Mikkel Kessler came into Saturday's fight with Andre Ward the favorite in the fight and in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, and in the minds of many, he was still the world's best super middleweight.

I was one of those that regarded the Dane as the best at 168, and felt he'd rightfully held that spot since Joe Calzaghe moved to 175 pounds in 2008. He simply moved up from No. 2; after all, his only loss had come to Calzaghe, and he gave Joe Cool as tough a fight as just about anyone ever did.

Competitive though it was, that fight was a clear Calzaghe win. On Saturday, it was a clear Ward victory.

Kessler (42-2, 32 KO) is one of the world's best basic fighters still. As we discussed before the fight with Ward, there is nothing tricky at all about Mikkel Kessler. He's straight ahead, lives off of a powerful jab, and has a good right hand that can come behind it.

Calzaghe and Ward took major advantage of the simple rhythm of Kessler's style. For Calzaghe, it came when he started clearly outpacing him in the second half of the fight. Early, Kessler was right there with Joe. As the fight wore on, Calzaghe simply took over, using his superior mobility and faster hands to snatch every bit of the momentum. He frustrated Kessler, who never made an adjustment. You could watch Kessler's facial expressions and body language change the more in control Calzaghe became.

The same thing happened again on Saturday, only it happened right away. After the Calzaghe fight, Kessler remarked that Calzaghe "ruins your boxing" with his style.

In a press release, Kessler this time said, "He was very fast and very good. He ruined my style."

"It was not my day. Now I will go home, watch the tape and then bounce back stronger than ever," he added.

Apparently, speed, quick hands, and maybe a little rough-housing ruins Mikkel Kessler. Kessler is apparently so basic that he simply cannot adjust. Maybe that's a training or corner issue as much as it is a boxing issue for Kessler. Whatever it is, a few things are now clear about Mikkel Kessler.

• Speed kills. Specifically, it kills him.
• He doesn't deal well with being disrupted. Ward used some holding and got his head and elbows involved. It is what it is -- it's a part of the game, legal or not, and if a referee isn't calling it, you have to find a way to neutralize it. That may not seem fair, but what is?
• Again: He can't adjust. He's just shown no ability to change and turn the tide of a fight that isn't going his way.
• He doesn't like fighting inside. He's not good at it, isn't comfortable in close, and gets beaten up.

It's also possible that Kessler's history of hand, back and elbow injuries are getting to him. I'd buy that more now than I ever have before. It's been something speculated about, but there never seemed to be any real evidence that the injuries were giving him overwhelming trouble on fight night.

And it's not that the injuries would necessarily be giving him great grief so much as just slowing him down, giving him trouble against faster men. As great as Calzaghe was, Joe didn't lay waste to Kessler the way Ward did. Ward made Kessler look incredibly slow, tentative and trigger-shy. He may be slowing down drastically early in his career after the many nagging injuries.

Last Saturday, Mikkel seemed to alternate between two mental states against Ward. One that was vacant, a bit bewildered, and knowingly outclassed on this night. The other, you could almost see his gears turning, trying to figure out a way into the fight, and coming up with no good answers.

Mikkel Kessler remains a very good fighter, but with a lot more questions than he had on Saturday. Has he been exposed? Maybe. The Froch fight will tell us a few things. Froch isn't nearly as mobile or fast as Calzaghe or Ward, nor is he as crafty. Froch is rather slow-handed, but he's powerful and has a ton of heart. Kessler may be able to win a straight-up boxing contest with Froch. He's probably the quicker man, uses his jab very well, and is more technically sound than Froch.

But Froch will adjust if or when he's struggling. What if he begins to take the upper hand? Will we again see Kessler baffled, left entirely without a Plan B for the evening?

It's hard to ever count out a top-ranked fighter, especially one whose only losses are against the greatest fighter in a division's history and an Olympic gold medalist who may simply be breaking out big. And Kessler should not be counted out at all. A win over Froch, and he's got another world title and is right back in the mix for the tournament.

But if there is a blueprint on beating Mikkel Kessler, it's been drawn up by the draftsmen Calzaghe and Ward. Coming back stronger and better will require something more of Kessler, and we can't be certain he's really up for that. Better fighters than Mikkel Kessler have seen it come apart at what seemed a young age.

Andre Ward put a pretty thorough beating on Mikkel Kessler last night, and CompuBox has the full numbers. Most telling: Ward outlanding Kessler nearly 3-to-1 in power punches.

For full fight stats, take the jump.

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Andre Ward may have gotten away with some dirty tactics tonight, but you cannot deny one solid fact. The Olympic gold medalist frustrated, outboxed and outclassed Mikkel Kessler tonight, beating the Danish star by technical decision after the bout was stopped in the 11th round.

Ward won on scores of 98-92, 98-92 and 97-93. The fight was stopped on a cut ruled caused by a headbutt. Kessler was also bleeding over the other eye, which was also caused by a butt that wasn't called. Kessler (42-2, 32 KO) complained for the last few rounds in the corner that he couldn't see, and complained after the fight of Ward's holding and his headbutts.

Ward (21-0, 13 KO) also appeared to stray low frequently. California referee Jack Reiss called almost nothing on Ward, but it is what it is. Kessler may have legitimate gripes, but I don't think anyone that watched them tonight would argue that Kessler was beating Ward no matter what was called. Ward was faster, sharper, more confident, and had Kessler confused and frustrated early and often.

Kessler had trouble adjusting to Ward's speed, angles and overall offensive attack. He was not beating Ward tonight.

This was a coming out party for the American Ward, who frankly showed savvy I didn't think he had yet. He looked from the get-go like he knew he would win, and he put it on Kessler. I had Kessler the No. 1 super middleweight in the world coming into tonight. That has certainly changed now. Andre Ward put his stamp on the world of boxing and on the Super Six World Boxing Classic tonight.

We'll have more tomorrow, but for now, Andre Ward and his fans should revel in a career-making victory over Mikkel Kessler.

Live coverage starts with the Showtime broadcast at 10pm ET / 7pm PT. This is the final fight in the first leg of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

MIKKEL KESSLER		ANDRE WARD
	Main Event

Tonight in Oakland, a star could be born. Or, if things don't go the young man's way, well, a star could be born later.

Andre Ward has the pedigree. He won an Olympic gold medal in Athens back in 2004, and turned pro in December of that year with a second round stoppage of Chris Molina. Since then, the pacing of Ward's rise has been called deliberate and even slow, something he contends isn't the case. Worth taking into account is a knee injury that surfaced when he started stepping up from the bums to the gatekeepers.

The gatekeepers have really been his main targets. To hear Ward tell it, everyone's been a tough fight, and everyone has taken him lightly, then been surprised by his full package of skills. Ward (20-0, 13 KO) will take a massive step up in class tonight, and even with home field advantage, he might be biting off more than he can chew.

Then again, let's look at what Mikkel Kessler has done lately. Kessler (42-1, 32 KO) is the world's best super middleweight, at least in my opinion. When he fought Joe Calzaghe in November 2007, he was clearly beaten, but gave Calzaghe one of the tougher fights of the Welshman's career. He came into that fight considered the world's No. 2 at 168 pounds, and I felt he left without losing that standing. Yes, Calzaghe was better than him -- but only Calzaghe was better than him.

Since losing to Calzaghe, Kessler hasn't exactly been on a notable tear. Sure, he's wasted the competition, but the competition has been iffy. A promotional dispute with Mogens Palle led Kessler to signing with Sauerland Event of Germany earlier this year. Dimitri Sartison, Danilo Haussler and Gusmyr Perdomo may not be the best of the best, but like Ward has done with his middling opposition, he's done with them as he should have: Blown them out.

Kessler has been called "overrated" by a few people, but I don't see it. When you watch him fight, you can see where his record and his standing comes from. His jab is powerful, sharp and accurate, among the best in the sport. He isn't a tricky fighter by any means; in some ways he's like a superior Kelly Pavlik. Simple, basic, and extremely effective. He's tough to rattle, partially because to get at him, you're going to have to get past that nasty jab of his.

In terms of overall "skills," Ward probably is the better man. He's quick with his hands and on his feet. He's got solid power, not great power; certainly enough to keep opponents respecting him. Ward also has a wrinkle in his game, as he switches from his conventional stance over to southpaw frequently, and pulls that off with pretty much unrivaled success. The power he generates when using his left as his money hand probably trumps what he does fighting orthodox.

What most concerns me for Ward is simple: Mikkel Kessler is really, really good, and Andre Ward has not yet faced a really good professional fighter. The best scalp on his record is Edison Miranda's, and if any fighter has been living off of one trick for a while now, it's Miranda. (Miranda, coincidentally, is now a stablemate of Ward's with Goossen Tutor Promotions.) The rest of the names are what we were talking about before, pure gatekeepers. Guys like Shelby Pudwill, Esteban Camou, Jerson Ravelo, Rubin Williams and "Sugar Poo" Buchanan aren't bad fighters, necessarily, but they come nowhere near Kessler's class.

Bottom line on the potential outcomes of this fight is that if Ward pulls off the upset tonight, he shoots right up near the top of this division. Should he win, he will do so because his pure ability is simply too much for Kessler to overcome, which was in some ways the case for Kessler against Calzaghe. Kessler is by no means unbeatable. A superior athlete with tricks up his sleeve (like Calzaghe) can outpoint him. Should Ward do it, it will mean he's got skills that are more advanced than I'm thinking they are at this point.

These two may well meet again later on in the tournament. Even if Ward loses tonight as I expect, a second chance might not go so well for Kessler. Kessler, at 30, is as good as he's getting. Ward, 25, has the type of upside that could take him from good fighter to elite fighter in a flash if he finds that spark.

I don't see the spark coming tonight, though. I'm taking Kessler by decision.

6:23 PM Update: Kessler weighed in at 167 pounds, and Ward at 166 1/2. Both looked to be in good shape. Waldo will have more from the weigh-in later.

Where's Waldo? He's in Oakland. Waldo Rastel (better known to many of you as waldo47) is on the scene today for the official weigh-in for tomorrow night's Super Six tournament fight between WBA super middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler and unbeaten American and former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward.

Waldo covered the press conference a couple of days ago, and will have live updates again today in the comments section of this post, including the weights as they come in. The whole shebang is scheduled to start at 2pm local time in California, so 5pm ET. No word on whether or not there will be another high school cheerleading performance.

Don't forget that Bad Left Hook will also have live, round-by-round coverage and scoring tomorrow night starting at 10pm ET.

I don't know if you've heard, but Andre Ward has a really big chance to make a name for himself tomorrow.

Ward's Super chance at breakthrough (Yahoo! Sports)
Kevin Iole looks at Andre Ward, the Olympic gold medalist and nice man: "I would imagine it’s a problem fighting Andre Ward. He’s such a nice guy, you want to hug him rather than punch him in the nose. He’s polite to a fault, he smiles easily and he’s never got a bad word to say about anyone."

Round One’s Almost Done (Max Boxing)
Julian Kasdin's take on the fight. "This fight is taking place in Andre’s hometown, and while there are some doubts as to whether Mikkel is still the fighter to beat at 168, I do not think Ward will be the one to beat him."

Andre Ward Vs. Mikkel Kessler On Saturday (The Sweet Science)
David A. Avila compares Ward to another former American gold medalist, Oscar de la Hoya, and has some solid quotes from Ward. The best: "If I didn’t expect to beat every man in this tournament then I shouldn’t be in this tournament."

Notebook: Ward ready to fight for title (ESPN)
Dan Rafael quotes Ward as being very ready for the fight. "I've been here before with the Olympics and it's something that I relish. There's always going to be pressure. It just depends on how you deal with the pressure."

Andre Ward – American Hero, Take Two (Boxing Scene)
Thomas Gerbasi says Ward is -- get this! -- ready. (Well, Ward says it in his column.)

Kessler all set for Ward defence (BBC Sport)
Believe it or not, some people are actually focusing on Mikkel Kessler a little bit.

USA hopes riding on Ward (USA Today)
Hacksaw Jim Duggan will be rooting for Ward, tough guy.

Can Ward take a punch? We'll find out (San Francisco Chronicle)
Kessler's trainer doesn't think Ward likes to get hit. Ward wonders who has ever hit Kessler to show how good his chin is.

The other four participants of the Super Six World Boxing Classic have made their picks for tomorrow night's final stage one battle between Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward in Oakland.

Andre Dirrell:

"I'm going with Ward. Ward has the ability to win. This is his biggest fight so he'll have to stick to his game plan but I'm going with him."

Dirrell and Ward were Olympic teammates, so Andre is surely rooting for Andre. Plus it would probably help everyone if the Americans could come out of the first stage with even one win. If Ward loses convincingly, there's going to be plenty of talk that none of the Americans really deserved to be here.

Jermain Taylor:

"Andre Ward and Mikkel Kessler will be a very competitive fight and both want to make a statement in the Super Six tournament. I think the key to the fight depends on who will dictate and set the pace in the early rounds. Both fighters have a lot of skills and will be well prepared to do battle. It's a very close fight to make a prediction on. I would call the fight a toss-up."

Try not to get too bold, Jermain.

Carl Froch:

"Mikkel Kessler will win because of his strength and ring experience. I'm looking forward to it because obviously it's a fight that has major implications for me in the Super Six tournament. Andre Ward has that terrific amateur pedigree, winning the Gold medal at the Athens Olympics. He's had some good wins in the pros but we will only find out how good he really is when he steps in there with Kessler."

Kessler is next for Froch, and since Froch is one of those guys that genuinely seems to want his fights to be challenges, he's rooting for Kessler so that he can knock off the tournament favorite and take his title in his next fight:

"Ward will have the benefit of home advantage, which I'm sure will play its part but Kessler is very experienced and has won on the road before so I'm sure he won't see it as an issue. I'm hoping for my own selfish reasons that Kessler wins because then he'll still have the WBA belt. I'm fighting him next so if he beats Ward then it means that our fight becomes a massive WBC and WBA unification clash and I can get my hands on his belt."

Kessler's previous road wins: Israel Ponce in Las Vegas (2000), Anthony Mundine in Australia (2005) and Danilo Haussler in Germany (2008). Not exactly Murderer's Row.

Arthur Abraham:

"Because I have not ever seen an Andre Ward fight live or on tape, I cannot say much. But Kessler is the favorite in this fight nevertheless. I have seen Kessler fight many times and he is very clever and very strong. I have to give the advantage to Kessler because of his strength, experience and cleverness. Andre Ward is not to be underestimated. He is very good. He is technically very sound and can also punch hard as he has shown in previous fights. But I hope that my new stablemate, Mikkel Kessler, wins."

Abraham's statement is my favorite. It's mind-boggling to me that he's never seen Andre Ward fight, even on tape, and he also goes from telling us he's never seen him to describing his technical skills and how hard he can punch. How would he know?! Knockout rates? Olympic pedigree? You know what happens when you assume, Arthur.

Ramon Aranda of 411 Mania reports that the California State Athletic Commission has acted quickly to comply with the contracts of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, changing the disputed officials for Saturday night's Mikkel Kessler-Andre Ward fight.

Russ Heimerich, a spokesman of the California State Athletic Commission informed 411mania moments ago that the commission has now come to terms with both the WBA and Team Sauerland on a new set of officials.

The officials will now include Swedish judge Mikael Hook alongside Steve Morrow (Calif) and Stanley Christodoulou (South Africa) along with referee Jack Reiss (Calif).

As we discussed earlier today, the contracts called for one judge from Ward's "territory," one from Kessler's (a Scandinavian country), one neutral judge, and a neutral referee. Stanley Christodoulou was already in place as the neutral referee. Mikael Hook replaces California's Steve English. With a neutral referee likely harder to get on such short notice than a judge, Jack Reiss will stay in the spot. Reiss is a fine referee and shouldn't show any favoritism to Ward, so I expect no issue there. In a perfect world, I'm sure the Kessler side would have a referee from England or Canada or the like, but this was a commission screw-up and they made it as right as possible 48 hours before the fight.

After all that, Kessler's WBA super middleweight title will be on the line. It really made no difference to me whether the title was up for grabs or not, but I'm sure it mattered to Ward and the promoters and the WBA themselves, so it's good it got resolved as quickly as possible.

Let's be honest: Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic has not gotten off to the blazing start we hoped it would.

Not one of the three fights has been appreciated solely on its own merits thus far, with Abraham-Taylor focusing more on Taylor's "will he or won't he continue on?" question (he will, he says), and Froch-Dirrell being an ugly, dirty fight with many feeling the wrong man got the W.

Now, the third and final fight of the opening stage of the tournament has problems before fighters Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward even step into the ring. Bad Left Hook commenter waldo47 was live at the press conference yesterday and was able to get some impressions of what went down. Full details have since come out and been made very clear.

In short, Mikkel Kessler's team is unhappy with the appointed officials, including a California referee and two California judges. The fight takes place in Oakland, Ward's hometown.

The WBA might refuse to sanction the bout as a title fight unless the California State Athletic Commission finds judges and a referee who aren't from Ward's home state, Kessler's representatives told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs) agreed to travel from Denmark to the hometown of Ward (20-0, 13 KOs), the undefeated Olympic gold medalist, for a lucrative payday in their first bout in the high-profile 168-pound (76-kilogram) tournament.

The contracts signed by each of the tournament's six fighters set out very specific requirements for the nationality of the officials, requiring two judges and the referee to be "from a neutral territory."

Wilfried Sauerland, Kessler's promoter, was told a referee and two judges from California have been assigned to the fight, along with well-known South African judge Stanley Christodoulou.

"Not all the judges can be from California," Sauerland said after a news conference in downtown Oakland. "If it stays like this, definitely there won't be a world championship on Saturday. We have a really serious problem."

The tournament's contracts were, of course, quite specific, and had to be for everything to get rolling and actually happen. Getting six fighters committed to about two years worth of fights, with five promoters in the mix, is not easy. If the appointed officials don't match what the contracts demand, that is a serious problem, and it's something someone has to answer for. How could something like that be overlooked?

The California State Athletic Commission is trying to get something done fast:

"We are aware of the concerns of the promoter, and so we have been working with both the promoter and the sanctioning body to address those concerns, and that process is ongoing," Russ Heimerich, a spokesman for the athletic commission, told the AP.

Jake Donovan says that two of four officials need to be replaced, and that Kessler's team wants one of the California judges replaced with a judge from a Scandinavian country (but not Denmark), and wants a neutral referee instead of California ref Jack Reiss, and he has the bit of the contract that makes it quite clear:

"Judges and referees shall be identified, selected and assigned by the athletic commission with jurisdiction over the Bout; provided that in all events, one judge shall be from the Home Territory of each Boxer Participant and the third judge shall be from a neutral territory, and in all cases, the referee shall be from a neutral territory."

Given that language, Kessler's side is absolutely right to have a major problem with the appointed officials. It's short notice, but you have to figure this will get fixed by the end of today. Really, it never should have happened.