BoxRec

"When former WBC supermiddle champ Markus Beyer accepted to fight WBA counterpart Mikkel Kessler it was under the condition that his mandatory challenger Librado Andrade stepped aside. Andrade did, Beyer lost and new WBC / WBA "super" champ Mikkel Kessler will have to fight Andrade. The WBC have set November 11 for purse bids and apparently expect the parties to meet during the WBC convention in Dubrovnik October 29-November 4 for negotiations. Kessler vs Andrade will have a 60-40 purse split if the WBA title is on the line.. Should Kessler relinquish (or get permisson to go through with a WBC title fight only) it the purse bids will be 70-30 in favour of the champion."

One quality opponent after another for Kessler.

Let Calzaghe bugger about all he wants.

Since when is this guy Quality?

If he still wants to prove he's the best he can relinquish the title and fight Joe, but ofcourse that's never gonna happen. This is a BS move on WBC/WBA's part

BBC reported the fight could be on as early as February

But Palle stressed that talks were at an early stage, with the IBF, WBO, WBA and WBC all needing to be contacted.

No shit

lvlarc_uk wrote:If he still wants to prove he's the best he can relinquish the title and fight Joe, but ofcourse that's never gonna happen. This is a BS move on WBC/WBA's part

BBC reported the fight could be on as early as February

But Palle stressed that talks were at an early stage, with the IBF, WBO, WBA and WBC all needing to be contacted.

No shit

Maybe the WBC will grant an extension. I mean, this is certainly SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. Another option, make Andrade the interim champ.

If Calzaghe & Kessler fight on HBO, the winner will be well regarded & fairly well known. That way there is more money in it and more recognition for Andrade.

And all these young Americans that HBO will want to market, like Allan Green and Manfredo, and if Jermain Taylor moves up: then these guys have someone to fight in a division with a proper recognized champion. They have real direction to go in.

If HBO want to show Calzaghe fighting someone good then hopefully they can negotiate with the WBC.

Wonder what De La Hoya thinks of this since Andrade is his fighter.

Max Molyneux wrote:If HBO want to show Calzaghe fighting someone good then hopefully they can negotiate with the WBC.

Wonder what De La Hoya thinks of this since Andrade is his fighter.

Since Andrade said yes to let Beyer get first, I cannot see why he wouldn't let Calzaghe get first. Afterall he knows that he will be fighting for more belts with each time.

First time he said "ok, let Beyer" - he got one more belt to fight for. If he said yes again, he will have FOUR belts to fight for.

He'll only have one belt to fight for once Calzaghe beats Kessler and moves up to LHW.

But if Kessler wins.......

steve689 wrote:But if Kessler wins.......

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/ima ... s/nono.gif

Kessler-Calzaghe is the only fight that should be happening at 168 now.

Andrade is limited, one dimensional and has virtually no amateur career. Kessler would have an easy night's work with Librado, providing he doesn't get stupid and make it a brawl.

Rumours are that IBF wants Calzaghe-Stieglitz in feb/march. It seems Joe needs to learn to deal with having mandatories.

About time....btw.

We all know Kessler will avoid Andrade

I will call it right now.

Evander wrote:We all know Kessler will avoid Andrade

I will call it right now.

Yeah Kessler is going to duck Andrade and fight the older, inferior Calzaghe instead.

Axe wrote:Kessler-Calzaghe is the only fight that should be happening at 168 now.

Andrade is limited, one dimensional and has virtually no amateur career. Kessler would have an easy night's work with Librado, providing he doesn't get stupid and make it a brawl.

I don't know. He looks slow, but has some sneaky moves and crunching power. I know it was only Richard Grant, but I love the way Andrade took that pivot over to the right and started whacking sneak rights to his opponent's head. He's a dangerous fighter.

I don't think Calzaghe-Kessler can happen just yet. I want it to. Calzaghe will have to deal with Stieglitz and - more excitingly - Bute. When Bute beats Tatvosyan and becomes WBO #1 in December or November.

We have an interesting scenario where Bute and Andrade - two very exciting young fighters - are poised to challenge p4p class super middle champions.

I know Bute is more proven, however. Those wins over Mock, Thysse, Toney, Salem, Wiggins & Thobela make him far more ready. The problem I have with Andrade is he's got this ranking and he's sitting on it, and not taking anything that will prepare him further.

I agree, Kessler beats Andrade. Kessler is way more versatile than ppl let on. He has the best jab in the sport and uses it as an offensive weapon. As well as having a better right hand than anyone expected. The destruction of Beyer was one of the finest showings of any fighter all year.

Evander wrote:We all know Kessler will avoid Andrade

I will call it right now.

Kessler was making plans to fight Andrade before he beat Beyer.

Andrade doesn't have a prayer against Kessler right now, he should step aside and accept first crack at the unified title and get a couple of fights in inbetween now and then. He is too raw.

IMO they should make a card in february/march where Calzaghe fights Stieglitz and Kessler fights Andrade on the undercard, preferably in the US and on HBO, that way a unification match would be hyped more and they would get some mandatories out of the way. If they should fight each other next, the winner would probably be stripped of one or more belts because they havent fourght their mandatory challengers.

At a point like this the belts become somewhat immaterial anyhow cos we all know who the two best at the weight are, for all I care they could both vacate and fight for the IBO it would still make the winner the best fighter at the weight.

For me it makes more sence to have a double headder with both of them first as nether of them are US fighters thus making building interest in the fight more difficult thus the best pay day for both will come that way.

Good point, or how about Calzaghe v Kessler in February with Andrade fighting Stieglitz on the undercard? That would eliminate one mandatory!

Deram wrote:Rumours are that IBF wants Calzaghe-Stieglitz in feb/march. It seems Joe needs to learn to deal with having mandatories.

About time....btw.

I thought mandatories were supposed to be considered useless?

Plus it wasn't so long since he's fought his last mandatory even if it was Veit.

Does Stieglitz want the fight though?

A fighter with a single belt can fight more often and indeed tend to. Unified champs only have to defend their belt once every 18 months. so it's in their interests not to have 'super' champs.

viciousmaussa wrote:

Evander wrote:We all know Kessler will avoid Andrade

I will call it right now.

Kessler was making plans to fight Andrade before he beat Beyer.

Kessler sparred with Andrade when he was in California. I dont think he has any worries about making this fight.

Floyd wrote:

viciousmaussa wrote:

Evander wrote:We all know Kessler will avoid Andrade

I will call it right now.

Kessler was making plans to fight Andrade before he beat Beyer.

Kessler sparred with Andrade when he was in California. I dont think he has any worries about making this fight.

Was it Andrade who said, "He has an AWESOME jab"?

viciousmaussa wrote:

Floyd wrote:

viciousmaussa wrote:Kessler was making plans to fight Andrade before he beat Beyer.

Kessler sparred with Andrade when he was in California. I dont think he has any worries about making this fight.

Was it Andrade who said, "He has an AWESOME jab"?

It was him.

Andrade is a lesser version of Jeff Lacy. A lot of pop, but limited skills. I'm sure if Mikkel has already sparred with him, he would've avoided that stipulation all together if he saw something in Andrade that worried him.