Kessler Wipes Out Magee In Denmark For WBA Title

Super middleweight Brian Magee’s big moment in the sun came up last night at Boxen Arena in Herning, Denmark but the Belfast veteran soon encountered stormy seas in the form of local icon Mikkel Kessler.

After a three year reign as IBO champ was ended by Robin Reid, and enduring subsequent losses to Vitaliy Tsypko and Carl Froch along with a draw against Tony Oakey, by 2007 Magee was widely considered washed up.

But the Ulster man refused to give up and went onto capture the British and European titles by 2010, culminating in a failed bid to knock off Lucian Bute for the IBF crown in 2011.

Amazingly, Magee somehow found yet another lifeline later that year to capture the Interim WBA strap against Jaime Barboza before defending the belt with a fifth round KO of Rudy Markussen in Denmark in February.

The WBA upgraded Magee to champion status for last night’s clash with Kessler but the 37 year old was a definite underdog, going up against the former WBC/WBA kingpin, especially on Kessler’s home turf.

Once the bell rang, southpaw Magee looked to be in fine form, wisely keeping distance from the powerful Dane but nipping in with crisp jabs, right hooks and the occasional straight left.

Kessler was content to study the visitor, using his own jab to set up a few right hands and appeared in no great hurry to impose his will.

In the second, Kessler began to throw the right to Magee’s midsection, perhaps looking to exploit the Irishman’s vulnerability to body shots, as exposed by Bute in Montreal last year.

That possibility became stark reality for Magee as Kessler hit the target with a perfect right counter to the solar plexus. Magee was wide open to the shot and never saw it coming, dropping to his hands and knees.

In obvious agony, Magee showed a huge heart in beating the count and went right after Kessler, pitching shots with bad intentions designed to either KO the Dane or at least keep hi off.

Kessler stayed composed, patiently awaiting another opportunity which soon came with another body shot that caused Magee to turn his back, walk away and fall on his knees.

Again Magee beat the count but was saved by the bell. In the third, the champion would not be so fortunate as Kessler again hit paydirt, just 20 seconds into the frame, dropping Magee with another body shot and prompting referee Luis Pabon to wave off the contest at 0:24 of the third round.

Kessler regains the WBA title to begin his third reign, improving to 46-2 (35), and is now in position to participate in rematches against IBF king Carl Froch and WBC/WBA super champ Andre Ward.

Magee drops to 36-5-1 (25) and will be hard pressed to once more mount a comeback after such a devastating defeat.

The undercard in Herning saw Lebanese born light middle local favorite Reda Zam Zam, 27-2 (13), upset by Madrid based Argentine Guido Nicolas Pitto, 16-1 (7), who stopped Zam Zam at 0:22 of the eighth.

Ex-European super middle boss Rudy Markussen, 38-3 (25), came back from his loss to Brian Magee with a first round KO of chinny Hungarian import Daniel Regi, 16-8 (8), at light heavy.