Mikkel Kessler

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Mikkel Kessler bigraphy, stories - Danish boxer

Mikkel Kessler : biography

01 March 1979 –

Mikkel Kessler (born on 1 March 1979) is a Danish professional boxer. In his professional career, he has a record of 46–3 with 35 wins by knockout.

Kessler is a five-time world champion, having held the WBA title two additional times and the WBC super middleweight championship twice as well.

Mikkel Kessler is also the basis for the Volbeat song "Warrior’s Call".

Amateur career

Kessler competed five years as an amateur (2/93-1/98). He finished his amateur career with a record of 44 wins and three losses. He won the 1995 European Cadet (15-16 age group) Championship, 1996 and 1997 Danish Junior Championships, the 1996 Nordic Amateur Championship, and in his last amateur bout won the 1998 Zealand International Tournament after stopping all 3 of his opponents.

Early life

Kessler was born to a Danish father and an English mother, Ann, who hails from Salisbury, Wiltshire. He began his vocation early, training in boxing gyms at age 13.

Other

The first single from Danish heavy metal band Volbeat’s fourth album, "A Warrior’s Call", is dedicated to Mikkel Kessler, mentioning him by name in the lyrics, "The viking warrior Mikkel Kessler." Kessler also provided vocals for the line "fight, fight, fight, fight," in the song, as revealed in the International EPK Video.

Kessler is sponsored by Jack&Jones clothing and can often be seen wearing the brand whilst training and as well on his underwear and shorts at weigh-ins and fights.

Kessler is the younger brother of the buxom adult model, actress and television personality Linse Kessler.

Titles in boxing

Major World Titles:

  • WBA Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)
  • WBC Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)
  • (2) WBA Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)
  • (2) WBC Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)

Minor World Titles:

  • IBA Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)

Regional/International Titles:

  • WBC International Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)
  • WBO European Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)

Special Titles:

  • WBC Emeritus Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)
  • WBC Silver Light Heavyweight Champion (175 lbs)

Professional career

Kessler originally campaigned as a light middleweight and then middleweight for the first 22 fights of his career. He won 16 of his first 22 fights by knockout (KO).

After 3 years and 22 fights, Kessler settled in the super middleweight division. Kessler continued his hard hitting streak, dispatching 6 of his first 7 opponents by KO, thereby improving his record to 29–0 with 22 KO.

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

He defended his title on three occasions before finally hitting it big on 12 November 2004. His stablemate, Mads Larsen, another Danish World Class fighter, was set to challenge Manny Siaca for the WBA Championship in Copenhagen. Larsen was injured in training and Kessler took the fight on short notice, winning the title.

Kessler defended his title against Anthony Mundine in Sydney in June 2005 and Eric Lucas in January 2006.

On 14 October 2006, Kessler was elevated to WBA Super Champion status after winning the WBC title in a unification battle against WBC World Champion Markus Beyer at the Parken Stadium. He won by knockout at 2:58 in round 3.

Kessler defended his WBA (Super) and WBC titles on 24 March 2007, at the Parken Stadium against WBC mandatory challenger Librado Andrade. The fight was scored as a shutout (120–108) by all three judges.