Quote Originally Posted by Rantcatrat View Post
Quote Originally Posted by The Fightfan View Post
This to me is a dumb fight for Kessler. Very high risk and NO reward. What would be the deal if Kessler beat Winky. Well you beat up on an old Winky right with a long layoff and no one really want's to fight you still so just sit in limbo some more. If he loses my god Kessler was just another plodder with a decent punch. It would be better if Kessler lost then they would pin Pavlik against him. Which to me would be a good fight. Kessler do us a favor say no and hunt Jermain Taylor or Carl Froch down and challenge them.
Not that you don't already know this, you probably do, but I think the idea is to get Kessler exposure on american television. Networks will put Winkie on TV. Then, Kessler's following increases and they next pit him against the Taylor/Froch winner in a PPV. Winkie is HOF and marketable.

Don't get me wrong, Bhop may have been a better match, but maybe Kessler's people thought it was too risky.
[This rant is not directly aimed at the quoted posts]

First of all Winky is not a gimme fight. I fancy Kessler's chances (mostly because of size and Winky's layoff), but it would be a good win and arguably the best in Kessler's career (depending on how Winky looks). It would also be a better win than Froch, although Froch's stock is certainly on the rise.

Second, people are way overrating Kessler's marketability. No way Kessler-Froch is PPV in the US. Hell, there is not even a way that Taylor-Kessler gets to PPV. Also, Kessler has publicly stated on numerous occasions that they would like Bhop, but why should Bhop fight him? Kessler is simply not marketable not for the risk he brings. If Kessler beats Winky and looks good in the process - on HBO no less - surely he will have a hell of lot better bargaining position.

Third, it always frustrates me when people argue that fighters are better merely due to more US exposure. Like how Bika is great (hey, he won The Contender), while Mundine is apparently not even decent, and (unknown in the US) euro fighters by definition crap. If people dont know fighters, then they should not be capable of dismissing them sight unseen.