Kessler's Demands

[Deanrw]

How is it the safer route when Mundine is arguably the better fighter than Pantera?

So many claim that Mundine is some benchmark while they say that Miranda has beat nobody. Someone find me a guy who Mundine has beat that is an A class fighter. You won't find any. People say Miranda is overrated, OK I accept that, but so is Mundine. The only thing Mundine has going for him is a paper title. At least Miranda has lots of fans stateside.

Mundine makes oz. Kessler would make probably 1 to 1.5 million US fighting Mundine here. Green got 2 million. He was gettin 400,000 euros for Miranda. So tell me how Miranda's popularity benefits him?

It would expose Kessler to an American audiance and make future fights with the Pavlik's, Taylor's, RJJ's more attractive and more probable.

[eagle]

So many claim that Mundine is some benchmark while they say that Miranda has beat nobody. Someone find me a guy who Mundine has beat that is an A class fighter. You won't find any. People say Miranda is overrated, OK I accept that, but so is Mundine. The only thing Mundine has going for him is a paper title. At least Miranda has lots of fans stateside.

Mundine makes oz. Kessler would make probably 1 to 1.5 million US fighting Mundine here. Green got 2 million. He was gettin 400,000 euros for Miranda. So tell me how Miranda's popularity benefits him?

It would expose Kessler to an American audiance and make future fights with the Pavlik's, Taylor's, RJJ's more attractive and more probable.

And a belt wouldnt help in getting big fights?

[Deanrw]

Mundine makes oz. Kessler would make probably 1 to 1.5 million US fighting Mundine here. Green got 2 million. He was gettin 400,000 euros for Miranda. So tell me how Miranda's popularity benefits him?

It would expose Kessler to an American audiance and make future fights with the Pavlik's, Taylor's, RJJ's more attractive and more probable.

And a belt wouldnt help in getting big fights?

I guess that depends. Do you consider Mundine's Belt under Joes belt a legitimate one? I don't. I see this as Kessler has faced Mundine before. There are no surprises, no wondering involved. Miranda is a wild card and a risky one at that. As talented as Kessler is, he has never fought anyone with Miranda's style before. Miranda is a risky guy to get into the ring with period!

Kessler is taking the route opposite of what he has expressed he wanted. I refuse to make an excuse for his backing out of the fight. I think he would beat Miranda, but not 100% convinced he would. I think his Handlers think the same thing and backed out for that very same reason.

[Mikkel_K]

This has turned into a thread debating whether Kessler-Miranda or Kessler-Mundine would be the better fight. First I have to say that personally and given the current situation I'd much prefer to see Kessler against Miranda than in a rematch against Mundine. Hovewer the Mundine fight should be acceptable - and surely is acceptable for me.

[There is obvioulsy the chance that Kessler will fight neither - and that is the really bad option, where Kessler and Palle will come out of this mess looking like idiots. This cannot be discounted, but let's save this for other threads (in the future).]

BUT there is one thing about fighting Mundine I have not seen mentioned anywhere. Neither in International nor Danish press (Kessler has btw got a lot of bad stick in the Danish press in the last few days - people here (there) don't understand his withdrawal either), nor in various Danish or International forums.

Therefore I'm not actually sure my thinking makes sense, but I'll post it here anyway. People are free to comment it, and/or tell me I'm stupid...

It goes like this:

Calzaghe beats Hopkins. Calzaghe has The Ring belt in SMW and LHW. Destined to be a true 2 weight champion - and looking forward to not having to make the lighter weight - Calzaghe keeps the LHW belt and abandons the SMW belt. (Mind, if Palle and Kessler are even speculating this, they are hardcore gambling on other people to make the 'right' decisions)

According to The Ring's rules, the belt will then be awarded to the winner in a between no. 1 and no. 2 in the division.

Current no. 1 is Mikkel Kessler. Current no. 2 is... ANTHONY MUNDINE.

In other words: Beating Anthony Mundine might not only give Kessler a WBA title (likely to be awarded full title after Calzaghe vacates - the same way the title Kessler took off Siaca was recognized as 'full' after Ottke retired with the Super WBA title), but The Ring Super Middleweight crown as well. In that case Kessler will be pretty hard to avoid, even if Palle is a negotiator from hell.