Kessler out of the super six
There has been a surprise development in the Super Six World Boxing Classic as WBC super-middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler has been forced to pull out with an eye injury.
The Danish warrior, who is currently third in the group stage, has withdrawn as a result of the injury sustained while he prepared for his first fight with Andre Ward. Doctors told him he would need plenty of rest in order to make a full recovery, thus ruling him out of his upcoming bout with Allan Green next month and therefore the rest of the competition.
Kessler had turned around his fortunes in the tournament after a tough defeat to Ward, with a barnstorming performance over Carl Froch to end the Englishman’s undefeated streak.
However Kessler is a proper soldier, every fight he has is a battle and at 31 the scars now take longer to heal. With his bout against Green next month the Dane had to make a decision and understandably didn’t want to compromise his long-term sight and so has taken the wise choice to step aside. "This is the most disappointing moment of my boxing career," said a dejected Kessler to a press conference in Copenhagen today.
He went on to add: "I have consulted leading experts in Denmark and Germany and they have advised me to take a break from boxing so that the problem can heal. I have been assured that it will heal completely and that I will be back in the ring next year.”
There was no doubt “The Viking” was a favourite for the competition and was in a prime position to progress so it will be a disappointment for everyone, but he has vowed to return and to take on the eventual victor saying “I will be there to fight the winner in 2011."
This is a disaster for promoters Showtime, the Super Six started out with the cream of the crop but is dwindling. That is the risk with a boxing tournament like this, the six-fighter format should take about three years from start to finish, which is a big commitment when you consider fighters are notoriously hard to pin down and can walk out of something like this in a heartbeat. And it’s a sport where injuries sustained can completely throw off a schedule; basically it is a logistical nightmare.
Kessler becomes the second fighter to retire from the competition following Jermaine Taylor who pulled out and put his career on hold after a defeat to Arthur Abrahams. Kessler’s withdrawal will be as much a blow for Froch as it is for Kessler; he was keen to meet him in the semi-finals to avenge his defeat, but will not get the chance now and apparently has been thinking about his own future.
This leaves Showtime in a very tricky situation. They need to bring in another fighter of a decent calibre to keep the standard up. Green stepped in to replace Taylor, but really a higher-profile name is needed to keep fans interested. Lucian Bute would be the prize catch, but he may have other commitments, outside of that Kelly Pavlik would be a fantastic addition and it would be a great opportunity for the American to get his career on track, but again he may not be interested.
It will be worth Showtime remembering that the Super Six has lost a Great Dane, the last thing anyone wants to see is for it to be replaced by a poodle.
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