http://www.fightnightnews.com/views_...Mikkel_Kessler

Status: WBA Super Middleweight champion. His record is 37-0 with 28 KO's.

Ht: 6-1

Wt: 168

DOB: March 1, 1979 In: Copenhagen, Denmark

Childhood Heroes: "Maybe was Superman or Batman [smiles]. In boxing, Oscar De La Hoya. I saw him a lot, I watched him fight a lot. I liked his fighting style. And Mike Tyson when I was a little kid."

Nicknames: "Viking Warrior. Wiggle [smiles]. It was my sister just trying to be funny."

Quote: "I'd like to say to boxing fans in America that I hope they're going to see me fight on HBO or Showtime sometime soon.

So they can see I have the same experience that Oscar De La Hoya has. I have the same combinations, well, not the same, but I'm bigger. And I want to show them how good a fighter I am. And put out some great shows. (Who's the best at 168?) Myself. Besides me, I think Calzaghe's a good fighter too.

I don't know who's the best but I see myself as the best in the division. And if you want to be the best and to have all the belts, you have to trust yourself. I believe in myself 100%. That's what I do."


Hobbies/Interests: "I like to drive racing cars. I like that a lot. Champ cars. I like to watch Formula 1 too. And I like to drive myself in some of those cars."

Early Boxing Memory: "Getting beaten up in the first couple of years (age 13). (You weren't very good at first?) No, not that. Yes I was good but I was fighting a lot better people, better boxers. So I had to - that's why I get so good guard, defense - that's why I have such good guard today. Because I used to get beaten up - not beaten up but they were better than me."

Pre-Fight Feeling: "I'm thinking about concentration. All the time. Even how many people are (there), and even the press and even everybody. Keep my focus on the fight and what I've learned in the training gym. (Look at opponent upon entering ring?) Yes. I look at him all the time. Just to see what he's made of. You can look at a man's eyes to see...maybe you can see if he's scared, sometimes you can not. But sometimes they look away from the start. You look and suddenly he looks away. Then he's nervous. Then he doesn't know what's going to happen. So that's why I've always done that."

Favorite Fights: "In all my years, in all the time, I can remember when Jimmy Bredahl fought Oscar. I like that fight. I remember the fight because it inspired me. He took a lot of beating and he punched Oscar and he was shaken. But he couldn't follow up on it and he lost. And then he went 12 rounds and he said, Don't stop the fight, don't stop. But the doctor stopped the fight. That's a tough guy. And that was a big inspiration."

Favorite Movies: "Midnight Express. Shawshank Redemption - that's a good movie."

Musical Tastes: "Everything from opera to jazz, everything."

First Job: "Newspaper boy (age 12)."

First Car: "1984 black BMW."

Childhood Dreams: "I didn't have a specific thing I wanted to be. But I wanted to be a mechanic. I wanted to do machine work. Working on machines and everything. I would like to be it. (How did you start in boxing?) Because one of my father's friends took me to the gym when I was 13. And then I just fell in love with it. But a couple of years after. I played a lot of soccer and athletics. Then three of my friends and me went to boxing and it was a big challenge to me."

Favorite Meal: "My favorite meal was my mom, she cooked curry with chicken and pasta."

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Strawberry."

Greatest Sports Moment: "Was being world champion WBA (TKO Manny Siaca in Copenhagen in 2004). And being youth European champion as an amateur. That was a great moment too (age 16). I beat a Russian in the final."

Most Painful Moment: "[Pauses]...Yeah, ahhh...I haven't lost in a pro fight. Most painful was when I lost in an amateur fight. I was a junior (age 16) and fighting a senior (23 or 24) in a Danish against England. And I lost. That was a bad moment for me."

Worst Injury: "My hands (shows me scars on both hands). Hand injuries."

Funny Boxing Memory: "A lot of things made me laugh but I don't have a specific moment. Not that I can remember right now. I have to chew on that one...one time we were sparring. And he was fooling. And he fell down at the end and hit his head and passed out in the gym. That was funny, we were all laughing."

Embarrassing Boxing Memory: "I don't have anything embarrassing. I don't think so."

Favorite Boxers To Watch: "Today, there's a lot of fighters. I don't have just one. Still I like Oscar De La Hoya. I like to watch Roy Jones. A lot of fighters."

Favorite Vacation Spot: "I've been in Thailand. I like to be in Thailand. And then I'd really like to go to Mexico and El Salvador. I have a friend - Carlos Famoso Hernandez - he has a house in El Salvador. I'd like to go down there and visit. He's my good friend."

People Qualities Most Admired: "People that don't give up and people that always have a smile on their face. And enjoy their life, even if they don't have so much. I like to see that."