The first four rounds of the fight appeared practically even in the ring and on the scorecards. Neither fighter was able to impose his will resulting in a boxing tug of war. They would literally take turns backing each other up and trading punches with each wanting to outdo the other. Calzaghe relied on the sheer number of punches to try and overwhelm Kessler, who in return stayed patient waiting for opportunities to counter. In round four Kessler was able to stun Calzaghe with a vicious uppercut, but Joe showed a great chin by walking through some hard punches with determination to answer in kind.

By the end of round six it became apparent that Joe Calzaghe had somehow elevated his level of boxing to a point where a fight that seemed even only a round ago, now appeared to rapidly escape Kessler’s reach. From round six onward Calzaghe managed to consistently move Kessler back, while at the same time increasing his punching accuracy and the frequency with which he hit Kessler. On top of that his defense became almost impenetrable as Joe was able to avoid most of Kessler’s punches that were still being thrown with full power behind them.

From the sixth round on it was all Joe Calzaghe, dominating a tough opponent who to his credit never stopped fighting. In round eight Calzaghe seriously hurt Kessler with a body shot, but referee Mike Ortega’s ill-timed warning to Calzaghe for hitting behind the head thwarted Joe’s best opportunity to put Kessler away. The well conditioned Calzaghe was able to keep his impressive punch output going till the final bell despite a determined effort by Kessler to keep the fight from going to the seemingly predetermined scorecards that would surely not be in his favor. In the end there were no surprises as the scorecards read 117-112, 116-112, 116-112, giving Calzaghe a well deserved unanimous decision victory.

In a way this fight was a fairly successful world showcase for Mikkel Kessler who displayed great boxing ability and mental toughness. He did everything right, his only downfall being in that he fought a boxer who was simply on another level. Despite his loss,  Kessler proved that other than Calzaghe he would be more than a match for any other super middleweight and it is certain that given the chance he can reign supreme in Calzaghe’s absence. Joe Calzaghe on the other hand yet again proved that he is an exceptional fighter who does not deserve to be doubted as to his ability ever again. The only questions remaining for Joe is who will be his future opponent and how far will he decide to take his legacy before he retires. It appears like a win against Bernard Hopkins is the next desirable conquest on Calzaghe’s checklist. Now that would certainly be a fight for the history books.

~For more on Joe Calzaghe's journal visit here ~