In the build-up to his 2013 rematch with Carl Froch, ‘Viking Warrior’ Mikkel Kessler was asked what he and his opponent might do differently.
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“We should definitely try and not get hit so much,” he replied with a smirk that suggested he knew all too well another frenzied war was inevitable.
Kessler, without doubt one of the elite super middleweights of his generation, announced his retirement yesterday, instantly sparking a desire to watch YouTube re-runs of his careerdefining rivalry with Froch.
The final round of their first fight in Herning in 2010 perfectly captured the Dane’s enduring appeal as he ignored advice to protect his points lead to stand and trade right up to the final bell before breaking into a huge smile and embracing the Englishman.
The 35-year-old always came to fight, and he did so with spectacular success, becoming a four-time world champion, winning the WBA title three times, unifying the WBA and WBC titles and later claiming the WBC belt again in an eightyear spell at the top which saw him become a huge star in his native Denmark.
Outside the ring Kessler is a gentleman; and the quality of the man as well as the fighter was demonstrated by his conduct in and around the ensuing rematch with Froch.
Stung by the fact Joe Calzaghe never gave him a second opportunity, he was as good as his word in travelling to England to allow the Cobra a chance to even the score.
His eventual defeat in London in May 2013 was taken in good grace and while it’s a shame there won’t be a decider, in many ways it seems like a fitting final chapter.
For one he was sharing a ring with nemesis Froch as both men put their respective world titles on the line. But moreover, it was pertinent his last outing came in a ring away from home.
Champions from mainland Europe are often, and in some cases quite rightly, criticised for their reluctance to fight abroad. Kessler was more ambitious than that.
He wanted to be the best and realised he couldn’t conquer the world from Copenhagen. Indeed, all three of the losses on his incredible 49-fight record came on foreign soil as he mixed it with fellow Hall of Fame material.
He fought in the US as early as 2000, while the first defence of his newly-acquired WBA strap came against Australia’s Anthony Mundine in Sydney in 2005.
Kessler of course later staked both his WBA and WBC crowns against Calzaghe in his Cardiff backyard.
He was 39-0 at the time and could have stayed at home, keeping his titles safe, but the Welshman was considered the true champion at 168lbs and Kessler dreamed of dethroning him.
Calzaghe, who rightly won a close decision, frequently calls it the hardest night of his 46-fight unbeaten career.
The next time Kessler tasted defeat was in Oakland, California, as he was outgunned by Andre Ward, who earned his place as the best super middleweight in the world on the back of wins over Kessler and Froch.
A rematch with the American seems unlikely while Froch is looking to go in a different direction before his own impending retirement. It’s a situation which leaves the Dane with little desire to continue.
“I would like nothing more than to avenge my loss against Andre Ward and also to have the decider against Carl Froch,” he said. “These are fights that motivate me but for one reason or another, they do not want to fight me.
“I am always in training, it is part of my life, but I consider myself in a state of retirement. I have thought long and hard over the options, which have been made available, but none of these options are enough to get me motivated.
“After all, if you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?”
The super middleweight landscape is changing and the Viking Warrior leaves it with his reputation and legacy very much secured.
