Exclusive SaddoBoxing Interview: Mikkel Kessler

Berserkers were Norse warriors known to be fierce when given over to uncontrollable rage in battle. Although fierce by reputation, Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler is anything but uncontrolled as evidenced by his landslide victory in his last bout against Librado Andrade.

Although he was unable to knock out his opponent, Kessler put on enough of a display to showcase his talents for his much-anticipated debut to most of the American audience, this Saturday night in Cardiff, Wales when he takes on longtime World Champion and top ten pound for pound boxer, Joe Calzaghe, on HBO.

Known as the Viking Warrior, Kessler won’t enter the ring wearing a wolf’s pelt upon his head like an Úlfheðinn, but he’ll have the WBA and WBC titles either with or on him.

The question is will the fearsome reputation that precedes him, aid in conquering his Welsh opponent, much like his Viking ancestors who conquered Wales and other territories?

The reputation is probably as meaningless to WBO champion Joe Calzaghe as Mikkel Kessler’s tattoos are to him. You don’t beat champions like Calzaghe with what you’ve already done, but with what you do on fight night.

SaddoBoxing stole a few minutes with Kessler a mere three days before he fights Calzaghe at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales and found out from the man himself what needs to be done to slay the long-reigning “Italian Dragon” and king of the super middleweight division.

With a win begins the Saga of Kessler, with boxing critics to wax poetic about him in a division that is just about as talent-rich as any other division where he would find himself king.

SaddoBoxing: Is the any truth to the rumor that you’ve been nursing a deep bone bruise?

Mikkel Kessler: “No (laughs). Fake rumor. My hands are good, my arms are good, my legs are good.”

SB: Has sparring gone well for you?

MK: “It’s gone great. We had a lot of difficult sparring partners. Couldn’t get a copy of Joe so we got a fast guy, a strong guy—a little bit of everything.”

SB: How many rounds have you put in?

MK: “You can ask my trainer [speaks to someone presumably in Danish]. Last week I had 40, but maybe 160 rounds [in total]. Maybe a little more.”

SB: In your last fight against Librado Andrade, you had to stay on your toes against a fighter who could take your power and keep coming. How have you prepared mentally and physically for a totally different fighter in Calzaghe, who won’t stay in front of you long enough for you to tee off with your hardest shots?

MK: “I’m gonna be faster than him. Andrade was physically strong. He was hard for every round. If you let him inside, it’s gonna be not good. Joe couldn’t punch as hard as Andrade. I have to get more speed against Joe.”

SB: Will Calzaghe’s awkward angles be problematic?

MK: “Yeah, yeah. I don’t think his angles but he’s awkward to fight. He wants to hold and when you try to push him he will punch you.”

SB: Jeff Lacy was supposed to be the biggest threat to Calzaghe’s reign a few years ago; How are you different from Lacy and what can you do that he couldn’t?

MK: “You can’t compare me with Lacy. He’s a brawler, but he’s slow. It was like he’d never seen Calzaghe fight. He fought him the wrong way. Calzaghe was too fast and he [Lacy] didn’t change his tactics.”

SB: What’s next for you, assuming you win?

MK: “Not thinking next. My life is only for the third of November.”

Thanks to Mike Marley for making this interview happen.