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Mikkel Kessler
MikkelKessler2012.jpg
Kessler in 2010
Statistics
Nickname(s) Viking Warrior
Rated at
  • Super-middleweight
  • Light-heavyweight
Height 1.85 m
Reach 188 cm
Nationality Danish
Born (1979-03-01) 1 March 1979 (age 46)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 49
Wins 46
Wins by KO 35
Losses 3

Mikkel Kessler (born March 1, 1979) is a famous Danish former professional boxer. He competed from 1998 to 2013. Mikkel was known as the "Viking Warrior." He won many world championship titles in the super-middleweight division. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) title three times between 2004 and 2013. He also held the WBC title twice between 2006 and 2010.

Early Life & Amateur Boxing

Mikkel Kessler was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father was Danish, and his mother, Ann, was from England. Mikkel started training in boxing gyms when he was just 13 years old.

He spent five years as an amateur boxer, from 1993 to 1998. During this time, he had an impressive record of 44 wins and only three losses. He won the European Cadet Championship in 1995. 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.

Mikkel Kessler's Professional Career

Starting as a Pro Boxer

Mikkel Kessler began his professional boxing career in 1998. For his first 22 fights, he competed in the light middleweight and then middleweight divisions. He was known for his powerful punches.

Becoming a Super Middleweight Champion

After three years and 22 fights, Kessler decided to focus on the super middleweight division. He continued to win many fights by knockout. He won six of his first seven fights in this division by KO. This brought his record to 29 wins and no losses, with 22 knockouts.

On November 29, 2002, Kessler fought for his first championship. He defeated former WBC Super Middleweight Champion Dingaan Thobela to become the International Boxing Association Champion. He later gave up this belt to fight for the more recognized WBC International title. He won this title on April 11, 2003, by knocking out Craig Cummings in the third round.

Kessler defended his WBC International title three times. Then, on November 12, 2004, he got a big chance. Another Danish boxer, Mads Larsen, was supposed to fight for the WBA Championship. When Larsen got injured, Kessler stepped in on short notice and won the title!

He successfully defended his WBA title against Anthony Mundine in June 2005 and Eric Lucas in January 2006.

On October 14, 2006, Kessler became the WBA Super Champion. This happened after he won the WBC title in a big fight against WBC World Champion Markus Beyer. The fight took place at Parken Stadium in Denmark. Kessler won by knockout in the third round.

Kessler defended both his WBA (Super) and WBC titles on March 24, 2007. He fought Librado Andrade at Parken Stadium and won easily.

Big Fight: Kessler vs. Calzaghe

Mikkel Kessler then faced another undefeated champion, Joe Calzaghe from Wales. This fight was a huge event. It would combine Kessler's WBA and WBC super middleweight championships with Calzaghe's WBO and The Ring titles.

The fight happened on November 3, 2007, at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Over 50,000 fans watched, making it the biggest indoor boxing event in European history at the time! Kessler lost the fight by a unanimous decision from the judges.

Winning World Titles Again

After Joe Calzaghe moved to a different weight class, the WBA title became empty. Kessler fought Dimitri Sartison on June 21, 2008, for the vacant belt. Kessler knocked out Sartison in the final round to win his title back!

He defended this title successfully twice more. He knocked out Danilo Häussler in the third round on October 25, 2008. He also knocked out Gusmyl Perdomo in the fourth round on September 12, 2009. In November 2009, the WBA once again named him a "Super Champion."

The Super Six Tournament

Mikkel Kessler joined a special boxing tournament called the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Kessler vs. Ward

His first fight in the tournament was against Andre Ward on November 21, 2009. Kessler lost his WBA Super Middleweight Championship to Ward. The fight was stopped in the eleventh round because Kessler had cuts on his face. These cuts were caused by accidental headbutts from Ward. Kessler said after the fight that the headbutts made it hard for him to fight his best. Ward was ahead on the judges' scorecards when the fight stopped.

Kessler vs. Froch

On April 24, 2010, Kessler returned to fight against Britain's undefeated WBC Champion Carl Froch. Many people called this fight "a classic" and "one of the best matches in Danish boxing ever." The fight went all 12 rounds. Kessler won by a unanimous decision, becoming a two-time WBC Champion. This was Carl Froch's first loss.

Andre Ward, who had beaten Kessler, later praised him. He called Kessler "skill wise... the toughest I’ve fought so far." Ward said he had a lot of respect for Kessler, who proved he could lose a title and then win it back.

On August 25, 2010, Kessler announced he was leaving the Super Six tournament. This was because his eye injury from the fight against Ward was getting worse. Doctors told him he needed to take a nine-month break from boxing.

Moving to Light Heavyweight

In 2012, Kessler moved up to a heavier weight class: light heavyweight. In May 2012, he fought Allan Green for a vacant WBC Silver Light Heavyweight title. Kessler won by knockout in the fourth round.

Back to Super Middleweight

Kessler vs. Magee

Late in 2012, Kessler fought Brian Magee for the WBA (Regular) super middleweight title. Kessler won by TKO in the third round after landing powerful body punches.

Rematch: Kessler vs. Froch II

On January 15, 2013, it was announced that Mikkel Kessler and Carl Froch would have a rematch. This big fight took place on May 25, 2013, at The O2 Arena in London. Two championship belts were on the line: Kessler's WBA (Regular) title and Froch's IBF title. Kessler had won their first fight in Denmark.

Froch won the rematch by a unanimous decision. He controlled much of the fight with his jab. Kessler landed a strong punch in the 11th round, but it was too late to change the outcome.

Retirement and Future Plans

On February 1, 2015, Mikkel Kessler announced that he was retiring from boxing. However, he later said on March 31, 2017, that he might come out of retirement. There was talk of him joining the World Boxing Super Series. But Kessler decided not to join.

He was then planning to fight Roamer Angulo in November 2017. However, on October 16, Kessler shared that he had been affected by Lyme disease. This meant his return to boxing would be delayed until 2018. In February 2018, Kessler finally confirmed he would stay retired. He said he "just can't find the motivation to go through with it all."

Professional Boxing Record

Professional record summary
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

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