaced Jermain Taylor in the Super Six tournament. From the beginning, he had big trouble to make weight, having to lose 27 pounds before the points loss to WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Andre Ward. After the tournament, he has returned to his natural weight class in style, winning two straight, including a clear points victory over former world title challenger Sebastian Demers. Now he looks forward to conquering Denmark. “It´s great to be fighting in Copenhagen,” he stated. “I think Kessler is a very good fighter. Very tough and very talented. He has been world champion for a long time. But I am faster, I am stronger and I feel I have a lot more skills. He might have fought better opposition, I give him that, but I am the much better athlete.”

Green believes that meeting at light heavyweight will be an advantage. “It evens the playing field,” he stated. “At super-middleweight I had to lose a lot of weight. I lost 27 pounds in three weeks for the Ward fight. So fighting Kessler at super-middleweight would have been a disadvantage for me. I will make a lot of noise on May 19.”

Tickets for the big show at PARKEN are available at billetlugen.dk.

Team Sauerland regrets to inform boxing fans that Mikkel Kessler´s next
fight in Copenhagen has been postponed to May 19. The Viking Warrior has
not yet regained the necessary fitness following last year´s hand
surgery, forcing him to pull out of the April 14 clash with WBO
Super-Middleweight Champion Robert Stieglitz. Details about the new
opponent will be announced at a press conference next week. “I hate to
keep my fans waiting and I am really sorry about the delay,” Kessler
said. “As a boxer, my fists are my biggest weapon. To fight and to win
at the highest level, I need my hand to be fully recovered.
Unfortunately, the April 14 date comes just a little too early but I
will be ready on May 19. I have kept my shape and can´t wait to be
fighting again in front of my Danish fans.”

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: “Although I believe that Mikkel would
defeat 90 percent of the super-middleweights out there with just one
hand, we will not let him into the ring when he is not fully recovered.
His health has always been our top priority. The five-week delay is
disappointing but it´s not the end of the world. On May 19, Mikkel will
come back in style and put on a great show.”

Team Sauerland regrets to announce that Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KOs)
has sustained a hand injury in practice, forcing him to postpone his
hotly-anticipated November 5 clash with WBO Super-Middleweight Champion
Robert Stieglitz (40-2, 23 KOs) to early 2012. The venue will remain
Copenhagen´s PARKEN Stadium, and all tickets purchased will remain
valid. The new date for the show, which will be co-promoted by Team
Sauerland and SES boxing, will be confirmed as soon as possible. “This
is a major disappointment for me,” Kessler said. “We´ve had a great
preparation and I was in fantastic shape when I injured my right hand
during a routine training session. The doctors advised me that it needs
a rest and I can´t fight on November 5. I am very sorry to keep my fans
waiting. The good news is that the injury should heal quickly after a
little break. I will rest my hand and then get back to training to be
fit for Stieglitz early next year.”

Just like the Viking Warrior, promoter Kalle Sauerland was gutted. “It´s
a shame that this big clash of champions has to be postponed,” he
stated. “I know how hard Mikkel has worked and how disappointed he is to
postpone the original fight date, but we have been through this before.
We will now speak to our broadcasting partners – TV2 in Denmark, ARD in
Germany and SHOWTIME in the US – to find a new date in early 2012 as
soon as possible. We will then kick off the new year with a massive show
at PARKEN, with two of the world´s best super-middleweights battling it
out.”

As soon as the new date for the show at PARKEN has been confirmed, Team
Sauerland will make an announcement. All tickets purchased will remain
valid. Fans unable to attend the fight on the new date can refund their
tickets through billetlugen.dk’s call center (+45 70 263 267) until
three weeks after the announcement of the new date.

Dan Rafael of espn/com is reporting that WBO Super Middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz will take on former world champion Mikkel Kessler on November 5th in Denmark.

“The negotiations with SES Boxing and Robert Stieglitz have been tough but now everything is in place,” said Kalle Sauerland, who promotes Kessler. “With the support of his ferocious Viking fans, I am sure that Mikkel will accomplish his goal and become world champion for a fourth time.”

“I have a lot of respect for Robert Stieglitz,” Kessler said. “He has a very good record and he is a deserving world champion. But his reign will be over once we meet in the ring. Throughout my career, I have proven myself against the best fighters out there. I can’t wait to be world champion again. Winning the title for a fourth time will be special. & I have never lost a fight in Denmark. It will be no different this time. It can promise my fans a hell of an evening with me leaving the ring as the winner.”

The Super 6 has been plagued and beset by several injury’s, postponements and various other things. To Showtime’s credit they have always had an answer and managed to keep the general theme of the tournament going along. What they were hoping to achieve from the start was that one elite guy would prevail and introduce himself as a Superstar to the Mainstream possibly with crossover appeal. They are still on course for that and that star could be Andre “S.O.G” Ward. After impressively winning gold at the 2004 Olympics for America at Light Heavyweight he turned professional, initially at 160. He soon realized that wasn’t in his best interests and promptly moved up to Super Middleweight. Though he kept his unbeaten record he wasn’t particularly impressive and many believed he wouldn’t be as successful as he had in the amateurs. All this spurred Ward on, he quietly got on with his job progressing daily under the expert tutelage of trainer Virgil Hunter. Having beaten noted puncher Edison Miranda in May 2009, Ward had served notice of his intent to make a run for title glory. That chance came with the invention of Ken Hershman’s “Super 6” he was first matched with vastly more experienced Mikkel Kessler, also the pre-tournament favourite. He dually won a technical decision when the fight was stopped in the eleventh due to cuts whilst along way ahead. A Star was born that night in hometown of Oakland in Northern California since then he’s beaten both Allan Green & Sakio Bika barely losing a round. Next up is a Semi Final fight with German transplant Arthur Abraham. It remains to be seen if it will be his star that is still shining come the competion’s end next year but so far he’s certainly doing a fantastic job. Here’s what the loquacious Ward had to say.

Hello Andre, welcome to 15rounds.com

Thank you

Anson Wainwright – Firstly congratulations on your most recent win when you beat Sakio Bika. What are your thoughts on that fight and how happy were you with your performance?

Andre Ward – Well I wasn’t happy with it. But at the end of the day you want to go in there and perform. You always want to have the ideal setting, you want to look good. Everything be nice, neat and tight. But this isn’t a reality, it’s not a reality in life, it’s not a reality in Boxing. But that being said, now that I’ve had time to think about it. I’m pleased we won and we won ugly, we were able to find a way. I retained my belt and I move on in this tournament.

Anson Wainwright – You injured i believe your hand in the last fight and had a few cuts from headbutts from Bika, how are they healing up?

Andre Ward – Actually the injury happened prior to the fight, probably 2 weeks, 2 and a half weeks out. I had to take anti inflammatory. I just kept my eye on it. As I say we were 2, 2 and a half weeks from the fight so pulling out wasn’t an option. I just dealt with it. The individual who wrapped my hands Jacob Duran did a great job of making sure my hand was protected the night of the fight with the smaller gloves and everything. I had no problems the night of the fight but it is inflamed. I’m in the process of getting checked out. I’m getting an MRI. I should be doing that soon and get the results back shortly after. As far as the cuts, there fine. I think it looked worse on TV. The worst cut, was glued shut no stitches whatsoever and is healing just fine.

Anson Wainwright – Your next fight is against Arthur Abraham, what are your feelings on that fight? He hasn’t looked that impressive in his last two fights?

Andre Ward – I’ve only watched a few rounds of his fight with Carl Froch. Everybody pretty much knows the blue print on how to beat Arthur Abraham. He’s not real active, I don’t know if he’s afraid, getting tired. I don’t know. But he’s going to be the same Arthur Abraham. Having a game plan is one thing and executing it is another that’s what I have to do. I’m not taking Arthur light, he’s coming off a DQ which is disappointing. He’s coming off a loss when he could of won another title. He could of been a two division champion but he fell short so I know he’s disappointed. He’s after the WBA belt and my job is not to let him win this title. That’s all I’m focused on. His previous loses and how he looked that goes out the window because he has a fresh start and I have to make sure he stays in his place.

Anson Wainwright – Do you have a time frame for that fight?

Andre Ward – I haven’t really got a solid date. My promoter is waiting to see what happens with my hand. Hopefully in the next week we can lock something down.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us what the Super 6 has meant to you because it seems looking from outside that it has been magnificent for you really putting your name out there on the global stage?

Andre Ward – I think it’s been great, I mean Showtime has done an exceptional job with the tournament it’s self, dealing with adverse situations with injuries and so on an so forth as well as just the promotion of the Super 6, Fight camp 360, you name it. They’ve done a tremendous job and I take my hat of to them. Some people have had some negative things to say about the Super 6, we all want things neat and tidy in order all the time but things happen it’s a reality of life guys get hurt and pull out but there ability to bounce back and deal with this stuff and I’m talking about Showtime is incredible. As well as the promoters involved. Personally the further I get into the tournament, the deeper I go I’m appreciating the Super 6 more and more. From the stand point of the promotion people who don’t really watch Boxing have watched Fight camp 360 and that’s caused them to want to watch the fight and just to get the reaction from the fans and not even Boxing fans just regular people who come up and say I saw you on Fight camp with your family and I’m pulling for you. It means a lot. Obviously the winner of the Super 6 and I want that to be myself, this is going to catapult their career to another level. It’s been an awesome thing to a part of. There’s still work to be done, a lot of work to be done but thus far I’m very pleased with this.

Anson Wainwright – You’ve been with your trainer Virgil Hunter ever since you first became involved in Boxing. Could you tell us a little about the relationship you have?

Andre Ward – Virg is awesome, from a trainer stand point he’s very innovative, he thinks outside the box and he’s just got an innate ability to motivate, just through his hard work, his faith. He produces winners, he had several fighters that were winners before I came along and he’s done a great job you can’t argue with a guy who’s a gold medalist and world titlist. I’m pleased with Virg, he’s more than just a coach to me he’s my godfather and I’m just thankful to have a guy like that in my corner. Especially in this day in age when you know fighters and trainers they don’t necessarily mesh all the time. Sometimes there switching trainers every couple of years. For me to have a strong foundation like a Virgil Hunter is just an awesome thing. I know that it benefits my career all around.

Anson Wainwright – You won a Gold medal for America at the 2004 Olympics that must of been a tremendous honour, could you describe what it was like to achieve that goal?

Andre Ward – You know what winning a world title is awesome, tremendous thing to do to accomplish but it’s a business in the professional ranks. But representing your country on a stage like the Olympic games. Nothing will ever surpass that, it will always be in my life, in my heart. Everyone can relate to the Olympics, everyone may not relate or understand professional ranking and professional Boxing. The Olympic games is something that always gets people’s attention. Not only did I compete but I won the highest prize. I don’t think anything I accomplish as a pro with surpass that or be dear to my heart as that. I’m just thankful I had the opportunity, I’m thankful I have the opportunity to tell my kids and share that experience with them, it’s really surreal. In that category in Olympic style Boxing I’m in the record books with the likes of Cassius Clay and some other tremendous people, Hall of Famers in professional sports. I’m just thankful to be a part of it.

Anson Wainwright – In Late 2009 you beat Mikkel Kessler as an underdog, to win the WBA Super Middleweight title how did winning that fight compare to winning the Olympic gold medal?

Andre Ward – Like I just mentioned the Olympics is a special place for that but there’s also a place for winning my title. It’s one thing to be a gold medalist but you know how it is people will think I can’t do it as a professional. Can he adjust his style and win a world title. So to do it against a guy like Mikkel Kessler that meant the world to me. It’s one thing to win a vacant belt, it’s one thing to beat a guy who’s not supposed to be champion but to beat a seasoned guy who’s the real deal like Mikkel Kessler that just made me a better fighter. I know I belong at the top of the class of the 168 division and in the world.

Anson Wainwright – If you win your next fight with Abraham you will meet either Carl Froch or Glen Johnson in a unification fight. What goals do you have in Boxing?

Andre Ward – I want all the belts at 168 and I’m prepared to put in the work to go get it. It’s going to be a lot of work. There’s still a lot of work in the division but I’ve always wanted to be a multi division champion and after the Super 6 and possibly a Bute match, I’d love to go to Light Heavyweight and conquer some new things and win some titles at Light Heavyweight and even Heavyweight. I know it sounds crazy, I’m at Super Middle but I think at the right time, right scenario later in my career 31, 32 like a Roy Jones build yourself up, put 25 pounds of muscle on. I think it could be done but it would be a one time deal. There’s no way I could consider fighting at Heavyweight (Long term) that’s just not reality. But in the right situation later in my career my body can fill out and I’m able to put some extra muscle and end my career on that note.

Anson Wainwright – What weight do you walk around at between fights?

Andre Ward – I can’t tell you that! Ha-ha I can’t reveal. I don’t talk about my weight or what I walk around. I’m comfortable at this weight. I have no problem coming down to 168 at this point.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us about the rest of your amateur career, what other titles and honours did you win? What was your amateur record?

Andre Ward – My amateur record was 115-5, before I was an open Senior I won multiple National titles, Silver Gloves, Junior Olympics titles. Once I became an open senior, you turn 17 and you can basically fight anyone 17-35. That’s the real deal when you turn 17, when I became an open class fighter I won the US Championships in Colorado Springs and that was a big boost for me because I wasn’t seeded, I wasn’t a big name at the time as an amateur. I drew one top seed after another, night in and night out and I was able to overcome each night and looked up and I was in the finals on ESPN and I was able to win. That was like my first National Title. That gave me a lot of confidence to go on and progress and win another US men’s National Title. At the same time Virg and I were very strategic. We didn’t want to burn ourselves out over a three year span. There’s a lot of guys who had three, four hundred fights and it may work for them but we always felt like we want to be fresh for when the Olympic trials came around. That’s why I only had 120 fights in a ten year career. We were very strategic what tournaments we went to leading up to the Olympic trials and even after we won it was just imperative we didn’t burn ourselves out. We didn’t want to fight guys 3 or 4 times over that 3 year span, we were going to have to face in the trials. We wanted to beat them guys one time for all the marbles. That was our strategy and it worked out, if it didn’t people would of said we were crazy, but fortunately it worked out. We got it done at the Olympics.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like do with your time away from Boxing? What are you hobbies & Interests?

Andre Ward – I spend a lot of time with my family, right now I’m on a field trip with my son. These are things I love to do, spend time with my wife, 2 boys and my daughter. Just taking trips, traveling. My Church, the Christian community is important to me and my wife. We worship, we pray our god we serve, I have great family and friends there. I try to watch as many fights up close and personal as I can. I’m a football fan, I’m a Basketball fan. I always support the hometown teams. We have the 49er’s and the Raiders and I like both, that’s kind of an oxymoron. Technically I’m not supposed to do that! I like the Golden State Warriors they play in the arena I fight in when I’m home the Oracle Arena. I know several of the guys on the team. I support the San Francisco Giants & Oakland A. I’m a sports fanatic.

Anson Wainwright – The Bay area in Northern California is doing very well at the moment along side you there are Nonito Donaire & Robert Guerrero. What are your thoughts on the scene at the moment?

Andre Ward – Those guys are doing great. I take my hat off to them. Robert is a three time world champion and Nonito, the best is yet to come. He gets better and better. I’m just happy I’m able to pull my weight cos those guys are really good fighters. When all is said and done there going to be great fighters. I’m happy to be in there company. It’s kind of cool that the world can see the talent we have in Northern California. We will continue to do this because we all work hard and are humble men and family men that’s a big part of it.

Anson Wainwright – Who was your Boxing hero growing up?

Andre Ward – Roy Jones Jnr. He’s the guy I respected, I love to watch him even as a young man 9,10 years old I loved the way he was outside the ring and how he took care of business inside it. He was unorthodox, I appreciate there was something different about Roy. His career may be on the downside but he still has my support I love the guy. He’s one of my hero’s.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans out there?

Andre Ward – Continue to stay tuned. I don’t take my fans lightly, I want to continue to give you my all fight in and fight out.

Thanks for your time Andre, much appreciated.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Weekend Musings – Well so much for Amir Khan not having a chin, he proved that not only does he have a chin but he has a huge heart, he was running on empty from the tenth. It remains to be seen if that fight with bring him on further as a fighter or if that showed some of the frailties in his game. I mean Maidana though he’s a heavy handed guy and very tough, he’s not a top draw fighter. That’s what it’ll take to beat Khan though at this stage. Khan verses the winner of Bradley-Alexander would be great in the second half of 2011. As for Maidana I’m sure he’ll be given the chance to perform again after that Herculean effort…Not sure what to make of Victor Ortiz he had his fight with Lamont Peterson won in the third, he took his foot of the gas and didn’t seem to know what to do…Mmm there’s a surprise Joan Guzman missed weight again, what’s so frustrating is that he’s undoubtedly a very talented guy he just doesn’t have the discipline that he needs…Showtime’s Bantamweight tournament got of to a good start with Abner Mares winning a split decision over Vic Darchinyan who’s not the same bad ass at 118 as he was at 112 or 115 & Joseph Agbeko readjusted and won the rematch against Yonnhy Perez…Congrats to Cristian Mijares who won the IBF 115 title, he was one of Boxing’s best little men around 2007/2008 until he ran into Darchinyan and then lost twice to Nehomar Cermeno. After going 0-3 he won 4 and got a title shot and beat Juan Alberto Rosas in Torreon…In Britain, James Degale backed up his boasts looking sensational picking apart tough as the come Paul Smith. Full credit to Degale he’s come a long way since he debuted when he looked very amateurish still, now he looks the top prospect in Boxing for my money…There were also wins for Kell Brook, Nathan Cleverly, Tony Bellew & Matthew Macklin. Brook did as he pleased with over matched Philip Kotey stopping him in the second. Hopefully he steps up, he’s ready for it in 2011, it may be a way a way but a Khan-Brook clash would be brilliant scrap. Cleverly struggled with the late change of opponent and failed to impress but still got the job done over Nadjib Mohammedi. He’s looked like he was one of Britain’s top fighters over the past year and this will likely be a good learning curve. Bellew went life and death going down twice in the first two rounds against power punching Ovill McKenzie, after stopping McKenzie in 8, Bellew hinted he may look to move up in weight. In European Middleweight action, Macklin looked ordinary and had to dig deep to get it done against useful Ruben Varon. It seems Macklin needs a really big fight that will inspire him next.

If there are any fighters you would like to hear from you can contact me on elraincoat@live.co.uk

As Nottinghamshire’s Carl “The Cobra” Froch made his ringwalk, Saturday, Showtime commentator Steve Farhood recounted Froch’s run of super middleweight opponents since 2008 – Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham – and approvingly added, “There’s not another active fighter you can name who’s faced that caliber of competition in such a period of time.”

Farhood’s assertion went untested for about 90 minutes. Then Mexico City’s “Dinamita” Juan Manuel Marquez made his way to a prizefighting ring on the other side of the world and took up Farhood’s challenge – naming Manny Pacquiao, Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Diaz again, and Michael Katsidis.

At worst, Dynamite finishes tied with The Cobra.

But Saturday was such a celebration of what boxing should be that, for once, the only disagreements worth tracking are those conducted between the ropes. No, Saturday, Nov. 27, was not enough to keep 2010 from being a steadfastly bad year, but it was still quite something. From the Hartwall Arena of Helsinki, Finland, to Oracle Arena in Oakland, USA, then back to MGM Grand in Las Vegas, boxing did itself proud.

In the final fight of Group Stage 3, part of Showtime’s durable “Super Six World Boxing Classic” – a tournament that, one way or many others, has managed to isolate four of the world’s five best 168 pounders in its upcoming semifinals – Carl Froch dominated Germany’s Arthur Abraham in Helsinki, winning by unanimous scores of 119-109, 120-108 and 120-108.

A while later, Super Six favorite Andre “Son of God (S.O.G.)” Ward, who defeated Andre Dirrell by walkover a month ago, participated in the hardest fight of his career, against Cameroonian Sakio Bika, and prevailed by misleadingly lopsided scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 118-110.

And while Ward brawled heavy with Bika in Oakland, master craftsman Juan Manuel Marquez rose from a knockdown to stop Australian Michael Katsidis at 2:14 of round 9 and remain the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, in Nevada.

Three completely different fights with six markedly different fighters leading to three matches that compared favorably with any Thanksgiving fare any other sport served up. Made you proud to love boxing, finally.

We start with Froch because his win was unexpected. The fight was a toss-up, really, as every fight in Showtime’s groundbreaking tournament has been. Froch was not favored. Arthur Abraham, looking to redeem himself after the year’s most notorious cheap shot, was expected to find Froch’s chin often enough to prevail. Instead, Froch borrowed Andre Dirrell’s approach and executed it better than Dirrell ever could.

Why did a man without Dirrell’s speed or class prevail over a man whom Dirrell was fading against in their March fight? Because Froch is a fighter, not merely an athlete who chose boxing because he heard you could make a lot of money doing it.

Remember for a moment the end of Dirrell-Abraham – with Dirrell on his trunks after a slip, legs splayed, chin in the air, hands on the mat, perfectly defenseless – when Abraham blasted him with a punch that merited immediate disqualification, rendering Dirrell unable to continue. Now see if you can imagine Froch in that same position.

You can’t. The idea of Froch helpless after an inanely showy move that dropped him on the canvas can’t be conjured. Froch has quirks, but expecting sportsmanship to stand between him and violence in a prizefighting ring is not one of them.

Froch did to Abraham what Manny Pacquiao did to Joshua Clottey. He determined his opponent would not punch so long as he was being punched, and he kept punching. The few times Froch was tagged by Abraham, like in the fifth round, Froch dropped his chin to his chest with a thud, then glared at Abraham from the tops of his eyes.

And in the 11th, when a borderline blow to Abraham’s beltline made the former middleweight champion a thespian, Froch had none of it. He went directly at Abraham, smacking him with three more body shots in a way that said: “This is a fight actually, you wanker, so have some more.”

Writing of fighting, how about that Andre Ward? A mollycoddled Olympian no more. The last American to win a gold medal looked like nothing so much as a prizefighter, Saturday. He went foul-for-foul with a crafty, rugged professional and beat him right. That’s no indictment of Bika, though. Bika made every Super Six fan wonder how Allan Green ever got an invitation to substitute for Jermain Taylor.

Froch and Ward both impressed, yes, but neither was in a fight impressive as Juan Manuel Marquez’s, Saturday. Froch and Ward are excellent champions working towards greatness. But Marquez is a legend.

In round 3 of his championship match with Katsidis, Marquez slipped under a spell of his own offensive arsenal, as he’s wont to do, and got blasted with a left hook while cocking one. Marquez went down almost too hard. The back of his head kissed the canvas. Had the canvas been but two inches higher, not even Marquez would have risen to do what he did.

And that was plant his feet and engage a younger man in a desperate exchange of fire. Just as he had done against a younger man named Juan Diaz in Houston, Marquez made the purist’s calculation: My short straight punches tell more than your looped leveraged ones do. Six rounds later, Katsidis was in need of rescue, and referee Kenny Bayless provided it.

Now we look forward. Sometime in the next six months, Froch will make an entertaining scrap with Glen Johnson. Round that time, Ward will battle the remnants of Arthur Abraham’s pride. Anything could happen. But Froch and Ward have to be the favorites to meet in the finale of the Super Six. And what a spectacle that’ll be.

Now if only we could find an opponent for Juan Manual Marquez . . .

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (Aug. 25, 2010) – Team Sauerland regrets to inform the boxing world
that WBC Super Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler has been forced to pull out of the Super
Six World Boxing Classic due to an eye injury. His title defence against Allan Green in Herning,
Denmark on September 25 has been cancelled.

“This is the most disappointing moment of my boxing career,” Kessler said. “After defeating Carl
Froch, I was on the way to win the tournament, so pulling out now really hurts. The eye problem has
bothered me since the beginning of the Super Six in my preparation for the bout against Andre
Ward. It also bothered me in the fights against Ward and Froch, and in my training for the fight
against Green it has become unbearable. I have consulted leading experts in Denmark and
Germany and they have advised me to take a break from boxing so that the problem can heal. I
have been assured that it will heal completely and that I will be back in the ring next year. As a fair
sportsman, I do not want to delay the Super Six, which is still the best thing that has happened to
boxing for a long time. I wish my fellow contestants the best of luck – may the best man win. I will be
there to fight the winner in 2011.”

SHOWTIME Sports Executive Vice President Ken Hershman expresses his disappointment for
Kessler but assures the boxing fans around the world that the tournament will go on.

“I commend Mikkel Kessler for his decision,” said Hershman. “He has made a wise choice in light of
his doctors’ recommendations and he is showing tremendous respect for his fellow competitors and
for the tournament format itself.

“We will publicly address how this turn of events affects the tournament in the coming days. I
assure you we will make the best of this scenario. In fact, I have been aware of Mikkel’s situation for
a few days and I have a vision for how we can proceed that will enhance the excitement of the
tournament. First, I must have some internal discussions but mark my words, the drama of the
Super Six will be unrelenting and we will crown a champion in the early part of 2011.”

Promoter Kalle Sauerland said Kessler did “absolutely the right thing.” He stated: “You can recover
from losing in the ring but you cannot recover from losing your health. There is nothing that is of
bigger importance than the boxer´s health. As much as we regret to see Mikkel pulling out, he was
left with no other choice. He should take all the time in the world to recover. He can take comfort in
the fact that he looked reborn in his last bout. Once he is recovered, he will continue where he left
off. The Viking Warrior will be back.”

Added Team Sauerland General Manager Chris Meyer. “We are saddened to see Mikkel pulling out
but his health is more important than anything he could win inside the ring. The WBC will probably
make him “champion emeritus” so that he can fight against the reigning champion once he is ready
to come back.”

Highly-reputed eye specialist Professor Dr. med Gerhard Lang, who is the Director of the Eye
Hospital at Universitätsklinikum Ulm and also served as the 2010 World Ophthalmology Congress
President, examined Kessler and believes a proper rest is all the “Viking Warrior” needs. “Mikkel
said he has been bothered by problems with his vision during the fights against Ward and Froch as
well as in the training in the build-up to these fights. There is a weakness of the superior oblique
muscle of his left eye. To continue boxing, the muscle needs a proper rest, meaning no fighting or
sparring for nine months. After this break, a complete recovery is expected.”

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