http://www.secondsout.com/World/news...s=225&cs=19702
By Ant Evans: Providing a couple of 'i's' are dotted and 'T's' get crossed over the next few days, Team Palle of Denmark and Sauerland Events of Germany will announce a huge super-middleweight unification match between Danish WBA champion Mikkel Kessler and German WBC counterpart Markus Beyer. The fight is already agreed to in principle, and is scheduled take place in Denmark in October.
Beyer's promoter Wilfried Sauerland told SecondsOut: "We are very, very close an agreement for Markus to go to Denmark to fight Kessler. All that remains is a couple of mandatory (obligations) to be taken care of but we are confident the two mandatory challengers (Librado Andrade and Jackson Chanet) will accept (step-aside money) and allow unification fight to happen."
Just like the March collision between WBO champ Joe Calzaghe and IBF title-holder Jeff Lacy, this is a fight of worldwide significance where a young lion, unbeaten 27-year-old Kessler, takes on an ageing Alpha Male, the 35-year-old Beyer.
Viking Kessler, unbeaten in 37 fights with 28 opponents stopped, has a legitimate claim to being the best fighter at 168lbs. Aggressive and hugely powerful, he has hammered some very good opponents like Manny Siaca, Anthony Mundine and Eric Lucas. Two-time WBC king Beyer, meanwhile, seems to be a lion in winter but is vastly experienced having fought in 13 world title bouts since first winning the WBC strap in 1999.
Sauerland admitted his man would be considered the underdog but warned: "Markus has seen everything in his career and is still improving even now."
Taking the chance to respond to the criticism that Beyer only fights in "Fortress Germany", the promoter added: "Markus was always ready to (travel) for the best money and best fights. He won his first world title in England (hammering Richie Woodhall) and now he will go and win his third would title in Denmark."
Interestingly, the fight only came about because it became clear that the proposed Beyer v Calzaghe fight could not happen.
Sauerland revealed that before talks began with Team Palle, his CEO Chris Meyer had actually agreed a deal for Beyer to fight WBO/IBF champion Joe Calzaghe. But the rotten luck which has clung to Calzaghe like tar throughout his career scuppered yet another big fight for the unbeaten Welshman.
Sauerland explained: "For all intents we had agreed to the fight for October. Markus was going to go to fight Calzaghe in Britain and we were agreed but then Frank Warren came back and said he could only do it on the 9th September or 16th September because of TV (dates).
"Those dates were impossible for Markus, though, because in his last fight (a four round technical draw against Sakio Bika, May 13) he suffered two very bad cuts and would not be able to train in time for an early September fight.
"Markus cannot spar until the middle of August because of the cuts and that is too sort a time for him to train. We stopping thinking about Calzaghe fight then and talked about Kessler."
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