BoxRec

According to a report published by the dailymail.co.uk, Mikkel Kessler who is set to face Joe Calzaghe this coming Saturday, is believed to be shielding a damaged hand. The report indicates the damage to his hand is so bad that Kessler has been unable to spar for two weeks. Kessler is not expected to do any sparring before he climbs through the ropes at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to take on Calzaghe.

The report in the Daily Mail further states that the Kessler Camp are playing down whispered reports of the injury
and, bone deep though the bruising is said that it will not jeopardize their fighter's appearance.

Over 50,000 are reportedly set to watch the show at the Stadium.

http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Benz/BenzNew1030a07.htm



Let's hope it's bullshit...would be gutted if this didn't come off although would an injured Kessler going out anyway be any fairer on the fans?

read the current scene. it was pure daily mail toss off speculation. even kessler has commented on this and said it's nonsense. kessler has kept himself to himself while over here, so ppl make up wank about him. read the current scene thread.

Has anyone here sparred with him or witnessed him sparring?

said he's been focusing on top secret tactics, and has been seeing very little media. closed doors, and apparently no need for alarm (or gloating).

Lets hope it isnt true we want a good hard competative fight - Ironic if both fighters were to have injured hands during the fight.

McRae's article where Calzaghe's training says Joe's hand is bruised

Cannibal wrote:Has anyone here sparred with him or witnessed him sparring?

I sparred him and broke his jaw, nose and a few ribs; that's the truth of the matter. The hand is just a ruse.

Both men will have niggling injuries going into the fight. Most top fighters do. I talked to Barry McGuigan before the Lacy fight and he said that the mood in the Calzaghe camp was very subdued and that they were worried about his hand. That was why he was going for Lacy.... Then Calzaghe comes out and batters Lacy for a full 36 minutes.

Joe's going to have to show that kind of form if he's to beat Kessler and I'm not sure he can, although in front of his home crowd he's bound to be buzzing.

I don't think Kessler's particularly brilliant but what he does do is jab well and has a good straight right hand, which I think will give Joe, who loops his punches more, fits.

I've just got this horrible feeling Joe will walk into one too many right hands. Remember how easy Richie Woodhall found him to catch during their fight? Well, Kessler's younger, better and more powerful than Richie, which is a worry for Joe, IMO.

oliverfennell wrote:

Cannibal wrote:Has anyone here sparred with him or witnessed him sparring?

I sparred him and broke his jaw, nose and a few ribs; that's the truth of the matter. The hand is just a ruse.

I thought what happened in sparing stayed in sparing! ask 1southpaw

Realisticaly even if he has some brusing to his hand I don't think it'll chainge the outcome, once there is adrenalin and posibly cortisone corcing through his veins I don't think it'll worry him. If there is a brake it may affect him in futrue but not on the night. I doubt any fighter goes into a fight without any nigels athleats pick up minor things all the time.

Respect to Kesseler for saying its crap lets hope that if he looses he will not use it as an excuse.

No surprise if it's true ( where do they get these stories from?? ) but probably not bad enough to cancel, just a pain killing injection before the fight, for both of them by the sounds of it.

Where does Kessler deny this then?

Kessler has been next to silent in the promotion for this fight. Where is he? What's he doing? Why hasn't he made himself available for the promotion? It's very unusual, and it's bound to spark speculation of him pulling out/bottling out of the fight.

it just seems he's trying to stay focused, work on tactics and do what works for him. he's a cool character in the ring who usually comes in prepared. i think his main thing is just to win the fight. worry about publicity afterward.

perhaps everyone's getting a bit paranoid. the Daily Mail writer obviously had nothing to offer so he picked up on some rumour & wrote a toss off article, basically a forgettable filler.

HBO are apparently pissed off that kessler hasn't been doing his publicity work, but it's said that calzaghe wouldn't go to denmark to do any hype stuff. also, kessler has spurned HBO before, turning down a multi fight contract (though ironically it's HBO who seem to have secured his money because he hadn't even signed the contract before HBO came on, which was well after Frank announced the fight was on...)

He might as well get the excuses in now before JC hands him his arse on Saturday night

Has the Calzaghe "bad hands saga" started up yet? He usually complains about his paws before every fight, just in case.

steve689 wrote:Has the Calzaghe "bad hands saga" started up yet? He usually complains about his paws before every fight, just in case.

McRae said 1 of his hands looked bruised, before he took his trousers off.

MightyWarrior wrote:No surprise if it's true ( where do they get these stories from?? ) but probably not bad enough to cancel, just a pain killing injection before the fight, for both of them by the sounds of it.

Where does Kessler deny this then?

Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9pniobmI7k

dumdane wrote:

MightyWarrior wrote:No surprise if it's true ( where do they get these stories from?? ) but probably not bad enough to cancel, just a pain killing injection before the fight, for both of them by the sounds of it.

Where does Kessler deny this then?

Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9pniobmI7k

Good interview, well worth a watch. Kessler seems a really nice bloke.

Hope Joe knocks the really nice bloke spark out though

Kessler's boxing is going to be too clean, accurate and accomplished. Props to him for coming to Joe's backyard to knock him the fvck out.

Did he say he's sparring with Magee, is that Brian Magee?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaidOn6q ... /index.php

Kessler public workout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfIwfcI5960

Now thats hardcore, getting Kessler shaved Into his skull.