Mikkel Kessler says eye injury has yet to improve
More than a month after withdrawing from Showtime’s Super Six boxing tournament with an eye injury, Mikkel Kessler has confirmed that the injury has not improved. The news has many speculating that the WBC “champion in recess” will be prematurely forced
into retirement.
According to doctors, Kessler’s injury could take up to nine months to begin to show signs of improvement. Kessler fought two opening matches in the Super Six, against Andre Ward and Carl Froch, with a case of double-vision he hoped would improve but didn’t.
"It's still the same,” Kessler confirmed. “There is no improvement yet. I do not spar. I can not train too hard. But you get used to going down the stairs and things like that. I have no doubt that it's going to get better. The question is when is it
going to happen."
Wisely, Kessler suggested that he would not take any chances fighting before the injury has healed for fear of worsening it. Contemplating the possibility that the injury returns or fails to heal in the first place, he quickly said that in such a case he
would permanently hang up the gloves because it isn’t “worth it.” He said: “People always say to me 'what if you get hit and it starts up again? What if you go blind? Is it worth it?' No, it is not.”
Kessler won the WBC super middleweight title after outpointing Carl Froch in the second round of the tournament. Upon withdrawing, the World Boxing Council named him champion emeritus, meaning that he is guaranteed a WBC title shot when he returns.
Kessler is neither the first nor the last contestant to withdraw from the Super Six. Recently contender Andre Dirrell dropped out as well, citing “neurological problems.” Many suspect his injuries are a result of a blow dished out by Arthur Abraham in
a second stage bout. Abraham swiped at Dirrell after he partially fell to the canvas, and was disqualified immediately after Dirrell went into a prophylactic seizure.
Tags: