Mikkel Kessler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mikkel Kessler |
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Kessler in 2010
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| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | Viking Warrior |
| Rated at |
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| Height | 1.85 m |
| Reach | 188 cm |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Born | 1 March 1979 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 49 |
| Wins | 46 |
| Wins by KO | 35 |
| Losses | 3 |
Mikkel Kessler is a famous former professional boxer from Denmark. He was born on March 1, 1979. Mikkel was known as the "Viking Warrior" because of his strong fighting style. He competed in boxing from 1998 to 2013.
Mikkel won many important boxing titles. He was a world champion in the super-middleweight division several times. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) title three times and the WBC title twice.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Mikkel Kessler was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father was Danish, and his mother, Ann, was from England. He started training in boxing gyms when he was just 13 years old. This early start helped him become a great boxer.
Amateur Boxing Career
Before becoming a professional, Mikkel spent five years as an amateur boxer. He had a great record, winning 44 fights and only losing three.
- He won the European Cadet Championship in 1995 (for 15-16 year olds).
- He also won the Danish Junior Championships in 1996 and 1997.
- In 1996, he became the Nordic Amateur Champion.
- In his last amateur fight in 1998, he won the Zealand International Tournament. He stopped all three of his opponents in that tournament.
Professional Boxing Journey
Mikkel Kessler started his professional career in 1998. He quickly became known for his powerful punches.
Starting Out
For his first 22 fights, Mikkel competed in lighter weight classes, first as a light middleweight and then as a middleweight. He won all of these early fights.
Becoming a Super-Middleweight Champion
After three years, Mikkel decided to focus on the super-middleweight division. He continued to win, knocking out 6 of his next 7 opponents. This brought his record to 29 wins and no losses, with 22 knockouts!
On November 29, 2002, Mikkel fought for his first championship belt. He beat Dingaan Thobela to become the International Boxing Association Champion. He later won the more important WBC International title in 2003.
Mikkel got his big chance on November 12, 2004. Another Danish boxer, Mads Larsen, was supposed to fight for the WBA Championship. But Mads got injured, and Mikkel stepped in at the last minute. He won the title, becoming a world champion!
He successfully defended his WBA title against tough opponents like Anthony Mundine in 2005 and Eric Lucas in 2006.
Unifying Titles
On October 14, 2006, Mikkel Kessler became even more famous. He fought Markus Beyer, who held the WBC title. Mikkel won by knockout in the third round, adding the WBC title to his WBA title. This meant he held two major world titles at the same time!
He defended both titles on March 24, 2007, against Librado Andrade. Mikkel won easily, showing his dominance.
Big Fight Against Joe Calzaghe
Mikkel then faced another undefeated champion, Joe Calzaghe from Wales. This was a huge fight that would combine their WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring titles. The fight took place on November 3, 2007, in front of over 50,000 fans in Wales. It was the biggest indoor boxing event in European history at the time. Mikkel fought hard but lost the fight by a decision from the judges.
Winning Back a World Title
After Joe Calzaghe moved to a different weight class, the WBA title became available again. On June 21, 2008, Mikkel fought Dimitri Sartison for the vacant belt. Mikkel knocked out Sartison in the final round to become a world champion once more!
He defended this title twice, showing he was still one of the best.
The Super Six Tournament
In 2009, Mikkel joined a special tournament called the Super Six World Boxing Classic. It brought together the best super-middleweight boxers in the world.
Kessler vs. Ward
His first fight in the tournament was against Andre Ward on November 21, 2009. Mikkel lost his WBA title in this fight. The fight was stopped in the eleventh round because Mikkel had cuts on his face from accidental headbutts.
Kessler vs. Froch
On April 24, 2010, Mikkel returned to fight Carl Froch, who was the undefeated WBC Champion from Britain. This fight was called "a classic" and one of the best boxing matches in Danish history. Mikkel won the fight by a decision from the judges, becoming a two-time WBC Champion and giving Carl Froch his first loss.
Andre Ward, who had beaten Mikkel earlier, later praised him, calling him "skill wise... the toughest I’ve fought so far." Ward said Mikkel was a great fighter who could lose a title and come back to win it again.
However, on August 25, Mikkel announced he had to leave the Super Six tournament. His eye injury from the fight with Ward had gotten worse, and doctors told him he needed a long break from boxing.
Comeback and Later Fights
After recovering, Mikkel Kessler made a comeback.
Moving to Light Heavyweight
In 2012, Mikkel moved up to the light-heavyweight division. In May 2012, he fought Allan Green for a WBC Silver title. Mikkel won by knockout in the fourth round, even after being knocked down himself in the first round.
Return to Super-Middleweight
Later in 2012, Mikkel returned to the super-middleweight division. He fought Brian Magee for the WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title. Mikkel won quickly, knocking Magee down twice in the second round and finishing the fight in the third round with powerful body punches.
Rematch with Carl Froch
On May 25, 2013, Mikkel had a big rematch with Carl Froch in London. Mikkel had won their first fight. This time, two titles were on the line: Mikkel's WBA title and Froch's IBF title. Carl Froch won the rematch by a decision from the judges.
Retirement
On February 1, 2015, Mikkel Kessler announced that he was retiring from boxing. He briefly considered a comeback in 2017 but then announced in February 2018 that he couldn't find the motivation to train and would stay retired.
Professional Boxing Record
| 49 fights | 46 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 35 | 0 |
| By decision | 11 | 3 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | Loss | 46–3 | Carl Froch | UD | 12 | 25 May 2013 | The O2 Arena, London, England | Lost WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title; For IBF super-middleweight title |
| 48 | Win | 46–2 | Brian Magee | TKO | 3 (12), 0:24 | 8 Dec 2012 | Jyske Bank Boxen, Herning, Denmark | Won WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title |
| 47 | Win | 45–2 | Allan Green | KO | 4 (12), 0:17 | 19 May 2012 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | Won vacant WBC Silver light-heavyweight title |
| 46 | Win | 44–2 | Mehdi Bouadla | TKO | 6 (12), 2:25 | 4 Jun 2011 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | Won vacant WBO European super-middleweight title |
| 45 | Win | 43–2 | Carl Froch | UD | 12 | 24 Apr 2010 | MCH Messecenter Herning, Herning, Denmark | Won WBC super-middleweight title |
| 44 | Loss | 42–2 | Andre Ward | TD | 11 (12), 1:42 | 21 Nov 2009 | Oracle Arena, Oakland, California, US | Lost WBA (Super) super-middleweight title; Super Six World Boxing Classic: group stage 1; Unanimous TD after Kessler cut from accidental head clashes |
| 43 | Win | 42–1 | Gusmyr Perdomo | TKO | 4 (12), 0:51 | 12 Sep 2009 | MCH Messecenter Herning, Herning, Denmark | Retained WBA super-middleweight title |
| 42 | Win | 41–1 | Danilo Haussler | KO | 3 (12), 1:08 | 25 Oct 2008 | Weser-Ems-Halle, Oldenburg, Germany | Retained WBA super-middleweight title |
| 41 | Win | 40–1 | Dimitri Sartison | KO | 12 (12), 2:00 | 21 Jun 2008 | Brøndby Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark | Won vacant WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title |
| 40 | Loss | 39–1 | Joe Calzaghe | UD | 12 | 3 Nov 2007 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | Lost WBA (Unified) and WBC super-middleweight titles; For WBO and The Ring super-middleweight titles |
| 39 | Win | 39–0 | Librado Andrade | UD | 12 | 24 Mar 2007 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | Retained WBA (Unified) and WBC super-middleweight titles |
| 38 | Win | 38–0 | Markus Beyer | KO | 3 (12), 2:58 | 14 Oct 2006 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | Retained WBA (Unified) super-middleweight title; Won WBC super-middleweight title |
| 37 | Win | 37–0 | Eric Lucas | TKO | 10 (12), 1:51 | 14 Jan 2006 | Brøndby Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark | Retained WBA super-middleweight title |
| 36 | Win | 36–0 | Anthony Mundine | UD | 12 | 8 Jun 2005 | Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia | Retained WBA super-middleweight title |
| 35 | Win | 35–0 | Manny Siaca | RTD | 7 (12), 3:00 | 12 Nov 2004 | Brøndby Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark | Won WBA super-middleweight title |
| 34 | Win | 34–0 | Andre Thysse | TKO | 11 (12), 1:32 | 11 Jun 2004 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | Retained WBC International super-middleweight title |
| 33 | Win | 33–0 | Julio César Green | KO | 1 (12), 1:20 | 13 Mar 2004 | Brøndby Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark | Retained WBC International super-middleweight title |
| 32 | Win | 32–0 | Henry Porras | TKO | 9 (12), 2:46 | 24 Oct 2003 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | Retained WBC International super-middleweight title |
| 31 | Win | 31–0 | Craig Cummings | KO | 3 (12), 1:09 | 11 Apr 2003 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | Won vacant WBC International super-middleweight title |
| 30 | Win | 30–0 | Dingaan Thobela | UD | 12 | 29 Nov 2002 | Falkoner Center, Copenhagen, Denmark | Won vacant IBA super-middleweight title |
| 29 | Win | 29–0 | Dean Williams | KO | 1 (8), 1:58 | 8 Nov 2002 | Falkoner Center, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 28 | Win | 28–0 | Gerard Zdziarski | TKO | 8 (8), 2:33 | 4 Oct 2002 | Holbæk Stadion, Holbæk, Denmark | |
| 27 | Win | 27–0 | Orlando Javier Acuna | RTD | 6 (8), 3:00 | 24 May 2002 | Aalborghallen, Aalborg, Denmark | |
| 26 | Win | 26–0 | Arthur Allen | TKO | 6 (8), 0:52 | 15 Mar 2002 | Stadionhal, Viborg, Denmark | |
| 25 | Win | 25–0 | Manny Sobral | RTD | 4 (8), 3:00 | 8 Feb 2002 | Falkoner Center, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Fernando Hernández | TKO | 2 (8), 1:30 | 16 Nov 2001 | Roskilde Hallerne, Roskilde, Denmark | |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | David Mendez | UD | 6 | 13 Oct 2001 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Rodrigues Moungo | KO | 4 (6), 1:09 | 27 Apr 2001 | Aalborghallen, Aalborg, Denmark | |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Miguel Julio | KO | 3 (6), 0:30 | 9 Mar 2001 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Patrick Rubes | KO | 2 (6), 0:45 | 9 Feb 2001 | Idrætshal, Odense, Denmark | |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Tony Menefee | TKO | 6 (6), 1:36 | 1 Sep 2000 | Koldinghallerne, Kolding, Denmark | |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Kevin Hall | KO | 2 (6), 2:41 | 28 Apr 2000 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Tom Younan | KO | 3 (6), 1:35 | 31 Mar 2000 | Stadionhal, Esbjerg, Denmark | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Israel Ponce | KO | 2 (6), 2:59 | 4 Mar 2000 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, US | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Charles Whittaker | KO | 3 (6), 2:30 | 18 Feb 2000 | Aalborghallen, Aalborg, Denmark | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Sidney Mxoli Msutu | UD | 6 | 14 Jan 2000 | Koldinghallerne, Kolding, Denmark | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Jean Paul D'Alessandro | UD | 6 | 4 May 1999 | Circus Building, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Jose Maquina Rojas | KO | 2 (6), 2:10 | 16 Apr 1999 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Alejandro De Leon | UD | 6 | 19 Mar 1999 | Falkoner Center, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Jaime Balboa | KO | 6 (6), 2:13 | 12 Feb 1999 | Falkoner Center, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Dean Martin | UD | 6 | 27 Nov 1998 | Vejlby-Risskov Hallen, Aarhus, Denmark | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Anthony Ivory | UD | 6 | 6 Nov 1998 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Edwin Murillo | KO | 2 (6), 2:34 | 16 Oct 1998 | Aalborghallen, Aalborg, Denmark | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Sammy Sparkman | KO | 1 (4), 2:54 | 18 Sep 1998 | Sundbyøster Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Terry Clark | KO | 1 (4), 2:35 | 4 Sep 1998 | Koldinghallerne, Kolding, Denmark | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Rick Stockton | KO | 1 (4), 2:16 | 5 Jun 1998 | K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Alex Lubo | UD | 4 | 1 May 1998 | Kolding Teater, Kolding, Denmark | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Michael Corleone | TKO | 3 (4), 2:40 | 3 Apr 1998 | Holbæk Stadion, Holbæk, Denmark | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Kelly Mays | KO | 1 (4), 1:09 | 20 Mar 1998 | Vejlby-Risskov Hallen, Aarhus, Denmark |
Boxing Titles Mikkel Kessler Held
Mikkel Kessler won many important titles during his career:
Major World Titles
- WBA (Unified and Super) super-middleweight champion (twice)
- WBC super-middleweight champion (twice)
Other Major World Titles
- WBA (Regular) super-middleweight champion (twice)
Silver World Titles
- WBC Silver light-heavyweight champion
Minor World Titles
- IBA super-middleweight champion
Regional and International Titles
- WBC International super-middleweight champion
- WBO European super-middleweight champion
Honorary Titles
- WBC Emeritus Champion
See also
In Spanish: Mikkel Kessler para niños
