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(Boxing) Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward in Oakland
By Zach Arnold | November 21, 2009
Outside of “The Big Game” at 4:30 PM when Cal takes on Stanford in college football, the biggest sporting event this weekend in the Bay Area is Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward at Oracle Arena (Alameda Coliseum) in Oakland. Dan Goossen, promoter, said that the fight will start at around 7:20 PM in order to make sure that fans can come from the football game to go see the fight.
One of the stories heading into this fight was the issue of judges, as Kessler’s camp wanted an international judge. Sure enough, that demand was met. Another issue was whether or not Joe Cortez would be the referee. He will not be in this fight.
There are a few boxing writers who think Ward could pull off the upset here. Ward has become a media darling in Northern California media circles (like the Oakland Tribune). Al Bernstein on Chronicle Live on Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area this week said that the way Ward could pull of a win over Kessler is to “throw junk” at him and constantly change things up, similar to what Pedro Martinez did to the Dodgers in the baseball playoffs this year. Carl Froch thinks Kessler will win. The betting line has tightened since the fight was announced — Kessler is around a -190 favorite and Ward is around a +160 underdog.
Gus Johnson will be the play-by-play man for the fight on Showtime.
TK Stewart at Boxing Scene has an article saying that the Super Six Tournament has been a cherry on the top of the proverbial sundae of boxing’s revitalization. The LA Times reports that Pacquiao-Cotto did 1.25 million PPV buys.
- The Sweet Science: Today we will see how Andre Ward handles the moment
- Fanhouse: Kessler has big edge in experience vs. Ward
- Sportingo: Why KO king Mikkel Kessler is favorite to Ward off all Super Six opposition
- ESPN: Andre Ward writes off Kessler’s advantages ahead of Super Six fight
- Charles Jay: Expect the fight to go into the late rounds
- 15 Rounds: Q & A with Mikkel Kessler
Topics: Boxing, MMA, Media, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback | Share This
Great news on the PPV numbers for the Pacquiao v Cotto fight. While Dana White was shouting ‘people want PBF v Pacman’ HBO have had 2 huge PPV success’s with the right results to set up a 3rd mega PPV next year which could beat al records. That to me is good business which if the UFC did something similar people would be waxing lyrical about what great booking has been done.
I’m still excited for this tournament, and expect an exciting fight tonight. Similar ingredients (untested high-profile prospect vs popular overseas champ) but I believe both of these guys tonight are of a higher caliber.
As for Tito and UFC I’m mulling it over, but unless others want to pick up the tab may have to pass. What a great autumn it has been for fight fans!
If I watch TV tonite Im watching this instead of Tito’s big head against Forrest’s glass jaw.
BTW: this is insane–Tito rehydrating after weigh-in. He steps on the scale around the 1:40 mark. I won’t spoil for you how much he weighs, but you’ll be shocked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zyZsL0R9ec&feature=player_embedded
INSANE is right! Holy SH**T. How is that even possible?
That puts cutting weight in a whole new light. I wonder how much Brock or Rogers really weigh of fight night?
Too many things that we don’t know yet about Ward. I’ll take Kessler by decision.
The Tito video is a work. That’s just his sense if humor.
He will probably hit the cage around 220 or 225 tonight.
Just to put it in perspective a gallon if water weighs 8 pounds. It is impossible to go from 205-251 in a few hours.
I’m not trying to bash the UFC for the sake of bashing the UFC, but I’m about as unexcited as one can get for Ortiz-Griffin. It was a good semi-main, but basing the whole card around two guys who are going to test each other to see who has the weakest kickboxing is completely unexciting.
I think Forrest won the first fight, but he’s become a real headcase since then. Although you can argue when the going gets tough (Frank Shamrock, Machida) Tito isn’t as mentally strong as we’re lead to believe either. It’s definitely going to decision (duh, neither seem to know many submissions and neither could knock out Glass Joe.) I’ll give slight the edge to Tito because I really question Forrest’s mental state right now. The one advantage I’ll give Forrest is he held his own against Rampage who is a better wrestler than “The Junior College Superstar” Tito Ortiz. (Yes, I dusted off that joke from 1999.)
As for the fights I actually am paying to see, I’ll give a fanboy pick of Josh Koscheck over Anthony Johnson by TKO, Nogueira over Cane by submission and Sadollah over Baroni by submission because I wouldn’t pick Phil Baroni to win a shadow boxing exhibition at this point.
Dana interview excerpts via Sherdog:
Wait a minute, I thought he was done talking to Rampage for all of eternity? Gee, I wonder what changed his mind?
Basically, he reminds him too much of himself.
“No Shane, you can’t go over Anderson Silva in a street fight after throwing him through a window.”
Who was she going to fight? Edith LaBell?
It won’t be.
^^^^ Another great Fluyid prediction.