The scorecards were in unison for Calzaghe: 117-111 and 116-112 twice.
‘That was a great way to finish off,’ Calzaghe said proudly. ‘It was one of the greatest moments of my boxing career when they lifted me up. It was the most amazing feeling ever. I knew it was never going to get better than that in this country.
‘I couldn’t have picked a more perfect way to finish off at super middleweight. Ten years as champion, fighting at my home stadium against the best other super middleweight. It was great. There was nothing else to do at super middleweight.’
Kessler had lost his unbeaten record and, while still in the ring, made overtures to Calzaghe about a return fight.
‘When they raised his hand after I thought, I got a lot of money for that fight, but Joe can you have my money and I get to raise my hand too,’ recalled Kessler. ‘Is it about the money? Of course, but there I was only thinking about one thing: taking the belts. I don’t care about the money. I was sad but not angry, because I couldn’t have done anything better that day.
‘I said to Joe after, ‘Now, we have to get that rematch.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Mikkel, tonight it was my night and sorry brother, no rematch.’
Not wanting to lose any momentum, Calzaghe closed out his career with two light heavyweight title victories against American legends Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones junior. Kessler attended his friend’s final two moments of glory.
Calzaghe went on to win the BBC’s British Sports Personality of the Year for 2007. Kessler would win more world title fights and the pair remain good friends.
Looking back, Calzaghe feels the Kessler win is one of the defining moments of his Hall of Fame career.
He said, ‘If I’d to pick three: (Against) Lacy, I was injured, going in with the mindset of being the underdog. Performing and showing the Americans was just a dream. [Then] Kessler and fighting [Bernard] Hopkins in Las Vegas. Being a two-weight world champion. I know people would say it wasn’t for the belts, but The Ring magazine is the ultimate belt and to win two Ring magazine belts was brilliant.
‘To talk about it as being 10 years is scary. Time flies. It’s great we can look back at it positively as a fight people still remember and hopefully they will for years to come. I always wanted to leave my legacy in boxing, leave a mark, leave my stamp on history.’
Ironically, almost 10 years later to the day, big-time boxing returned to the Welsh capital when Anthony Joshua stopped Carlos Takam in 10 rounds.
‘Joshua’s done well, he’s done everything asked of him,’ Calzaghe stated. ‘It’s the perfect time in boxing. When I was fighting, there was times when boxing was going through the doldrums with TV companies. I think it’s great having a couple of different TV channels against each other. It’s good for boxers. They get paid more now and they get more recognition, more air time.
‘We had the heavyweight champion of the world (in Cardiff). It was great for Welsh boxing. I’m happy boxing is back in the stadium. Some good exposure for the Welsh boys and, who knows, one of those boys could headline in the stadium [in the future].’
As Calzaghe said, time does fly, but memories last and Calzaghe-Kessler will live long in Welsh boxing folklore. Ring magazine online article, ‘Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler Look Back on a Super-Middleweight War, 10 Years On’
[8.6] SVEN OTTKE 34-34(6)-0: The Ring online -
Sven Ottke was a highly decorated amateur who went on to become the unified super-middleweight titleholder in the late 1990s-early 2000s.
Ottke was born in Spandau, on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany on June 3, 1967. His early years passed without incident. He liked to be active, be outside, explore and play soccer. At 14 years old, he was invited by his best friend to join him at Spandauer boxing club.
‘Mark Stefan was a smart guy, so I didn’t think he’d box. He was slim but taller than me. He was also more a technician than puncher,’ said Ottke in an interview with RingTV.com. ‘Mark was just a nice guy. When he asked me if I wanted to box, I didn’t understand.
‘I had to talk to my mother and she was skeptical. I wasn’t listening to anybody. I was doing what I wanted. Mark’s father came to my house to try to explain to my mother, so I could go to training. My mum was good with it because after a short time I was successful. That made it easier for me to box.’
In early 1982, Ottke entered the amateur ranks. By the end of that year he had won his first tournament and was progressing quickly.
‘In 1983, I became Berlin champion, North German champion and third in the German Nationals,’ recalled Ottke, before voicing displeasure.
‘They cheated me. I would have become champion, but I was fighting a national team member. It doesn’t matter now. I already forgot it. The next year I won all three. In 1985, I became the champion in the men’s category.’
Ottke served two apprenticeships; one as a plasterer and the other as an industrial clerk before focusing on boxing.
A highly proficient technician, Ottke went on to represent Germany at three consecutive Olympic games. He reached the quarter-finals in Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, losing out to the eventual gold medalist, Ariel Hernandez, in 1992 and again at Atlanta 1996. Ottke also captured two European golds and a bronze at the World Championships.
‘It wasn’t my plan to go to the pros,’ he explained. ‘My goal was to win the Olympics, but I failed. I was focused on the Olympics.
‘In 1996, (famed boxing coach) Ulli Wegner went to the pros. He took Markus Beyer with him, and then talks began about professional boxing. Negotiations started with [Universum’s Klaus Peter] Kohl and [Sauerland Events Wilfried] Sauerland. Ulli was with Sauerland, so I chose them. Of course, I never regret that I turned pro.’
Ottke departed the amateur scene with a record of 256-47-5 and made his professional debut in March 1997. He won 12 straight bouts, over the course of 19 months, before his promoter secured a matchup against IBF 168-pound holder Charles Brewer.
The light-hitting German was able to edge the American by close, and controversial, split decision.
Over the next couple of years, ‘The Phantom’ became the most active champion in boxing. He bested the likes of respected American Thomas Tate (TD 11 and UD 12), future IBF light-heavyweight belt holder Glen Johnson (SD 12) and Brewer (SD 12) in a rematch.
In the middle of his reign, Ottke met the brash talking Anthony Mundine in December 2001. The unknown Australian was better than expected and gave Ottke all he could handle through nine rounds. Although Ottke was never known as a puncher, he required the knockout in this fight and got in the 10th.
By March 2003, Ottke had made 16 title defenses when Sauerland Events secured a unification fight against heavy-handed WBA titleholder Byron Mitchell.
‘The unification of the WBA and IBF titles in Berlin in front of 10,000 people (is my proudest moment),’ said Ottke. ‘That was the highlight of my career. I can truly say, I am proud of it.
‘There was also the WBC title, but Marcus Beyer had it. He was my teammate and we both had the same trainer. It was impossible. How can you share the same trainer? Should he go one round with me and one round with him? [laughs] It was like the situation with the Klitschkos. They wouldn’t (fight) for £100 million.’
In December 2003, Ottke outpointed Robin Reid in Nuremburg. Again, it was controversial, but the defending titleholder was given the benefit of the doubt on a unanimous decision: 115-113 twice and 117-112. The referee, Roger Tilleman, was heavily criticized for favoring the German, and even Ottke feels that one scorecard was dubious.
‘115-113 was OK, but 117-112 was a little bit too wide,’ he said. ‘It was a great fight and I won by close decision.’
After winning a near shut-out decision against Armand Krajnc on March 23, 2004, Ottke (34-0, 6 knockouts) announced his retirement from boxing. He is one of the very few fighters to walk away undefeated. Ottke was a world titleholder for almost five-and-a-half years, making a division record 21 title defenses (shared with Joe Calzaghe).
‘I wanted to retire in December 2003 because I was tired mentally. I was boxing in March, June, September and December, every three months, for seven years,’ explained Ottke. ‘I could have had a break and came back, but I felt that was it.
‘The last fight, against Krajnc, I only did as a gift to my trainer. I gave him a BMW. I told Ulli, ‘I love you. This is for the time you spent with me’ and gave it to him at the hotel in Magdeburg. We had a great night. Ulli was like my father. I haven’t spent so much intense time with anybody in the world as him. It was like father and son. I’m not an easy guy, but I listened to him.’
For much of Ottke’s title reign, Calzaghe was a rival titleholder with the WBO. Unfortunately, the two never settled matters in the ring.
‘I don’t know why it never happened,’ Ottke said. ‘That is not my job. It’s the manager’s job. It would be, for sure, a great task. I’m sure it would be a nice fight.
‘I guess both management teams wanted to fight at home. They never came to a deal. I don’t even know if it’s about money. It just never happened. You would have to talk to Sauerland about it. Wilfried is the only one who knows.’
Ottke, now 50, is married and has three children.
‘Now I am living my life,’ he said. ‘I’m fit and I can do whatever I want. I’m not doing big things, but I get along. I bought a nice house and I’m doing good. I kept my money.
‘I do a lot of jogging, cycling and weights. In summer time, I play golf and I enjoy it a lot. I do a lot of charity golf tournaments in Germany at Eagle Charity gold club. I train a female boxer, Nina Meiker, but it doesn’t take up lots of my time.’ Ring magazine online, ‘Best I Faced: Sven Ottke