411 Roundtable Preview: Kessler vs. Ward

Posted by Matt Knowles on 11.20.2009

The 411mania fight fanatics take a look ahead to this Saturday's highly-anticipated showdown for the WBA super middleweight title


Photo by Laura De La Torre / 411mania.com

Welcome back to the Prizefight Roundtable!

In this week's installment, the 411mania crew will analyze the final 1st round bout of Showtime's innovative Super Six tournament. In the main event, WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel "Viking Warrior" Kessler will face-off with 2004 olympic gold medalist Andre "S.O.G." Ward. Kessler will be bringing his title belt nearly half-way across the world from his native Denmark, all the way to Ward's hometown of Oakland, California, in hopes of retaining the championship while moving forward in the Super Six standings. Ward, of course, will be looking to make a monster statement in front of all of his friends and family with the 1st big showcase bout of his blossoming career.

Let's get this thang started, shall we?!?!




1. Although he will have a significant home-field advantage, this will also be Andre Ward's first bout at the elite level of the sport. How do you think he will handle his "moment in the sun"?

Michael Payne - I think he will really relish this. He knows its a massive opportunity for him. Its by far the biggest test of his career to date and the home field advantage should help. The only danger is that he doesn't want to get over confident if he has thousands of fans screaming his name from the outset. He needs to just go about his business, stick to his game plan and not get over confident. If he does get over confident he will be looking to impress the crowd more than concentrating on getting the job done.

Ali Shakoor - Sometimes home-field advantage can really work against a fighter with the stress, pressure, and demands.(See Cory Spinks v. Judah II). Ward seems like a really nice, solid guy, but he's very inexperienced. I can see the pressure getting to him in a negative way.

Jonathan Yaghoubi - I think he will handle it with flying colors. If this fight was in Denmark, then Ward might have a little trouble handling his big moment in the sun in hostile territory. With the fight being Ward's hometown of Oakland, it is certainly much easier task for Ward to handle his first elite opponent. Ward has said he has been waiting for this fight his whole life and with that said, I expect him to handle this fight just fine.

Joe Roche - Well if there is one guy who I would not expect to be overwhelmed by the moment it's Andre Ward. I realize that stepping up against Mikkel Kessler is going to be difficult, but at least he's known about the fight for some time now and had plenty of time to prepare. I've been told by other former Olympians (Danny O'Connor most recently) that fighting as an elite amateur prepares you for anything in the pros because you find out who you're going to fight right before the bout -- thus you excel at learning on the fly. Nothing about Saturday night will be bigger then Andre Ward winning a gold medal at the Olympics, so I think he'll be just fine.

Ramon Aranda - Ward has always struck me as the kind of fighter who doesn't let himself get too caught up in the moment. He has a good head on his shoulders, is modest and appears mature beyond his years. I think he'll handle being in this sort of a spotlight just fine. In fact, I think he'll thrive on it.

P.J. Cassidy - I think Andre is going to fight a truly great fight. His best performances to this point have been when he's fighting the best competition. Does that mean he'll walk away victorious? I can't say but I think Andre Ward's stock will certainly be higher following Saturday night.



2. Mikkel Kessler is a heavy favorite, but his lone loss was also in "enemy territory" when he went to Wales and lost to Joe Calzaghe. Will Kessler be affected in any way by the potentially-hostile Bay Area crowd?

Jonathan Yaghoubi - I feel everything is working against Kessler fighting in Oakland. Kessler's camp is unhappy about the assignment of local judges and a California referee to this bout. Fighters and promoters talk about being neutral when they have to travel to the other fighters hometown but it never happens. Neutrality in boxing officiating has been a popular topic in recent months, particularly after Paulie Malignaggi's loss to Juan Diaz. This can only end bad for Kessler and has already proved he can't handled being in enemy territory before when Calzaghe schooled him in that fight in Wales. This is only going to mess Kessler up mentally and has already found himself behind in the fight.

Joe Roche - Let's not pretend that the reason Calzaghe beat Kessler was the hostile territory. The fans booing won't be the problem for Kessler it'll be the judges and whether or not he's thinking about them. If he is worried about the judges (and all signs point to at least part of his team being worried about them) then he may take his mind off the ultimate goal and look for the KO to leave no doubt, that could leave an opening that Andre Ward needs to grab an upset victory.

Ali Shakoor - Tough to say. Kessler is a vet, but Oakland area fans are notoriously hostile. I doubt however, it will be more hostile than what Kessler experienced in Wales. And Ward is no Joe Calzaghe.

Ramon Aranda - I honestly don't think so. Kessler is also a cool customer and having a hostile crowd shouldn't really bother him much. The only thing that might run through his head is how will the judges affect a close fight in Oakland. Then again he IS the champion so that should help his cause.

Michael Payne - I don't think his loss to Calzaghe is a factor at all. Yes he was away from home but he was fighting a man who was at the top of his game, a seasoned world champion. Kessler will know what he needs to do and will concentrate on that. If her were to loose i don't feel it would be because he had problems with fighting away from home.

P.J. Cassidy - Not really, Joe Calzaghe was one of the best fighters of his generation, Andre Ward is not in that league yet. Not to mention, Kessler's fought in hostile territory before and came out victorious. The Aussies wanted his head when he took on Anthony Mundine and the crowd couldn't faze him. He'll be fine.


3. Both men are known as boxer-punchers by nature. So who is the a) better pure boxer, and b) the harder overall puncher?

Ali Shakoor - I give the edge to Kessler as a puncher. I think he's a little rougher and tougher, and will be more aggressive. Ward may be a better overall "boxer" as far as athletic tools are concerned, but Kessler--due to his experience--is the better all around fighter/boxer right now. I hope that make sense.

Joe Roche - a) I'd give Andre Ward the nod as the better pure boxer. He is as fundamentally sound as any fighter in the super six, or anywhere for that matter. He has described himself as a thinking man's fighter and I believe that is what he is. b) I'd go with Kessler as to who is the harder overall puncher. I've never really thought Ward was a terribly strong puncher, and if you watched his last tuneup fight on Showtime you saw him land flush shots throughout the fight and not really put his opponent down and out. Kessler on the other hand is a brutal puncher and has very real stopping power at an elite level.

Michael Payne - Ward has the advantages of youth and speed and he is an excellent boxer. But i feel basic boxing skills and power have to go to Kessler. Ward may in time prove to be the better natural boxer but he has not shown us what he can do against genuine world class pro boxers yet. Kessler has. It is a lot easier to look the business against someone of a lower level. I think Kessler easily wins the power side of it.

P.J. Cassidy - Ward is probably the more technically adept fighter, I still wonder about whether he throws enough to keep up with Kessler who is like a machine in there. In terms of power, their's no real comparison, Ward couldn't put away an outclassed Edison Miranda, while, Kessler has knocked out some very big names.

Ramon Aranda - Though Ward can crack in his own right, Kessler is by far the biggest puncher of the two. He's a little less mobile but he sits on his punches a bit more. Kessler has that natural punching power and it shows. In terms of pure boxing ability, I'll give that edge to Ward who's still improving as a fighter and has shown glimpses of how good he can be. He's has the faster hands and seems to be able to adapt to his opponent a little better. I think Ward has more natural talent but we'll see if it's developed enough on Saturday to pull this out.

Jonathan Yaghoubi - Kessler has the clear edge in the power department. His KO percentage is close to 75 percent while Ward's is 65. Kessler achieves clean knockouts while Ward's come by way of stoppage, cuts, or DQ‘s. But Ward is the better boxer. He uses great hand speed, stiff jabs and straight lefts along with excellent ring movement to win his fights. His ring IQ is among the best in the buisness and he has his strong amateur background to thank for that. All those tools could make this an even more difficult fight for Kessler than it already is. The only knock for Ward is his power and I don't think he even as good a closer as Kessler is.



4. Being that the American fighters are 0-2 so far in the Super Six tournament, do you think that a loss by Andre Ward may somewhat damage the interest in the tourney and hurt Showtime's future ratings?


Joe Roche - I don't. I've maintained all along that the biggest star in this tournament is Mikkel Kessler and I believe that American fans will gravitate towards him after the first round. I also think that the American fighters (outside of Ward) aren't the most likeable crew. Don't get me wrong I think Dirrell and Taylor are pretty good guys, but as characters in the tournament they rub people the wrong way (Taylor is stoic, Dirrell is...let's say the opposite of that). Frankly I think that Abraham and Kessler are the most interesting fighters in this tournament and I believe that American fans will pick up on that moving forward -- kudos to Showtime for the Fight Camp series to help build that bridge.

Jonathan Yaghoubi - Yes, it will certainly hurt the interest in the United States for sure. Ward has to win this fight for the Americans to save face. I said before the tournament started that Ward would become the break out star of the tournament and he has a tremendous chance to show that if he can become the first American to win a fight in the Super Six. I don't see Taylor doing anything the rest of this tournament and I feel Direll is just not as good as Ward is right now. The stage is set for Ward to make American boxing more relevant again and keep interest in this tournament.

Michael Payne - I hope not but there is always that risk. The beauty of the tournament, however, is that they are not out of it yet, even with losses, so it should keep the entertainment going. Even if all the Americans were to go out early I think there will be enough excitement left to hold the American public's interest.

Ali Shakoor - Actually, I don't think so. This tournament is really only on the radar for serious fight fans. The general sports public doesn't have an American sweetheart in mind to get behind at this point. Froch, Abraham and Kessler can carry the ratings on this thing to reasonable numbers, because they're the three best, and real fight fans will watch. On the flip-side, if Ward turns in a true starmaking, winning, performance, and can get his name scrolled on ESPN's ticker, maybe it can increase the ratings in America by a few hundred people--that's right, a few hundred only. A loss won't hurt ratings expectations.

Ramon Aranda - In essence, I can see how American fans might get discouraged by the tournament if Ward falls to Kessler. On the other hand, boxing fans truly just want to see exciting bouts and so long as they continue to be just that, fans will still tune in to watch.

P.J. Cassidy - Yes, I do. We can dodge around the question as much as we want but Americans just like every other country on this planet want to see their own succeed. I think the Tournament will continue to be a success but I doubt an Abraham/Kessler final will have the same oomph as say Ward vs Abraham.


5. Let's bust-out our crystal balls fellas (insert tasteless joke here)….who's going home with the WBA super middleweight title on Saturday night?

Ramon Aranda - My balls are made of brass buddy, don't forget that! That being said, I initially picked Kessler to win given his abilities and experience at a higher level, but Ward also had a very decorated amateur career, so he too has plenty of experience. Kessler as I mentioned is the strong puncher who can in fact box quite well but from what I've seen out of Ward lately, I just get this hunch that he'll have some tricks up his sleeves on Saturday and find a way to stay out of Kessler's danger zone.

Again, I like his speed but most importantly I like his superior foot work which is something that gave Kessler issues in his lone loss to Calzaghe. Fast hands and fast feet is what Calzaghe brought to the table and Kessler became frustrated. If Ward can do something similar while mixing in some power shots to remind Kessler that he's for real, I think he has the tools to pull off the upset. I'll say Ward wins by close decision.

Ali Shakoor - I'd love to be wrong, but I think Kessler wins a unanimous decision. Ward will gain valuable experience, but I don't think he's ready yet. I hope I'm wrong.

Jonathan Yaghoubi - I am going to go with Ward by a decision. I think the home crowd will really help out for Ward and I think his boxing skills are going to give Kessler a real tough time. I can see Ward staying on the outside with good movement content to jab and use his body shots and occasional hooks to keep Kessler at bay. I know Ward is no Calzaghe but he does not have to be. Kessler is going to try and knock Ward out because he knows he does not have a chance to win a decision in Oakland. He will try to chase Ward down the whole fight but I just don't think he will have the boxing skills to hunt down and hurt Ward. Ward wins the WBA title in an upset.

Joe Roche - Mikkel Kessler - and that's whether or not you think he wins the fight because it's starting to look like the WBA won't put the belt on the line due to an issue with the judges that were selected for the bout. If you want to know who is going to win, well it'll be the 'Viking Warrior" all the same. I just think Kessler is too strong, and too good at this point to lose to Andre Ward, I know some people are very impressed with him but I'm not one of those people - I think he'll struggle with Kessler and it'll be interesting to see if he can go the full 12.

Michael Payne - I think it is going to be a lot tougher than I originally thought when the fight was announced. Originally i thought Kessler would blow him away with relative ease but I know eel it will be fairly close. He me though the deciding factor will still be Kessler's experience at the top level and I am going for Kessler winning on points.

P.J. Cassidy - I think it's going to be a close, competitive fight. I think you're going to see Andre Ward really show that he belongs on the world stage and really open some eyes. However, I just don't think he's going to be able to match Kessler's punch output and I think that will sink him. I'm taking Kessler by SD victory.
- - - - -

SO, which of the 411mania writers is on the right track? Who's gonna be eating a slice of humble pie on Sunday morning? Or have we ALL GONE MAD?!?!

Let's us know, our fellow Fight Freaks….

WHO YA GOT ON SATURDAY: KESSLER OR WARD???