Kessler Beats Hopkins, No Doubt About It

[Pugilistic]

I feel Hopkins would beat Kessler.

The fight would be more competitive than the Pavlik fight but Kessler's style is too simple to cause bernard too many problems.

If Calzaghe could hurt Kessler i think Hopkins could hurt him much worse also.

[Tysonbruno]

This would be a good fight could be great in fact.

[Bomp]

IMO Hopkins wins this, it wasn't a good sign that against Joe Kessler got discouraged when things weren't going his way, plus he had to set his feet to land the knockout combination and Hop won't let him do that.

Saying that, he should do better than Pavlik. After watching it again I do believe that Pavlik was off his game (though I still reckon Hop could beat him with no excuses), Hopkins didn't jump on him, and i don't think it was the game plan at all to end up throwing so many punches, I think half way through the second round hop couldn't believe his luck that Pavlik was so docile and that he didn't have to revert to the hug and butt routine.

[Wayne]

This is a classic case of writing with one's heart rather than one's head. See how he contradicts himself here:

As good as Kessler looked, I doubt that Hopkins will want to take the hook and seek out a fight with him. Hopkins wants a fight with Joe Calzaghe or Roy Jones Jr., either of which would bring in much more money without all the risk that Kessler would bring to the table. I realize that Kessler has been beaten by Calzaghe, but the fight was very close and in a rematch, I’m fairly certain he would beat him. That’s why Calzaghe probably doesn’t want to face him again. As far as Kessler-Hopkins, I don’t see any reason why this fight can’t place.

Hopkins doesn't need a 'stay busy' fight. He's looking to retire next year and considering Jones-Calzaghe is only a few weeks after his fight with Pavlik there's every reason for him to be stomping to make a match with the winner of that bout next. This guy is writing as if Hopkins won't fight Kessler because Mikkel will beat him up. No, Hopkins won't fight Kessler because Americans don't know who he is. Hopkins also wants to avenge two losses in one bout. If Calzaghe wins and Hopkins beats him in the rematch, Hopkins can feel a moral victory over Jones and same thing if Jones wins. And then the obvious, a trilogy match in which he would go for 2 wins out of 3. If that match can't happen he may go for a match against Chad Dawson. IMO, this is a much more dangerous match than anything Kessler would bring. But 'Nard's ego won't tell him he can't do it. As much as this writer thinks Kelly Pavlik was too small for B-Hop, the fact of it is is Pavlik is built better for higher divisions than middleweight, his metabolism just allows him to sweat down to 160. Hopkins wants legacy-cementing fights and Kessler just doesn't bring that to the table.

Now if the fight did take place? Again, Kessler's punching power would come to nil against a guy who is flat out a defensive genius. Kessler would have to step on the gas for a full 12 rounds to make Hopkins come unwound, something only Joe Calzaghe was able to do. How this guy sees Hopkins being taken out when no one has ever been able to do that is anybody's guess. Not that I don't think Kessler could win it. I think it's possible, but I have my doubts.

[Fenster]

I wouldn't back ANYONE to "easily handle" Hopkins. I would make Kessler underdog if they fought too.

And I certainly wouldn't take much notice of that fellas opinion.

He said he thinks Kessler would beat Calzaghe in a rematch and more alarmingly Pavlik would beat Hopkins.

[Deanrw]

Kessler stepped up once and lost. He has been fighting unworthy guys since. How is that going to prepare him for stepping up again? Against Joe he ran into adversity for the first time and did not seem to handle it well. The Haussler's of the world are not going to prepare him for Bernard in any way shape or form.

Kessler, like Pavlik, have a lot to prove to me at this point to show they are on the top level. Right now they are both question marks.

[Wayne]

Kessler stepped up once and lost. He has been fighting unworthy guys since. How is that going to prepare him for stepping up again? Against Joe he ran into adversity for the first time and did not seem to handle it well. The Haussler's of the world are not going to prepare him for Bernard in any way shape or form.

Kessler, like Pavlik, have a lot to prove to me at this point to show they are on the top level. Right now they are both question marks.

Kessler fought a great fight against Calzaghe. That wasn't a fight where he got destroyed or he looked like he lost something. Maybe he did and we didn't see it, but he didn't really need to retool anything. I'd like to see him again against a name, but who at this point? The SMW division seems to be going through a temporary lull, but with stars in the wings like Dirrell and Ward and maybe Taylor if he can get it going again or Lacy.

[oakleyno1]

kessler in my opinon would beat bernard up badly

jus my opinon but as wonderfully as hopkkins was against pavlik im confident kessler would beat anyone from 160 ( if they moved up) to 168 atm and probably the 175 guys aswell, if kessler fights the right fights he can and will go down as greater than joe, again all in my opinon, hopkins would get knocked out or at best largely ud'd. sig bets will be made if this fight happens lol

[Rantcatrat]

Clearly the article is vacant of truth and completely opinionated and wildly provocative, but I do think a fight between Bhop and Kessler would be fun to watch. Unlike the author of the article, I believe it is far from certain that Kessler would beat Bhop. Moreover, the author made too much of Kessler's victory over Haussler; we all recall Pavlik's destruction of Gary Lockett and his dismal performance in his next fight against none other than Bhop.

RJJ will retire if Joe beats him badly. Joe won't fight Bhop again. Who does that leave Bhop to to fight that is of any relevance? In my opinion, Chad Dawson or Mikkel Kessler. In his newsletter, Kessler stated that he would be in New York to see the Calzaghe v. RJJ right. Well, so will will Bhop. Maybe the seed for a fight between Kessler and Bhop will be planted on November 8th.