FightHype staff predictions are in for this weekend's super middleweight title unification between Undefeated WBO champion Joe Calzaghe and undefeated WBA and WBC champion Mikkel Kessler. Which champion will stay undefeated? Which champion taste his first loss? Get the answers to these questions and more in FightHype's staff predictions. Check it out!
CALZAGHE -VS- KESSLER
The Hype - Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision
I want to pick Kessler, but like every other guy that I've picked to beat Calzaghe in the past, he'll probably fall short. I'll take Calzaghe by unanimous decision simply because he always wins and until I see him actually tested, I have no reason to believe that he'll start losing now...especially in front of 60,000 of his fans (give or take 10,000 depending on the number of Kessler fans). Kessler just might be that test, but even with a D- performance, Calzaghe will still pass. I just don't think Kessler walks out of that stadium as the winner without anything less than a knockout.
Percy Crawford- Kessler TKO8
All good things come to an end and, unfortunately for Calzaghe, I think his reign as the Super Middleweight kingpin is over. We'll see if the rumors of Kessler's hand being bad will hold true, but I think he'll be fine. I dont like to see fighters talk retirement before big fights, a la Barerra, becuase somewhere in their hearts, they're just not in the fight. I pick Kessler by late stoppage based on him being younger and hungrier.
Angel Colon - Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision
Gotta go with the hometown kid! Nuff said!
Jeff Young - Kessler TKO9
I am going with youth. I just feel that, at this stage, Calzaghe is looking toward the end.
Sean Malone - Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision
I am going with Calzaghe by 12-round unanimous decision. While Kessler will present a game challenge to the undefeated Calzaghe, I believe that the Welshman's superior handspeed and underrated power will make this a tough outing for the Dane. Besides, Calzaghe always seems to rise to the level of his opposition and I expect the same.
Josh Jordan - Kessler TKO11
I wrestled back and forth on this one because I could easily see Joe C taking a close decision, but I think after 8 or 9 rounds of Mikkel's pressure, Joe will slow down slightly and thats when Kessler will step on the gas. Both guys are punching machines, but Kessler seems to sit down on his punches more and this will be the difference for me. Expect the ref to jump in and stop it midway through the 11th round.
Steve Coleman - Kessler KO10
Upset city baby! I'm going to get bold with this one. Joe Calzaghe has proven that he's a great champion, but like others, I question his competition and his beard. However, I was more sure about this opinion a few days before I heard the rumors of Kessler's possible hand injury. But Joe's constant injuries should even things out!
Charles Presnell - Kessler TKO8
Joe Calzaghe has risen to the ocassion several times in his career when he's been tested. When Calzaghe suffered the first knockdown of his career against Byron Mitchell, he came back right away to knockout Mitchell. When Jeff Lacy was considered the top threat in the division, Calzaghe taught him a boxing lesson and a lesson in pain. After twenty successful defenses and a decade of dominance in the super middleweight division, once again Calzaghe is fighting someone thought to be bigger and stronger. The only problem is that Kessler is the real deal. Kessler has defeated three of the best super middleweights in his last four fights. The first couple of rounds will be tatical, however, the action will pick up once Kessler drops Calzaghe in the sixth round. Afterwards, Calzaghe will fight back hard and stagger Kessler, but as it will come to pass, Kessler will be too strong for Calzaghe, knocking him down twice in the 8th to earn the stoppage.
Simon Ruvalcaba - Kessler by Split Decision
The style clash has controversy written all over it. Calzaghe, I think, will be leading with his speed. I think the inside exchanges will be key based on what the judges prefer. Calzaghe will be the busier of the two, with Kessler's shots being more effective, but lacking in abundance, keeping the Calzaghe supporters thinking he's ahead. Calzaghe controls the action for the first three rounds, but around the 4th or 5th, I think Kessler will land a big shot and will change the tide of the fight during the middle rounds. The last four rounds will come down to whether Calzaghe can swing the momentum back for a final rally. Down the stretch, it will look like two undefeated fighters that want to stay that way so look for fireworks in the late rounds. I see a great fight and almost want to call it a draw, but I'll say Kessler squeeks out a decision.
Kenny Nam - Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision
Calzaghe is a very good inside fighter and is more more versatile than Kessler. He can also be particularly clever and dirty in the clinches (he mauled Lacy on the inside). Calzaghe has very good footwork, footspeed and movement, and that gave Kessler a lot of trouble in his fight with Mundine. Kessler has a very good jab, technique and power, but he is still very upright and I've never seen him brawl, only box. Calzaghe has more dimensions and Kessler was troubled by speed in his fight with Mundine so I'll be anxious to see if theres any significant handspeed advantage in the beginning of the fight. A key in the fight will be Calzaghe's jab versus Kessler's jab. Will the southpaw come out on top or will the orthodox fighter establish his jab?
Jack Plato - Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision
This fight has the potential to be a brawl and a Fight of the Year candidate. Both men are strong, powerful and like to press the action. I think that the edge here goes to Calzaghe for two reasons. One is that he has shown the ability to come back from being knocked down and stop his opponent (i.e his fight with Byron Mitchell, although it could have been considered a premature stoppage). Kessler hasn't had to show the ability to recover after being hurt. Calzaghe will apply the pressure because that is such a natural for him. The way that he broke Jeff Lacy down in one of the most brutal, one-sided fights since Holmes-Cobb shows no reason why he won't apply the same kind of pressure. The difference is that Mikkel will respond in making this a two-sided battle. However, down the stretch, Joe's strength will prevail. The second reason is the venue, which will favor Calzaghe in a close fight. Connecticut's Mike Ortega has been recommended as the referee. I am glad that a British ref is not being considered. There is a tendency for many British refs to stop fights a little too fast, especially in favor of the hometown fighter. I remember Ortega's controversial stoppage of Echols-Brewer. Let's hope that something like that does not come into play here.
TitleBelt - Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision
Expect a close one with scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112.
Joe DeMaria - Calzaghe by Majority Decision
When this fight was announced, I had already made up my mind. I was comfortable in my pick and no matter how much I pondered it, I always went back to it. Joe Calzaghe does too many things in there, has too much handspeed, has a workrate that is unmatchable and always saves his best for when it matters most. Well, here we are with the fight basically in front of us and I am now pussyfooting with my pick. This fight is a true pick'em battle where both guys are loaded with skill, have excellent athletic ability and have all the reasons in the world to come through with their best effort. I have never seen either man take the ring without looking like they took their training camp very seriously and I fully expect the same here. So flip a coin, throw a dart, pick a name out of a hat, whatever works for you is fine by me - just as long as you are tuned in live and prepared for all of the ebbs and flows of this fight. Expect plot twists and turns that have you pondering how things will progress over the round that follows. Expect both fighters to have moments where they look great and where they look to be the worse for wear. Expect a real back and forth fight here is what I am trying to say. I am going to go with Joe Calzaghe by a close (115-114 type of close), somewhat controversial decision that I can see being split, or more likely, a majority nod in a fight that leaves us hoping they do it again.
John Tandy (Editor, www.ultimateboxingresults.com) - Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision
Calzaghe, once again, is being written off leading up to a big fight. The same thing happened with Jeff Lacy and the exact same things are being said. Lacy was the hottest property in the division and was apparently coming over to knockout Calzaghe. For those who watched the fight, that's not exactly how it happened. Calzaghe handed Lacy a harsh boxing lesson. This time, it's Mikkel Kessler, the unbeaten Dane who is coming over to take Calzaghe's thunder. Kessler is unbeaten in 39 fights, he has superb technique and also carries power, stopping 29 of the fighters he's faced inside the distance. Apparently, Kessler is younger, faster and hungrier and is posed to take Calzaghe's belt. Calzaghe, however, has proven that every time he has faced an opponent of real class, he has stepped up his game and won well. This fight will be no different. Kessler will have a crowd of 70,000 cheering against him. It will be like nothing he has ever experienced before. This will give Calzaghe a huge advantage from the start. Kessler is great at the basics and has a good boxing brain, but it will take much more than that to beat Calzaghe. The major problem for Calzaghe is that he has had injury problems his whole career. Before his boxing career had even started, he was told he would never box again. If his hand and wrist give him trouble in this fight, he will battle through it and could lose. If that happens, it will be the end of his career. If Calzaghe can fight through with no injuries, I will be very surprised if he loses this one. Kessler has a decent chin so this one is likely to go the distance. Calzaghe winning by unanimous points decision is my prediction for this fight.