Andre Ward Day at Bad Left Hook continues, and isn't close to over. Next up we take a look back at his exceptional performance in November 2009 against Mikkel Kessler. This was the first fight in the Super Six for both, and Kessler entered the tournament neck-and-neck as the odds-on favorite alongside Arthur Abraham.
Ward dropped the odds on Kessler, to say the very least.
From our recap way back then:
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.
Kessler may have legitimate gripes, but I don't think anyone that watched the fight tonight would argue that Kessler was going to beat Ward no matter what was called. Ward was faster, sharper, more confident, and had Kessler confused and frustrated early and often.
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.
His rise was just beginning.