November 5th sees Mikkel Kessler return to the ring in his native Denmark when he meets WBO champion Robert Stieglitz in Copenhagen. Kessler was forced to step away from the Super Six tournament and started his comeback in June. For the Dane, winning this fight gives him a title and an angle on getting a shot at the winner of the Super Six tournie he was forced to abandon and/or a rematch with Andre Ward or Carl Froch down the road (Lucian Bute already ducked Kessler by pricing himself out of the proposed fight). For Robert Stieglitz, a win over Kessler would instantly propel him into the top ranks of the 168 lbs division, proving his mettle and earning him bigger and better paydays.
Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KOs)
6’1″ tall, 74″ reach, 32 years old
Danish
Former three-time super middleweight champion
“The Viking Warrior” is one of the more storied figures in the super middleweight division today, and oddly enough most of that story is in his losses. Kessler is a skilled, talented boxer of the stand-up Continental European school, and arguably the physically strongest fighter in the division. However, Kessler is one of those guys who seems to come up short in big fights.
His first reign as champion came to an end when he met the great Joe Calzaghe in 2007 in a fight that saw Kessler never give up, but one in which he was largely out-boxed by the faster, busier and more mobile Calzaghe. In the Super Six, Kessler’s second reign as champion came to an end in an upset and shockingly one-sided loss to Andre Ward. Coincidentally, both Calzaghe and Ward cemented their reputations by beating Kessler.
On the positive side, Kessler won a close fight with division iron man Carl Froch, and has strong wins over guys like Dmitri Sartison, Librado Andrade, Eric Lucas, Markus Beyer, Anthony Mundine and Julio Cesar Green. Kessler’s third reign as champion was short, since immediately after lifting Froch’s WBC strap the Dane was forced onto a medical furlough due to retinal trouble.
Robert Stieglitz (40-2, 23 KOs)
5’11” tall, 30 years old
German
WBO Super Middleweight Champion
Stieglitz is a Russo-German and making the 5th defense of the WBO belt. He is also a paper champion with a suspect resume. Between 2005 and 2007, Stieglitz fought a Colombian named Alejandro Berrio twice. In the first clash, an IBF title shot eliminator, he managed an 11th round stoppage. Yet in a rematch for the vacant IBF title, Berrio apparently learned something because he came back and flattened Stieglitz in the 3rd. Stieglitz was out-boxing Berrio in both encounters, but clearly Berrio had the power to dent Stieglitz’s chin. Incidentally, Berrio went on to lose his belt to Lucian Bute.
Stieglitz started his comeback, and in a year he was matched with the rugged Librado Andrade. In a familiar story, Andrade banged Stieglitz, hurting and finishing him in the 8th. He won the WBO belt in 2009 in his best-ever win, when undefeated Karoly Balzsay’s corner threw in the towel in the 11th. The Hungarian has yet to do anything noteworthy sense then, except lose to a guy (Eduard Gutknecht) that Stieglitz later out-pointed. It is safe to say that Robert Stieglitz has never defeated a noteworthy fighter.
Kessler vs. Stieglitz Preview & Fight Analysis
Basically what we have in Stieglitz vs. Kessler (the unheralded Russo-German is the defending champion) is a contest between two European-style boxers. Kessler has trouble with boxers, but only those who wield faster hands and good mobility (i.e. Calzaghe and Ward). Stieglitz isn’t that speedy.
On the other hand, there is good reason to regard Stieglitz’s chin as weak, as guys who are not noted for their power have taken him down. Kessler isn’t a dynamic puncher, but he is a strong man with heavy, thudding hands. I still marvel at the beating Kessler gave to Librado Andrade (the same Andrade who crumpled Stieglitz), a night that saw the Mexican earn his reputation for durability. If Kessler can find Stieglitz’s chin, there is a TKO out there for him. Given that Stieglitz has merely average power and moves in straight lines, it is really only a matter of time before Kessler pries open his guard, drops it with body punching and/or finds an angle and nails him.
Kessler vs. Stieglitz Prediction
Frankly, I was surprised when I learned that Stieglitz had signed to fight Kessler, because I thought his management would want to milk his WBO title for a few more easy paydays before throwing him to the lions. Simply put, I don’t see Stieglitz as having any of the features necessary to hang with Kessler, let alone challenging him. Mikkel Kessler is going to walk Stieglitz down, take him down in the later rounds, and win his fourth world title at super middleweight.
Prediction: Mikkel Kessler TKO7
