BoxRec

Boxing: Kessler to English boxing fans “Call me Mike Kessler”
August 27th 2007


In a short interview today unified super middleweight champion Kessler urged English boxing fans to get behind him in his upcoming super fight with Joe Calzaghe.

“I was born and raised in the Danish culture but I feel very much I have the blood of my English mother. I have many English traits such as ”

“Joe Calzaghe is of a Welsh-Italian bloodline so it makes sense for the English fans to back me. Call me Mike Kessler.”

Kessler is also planning to drop his nickname of the “Viking” for that of past English champion Lennox Lewis; “the Lion”

The fight on November 3rd will now be officially be billed as: Battle of Britain - “The Pride of Wales” Joe Calzaghe vs. Mike “The English Lion” Kessler.

From http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

Yeah Mike, It worked when Jeff wore the England shirt and said he had ancestors here called Benjemin Disrali Lacy or some shite.

C'mon English Mike!

I like it!

English boxing legend and we didn't know it!

The fight posters for this bill should be headed "A CURE FOR INSOMNIA". It will be the usual FW snorefest undercard and Slappy Joe winning a boring decision. Roll on Hatton in December.

Well I'm looking forward to it, come on Mike!

Agree with you Terry D, Calzaghe is no doubt a good fighter, but he is just so
dull. Shame he didn't fight better opposition earlier in his career, it might
have been different. Not even sure I'm going to bother watching this one.

I disagree massively.

Calzaghe has been in some excellent fights during his career, Eubank, Brewer, Lacy & Reid were all good watches and Byron Mitchell was a slugfest thriller spoiled by a premature stoppage.

Sometimes Calzaghes style doesn't mesh with the other guy and sometimes I think he does hurt his hand(s) and go into safety mode but it's also down to his opponent to force him to fight and Calzaghe has shown himself more than willing to meet fire with fire when called upon.

I've not said that many kind words about Calzaghe over the years but to say he is 'sooo boring' is soooo untrue.

well it does make him more English than Lennox Lewis, Michael Bentt, Herbie Hide, Greg Rusedski, zola budd etc

pundit's not going to like this

Joe Calzaghe's quickfire victory over Manfredo was perfect, he was ruthless.

It was reminisant was a prime Roy Jones, only Calzaghe was doing it at an advanced age, past his own prime.



And the Ashira fight unimpressive? Most intelligent people can't help but be impressed how Calzaghe, against a world contender, shut out an opponent, with one hand!

Now that is class.

When i spoke to Kess he told me his mum was from Salisbury and his brother lives here still.

...'battle of britain' is stretching it a bit, but i guess it needs to appeal more to the casual fans.....for everyone who knows the sport well, this doesn't require cheap hype, it is one of the most intriguing fights that can be made

Kessler is half English? Thats where he gets his boxing skill from!

Mick Kessler would be more English I think!

E wrote:well it does make him more English than Lennox Lewis, Michael Bentt, Herbie Hide, Greg Rusedski, zola budd etc

Lewis was actually born In West Ham though and lived here till he was 12 and came back

Mick Kessler Is a half Englishman at most.

Wheelchair wrote:The fight posters for this bill should be headed "A CURE FOR INSOMNIA". It will be the usual FW snorefest undercard and Slappy Joe winning a boring decision. Roll on Hatton in December.

Why roll on to a fight which Hatton will lose? :P

Floyd will make Hatton look like Lacy did when he fought Calzaghe but no where near as bad as Lacy looked.

America will be getting vengence for that beating.

Max Molyneux wrote:

E wrote:well it does make him more English than Lennox Lewis, Michael Bentt, Herbie Hide, Greg Rusedski, zola budd etc

Lewis was actually born In West Ham though and lived here till he was 12 and came back

Mick Kessler Is a half Englishman at most.

In terms of where his parents happened to be when he was born yes. However, that is pretty random where ones parents happen to be.

In terms of blood (which is not random) Kessler is more english than Lewis.

Deram wrote:

Max Molyneux wrote:

E wrote:well it does make him more English than Lennox Lewis, Michael Bentt, Herbie Hide, Greg Rusedski, zola budd etc

Lewis was actually born In West Ham though and lived here till he was 12 and came back

Mick Kessler Is a half Englishman at most.

In terms of where his parents happened to be when he was born yes. However, that is pretty random where ones parents happen to be.

In terms of blood (which is not random) Kessler is more english than Lewis.

It's not random when they then stick around for 12 years

dookus wrote:

Deram wrote:

Max Molyneux wrote: Lewis was actually born In West Ham though and lived here till he was 12 and came back

Mick Kessler Is a half Englishman at most.

In terms of where his parents happened to be when he was born yes. However, that is pretty random where ones parents happen to be.

In terms of blood (which is not random) Kessler is more english than Lewis.

It's not random when they then stick around for 12 years

It still is. For instance, the current Danish prince (married to the queen) was born in Vietnam and stayed there for his entire childhood. Still, of course he is not Vietnamese. Many others have lived in some country because the parents worked there or some other thing.

A zebra does not turn into a german horse just because it has spend some years in a German zoo.

Max Molyneux wrote:Boxing: Kessler to English boxing fans “Call me Mike Kessler”
August 27th 2007


In a short interview today unified super middleweight champion Kessler urged English boxing fans to get behind him in his upcoming super fight with Joe Calzaghe.

“I was born and raised in the Danish culture but I feel very much I have the blood of my English mother. I have many English traits such as ”

“Joe Calzaghe is of a Welsh-Italian bloodline so it makes sense for the English fans to back me. Call me Mike Kessler.”

Kessler is also planning to drop his nickname of the “Viking” for that of past English champion Lennox Lewis; “the Lion”

The fight on November 3rd will now be officially be billed as: Battle of Britain - “The Pride of Wales” Joe Calzaghe vs. Mike “The English Lion” Kessler.

From http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

Yeah Mike, It worked when Jeff wore the England shirt and said he had ancestors here called Benjemin Disrali Lacy or some shite.

Calzaghe: "I want England to lose."

Shows how English Calzaghe is.

Wheelchair wrote:The fight posters for this bill should be headed "A CURE FOR INSOMNIA". It will be the usual FW snorefest undercard and Slappy Joe winning a boring decision. Roll on Hatton in December.

It's not going to be boring and Calzaghe isn't going to slap out a dull decision.

Wheelchair wrote:Not even sure I'm going to bother watching this one.

If you can't be bothered watching this one then I'd consider another sport to follow. Its a massive fight between the best 2 in the division.

There's no way I can support English Mike over Joe

Kessler's making an effort to win fans. More than Lacy, who wouldn't cooperate with the promo stuff ie visiting the Coronation Street set. In fact, more than Calzaghe.

They've really taken the piss out of us fools who gave Joe credit for the Lacy win and felt he'd raised the bar. I think that's why he wore the comedy mustache last time out. ie in't this a lark, i'm making all this money to beat on a 168-pound lump.

No, it's not funny. It's not clever. If you're willing to do that in front of 35,000 ppl and an international audience you're pretty damn low. Joe's obviously not a bad person but is not a good personality and I don't think any or 'em are good sports.

Kessler please puncture this balloon. We're sick of the hot air.

By my reckoning, Joe like me, is English and a Londoner having been born in Hammersmith - OK his background is Welsh/Italian so lets say he is a bit of each - Our friend MIKE is definately Danish having been born and brought up there despite having an English mother - Anyway Welsh,Italian,English whatever, Joe is our man and why so many dislike him I cant understand - He fights whoever he is matched against and puts on a good show so for me he is a great champion - OK he doesnt have the wit and personality that Ricky has but Ricky is unique and there never has been anyone like him - So lets back the true Brit not the pretender, Mikkel, Mike or whatever he wants to call himself.[/i]

who's saying they dislike him. he's had some bad career moves and IMO it's about time someone ambitious like Kessler beat him.

Why Is It about time he gets beat?

because he's been around forever, it's been a frustrating ride apart from the Lacy fight. Look, Kessler just gets one with it. He doesn't have to agonize about who to fight. He just fights the buggers. There's a great lineup of super middles and I believe he will fight them, rather than picking on some spoiler out of the top 15.

Also, I've been a Kessler fan since 2005. I've followed his career and massively enjoyed it. He kept fighting world class opposition and he got onto HBO without conning the public. I've been waiting for this for two years.

I loved Joe's fights with the ex champs and with Lacy. But I can't honestly say I've been a fan because for each of those fights there was a Salem or a Pockwell.