Monday, November 05, 2007

Joe Calzaghe Unifies Super-Middleweight Boxing Title - Beats Mikkel Kessler Conincingly

The ANNOTICO Report

 

Joe Calzaghe, WBO Super-Middleweight, 35 now, of Italian-Welsh ancestry is called 'The Italian Dragon' and 'The Pride of Wales'.

Calzaghe, convincingly beat Dane Mikkel Kessler, with judges scoring the bout 117-111,116-112, 116-112 to now hold all three belts in the  Super-Middleweight Division, retaining his own WBO belt,  while gaining Kessler's WBA and WBC belts.

Kessler was a formidable opponent, being undefeated with 39 victories, with 29 knock-outs in his 39-fight career, holding two championship belts, and at 28, supposedly at his peak. 

Calzaghe has run his magnificent, unbeaten record to 44 fights, has been a champion for 10 years, and now means that those great American Light Heavy Weights, Bernard 'The Executioner' Hopkins (42)  and Roy Jones Jr  (38) , who have successfully avoided Calzaghe by demanding excessive payouts, will now have to seriously consider Retirement, OR consider finally facing Calzaghe, and considering this one last fight a part of their Retirement Package.  :)  

 This 21st successful title defence, is surpassed only by two other boxers, Dariusz Michalczewski, of Poland, with 23, and the greatest legend of them all, Joe Louis, with 25, have gone beyond 21.

 

Calzaghe Unifies Super-Middleweight Boxing Title

 

He hands Kessler his first defeat.

 

Los Angeles Times

From Times Staff and Wire Reports

November 4, 2007

 

Undefeated Joe Calzaghe added Mikkel Kessler's World Boxing Assn. and World Boxing Council super-middleweight titles to his own World Boxing Organization crown, unanimously outpointing the previously undefeated Dane at Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday.

The 35-year-old Welshman improved to 44-0, closing with three standout rounds at the Millennium Stadium to unify the three titles in front of 35,000 of his fans.

Kessler dropped to 39-1.

After both fighters traded big shots and combinations in all 12 rounds, the three judges gave the decision to Calzaghe. Raul Caiz scored it 117-111, fellow American John Stewart had it 116-112 and Massimo Barrovecchio of Italy scored it 116-112.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-newswire4nov04,1,1592452.story?coll=la-headlines-sports& ctrack=1&cset=true

 

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