Mikkel Kessler vs Markus Beyer

Only one second remained in the third round when a straight right hand ended the contest and settled the ownership of two super-middleweight championships. Before his home support at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on 14 October 2006, Mikkel Kessler knocked out Markus Beyer at 2 minutes 58 seconds, retaining the WBA title and taking the German’s WBC belt. It was the first unification contest of Kessler’s career and the most decisive victory he had yet recorded.

Kessler entered unbeaten in 37 professional contests and was making the third defence of the WBA championship he had won from Manny Siaca in November 2004. He had since defeated Anthony Mundine on points in Australia and stopped former WBC champion Eric Lucas in ten rounds. Beyer, a three-time holder of the WBC title, brought greater championship experience and a record of 34 wins, two defeats and one draw. The 35-year-old southpaw had retained his belt five times during his latest reign, although his previous defence against Sakio Bika had ended in a fourth-round technical draw after an accidental clash of heads.

The opening round established the pattern. Kessler held the centre of the ring, stood upright behind a firm left jab and kept Beyer near the end of his punches. The German moved cautiously to his right and looked for opportunities to counter, but he had difficulty passing the champion’s lead hand. Kessler did not hurry his work. He stepped into range behind the jab, followed with the straight right and withdrew before Beyer could establish an attack. The challenger’s southpaw stance presented no evident difficulty, for Kessler maintained the correct distance and directed his right hand through the centre.

Beyer attempted to become more assertive in the second round, but his advances remained measured, and he could not make Kessler surrender control. The Dane’s jab repeatedly disturbed Beyer’s balance and prevented him from setting his feet. Kessler was the taller, stronger man and his punches travelled by the shorter route. Beyer relied upon movement and occasional single counters, yet he was being made to react rather than initiate. There were no fouls or knockdowns, and the action remained orderly, but Kessler’s superiority in speed, reach, and timing was already plain.

The third followed the same course until Kessler increased the force of his attack. Beyer was driven back by straight punches and found himself with too little room to answer. With the round nearly finished, Kessler stepped forward behind a short left and drove a right hand squarely into the German’s head. Beyer fell heavily onto his back and remained there as referee Raul Caiz completed the count. The bell was due almost immediately, but it could not save him. The official result was a knockout at 2:58 of the third round.

The victory raised Kessler’s record to 38 wins without defeat and established him as the holder of the WBA and WBC championships. Beyer had been an accomplished champion, but on this occasion he was given neither the time nor the space to apply his experience. Kessler’s economy was the distinguishing feature of the performance. He wasted few punches, kept his balance after every attack and allowed the jab to prepare the decisive right hand. There had been no prolonged struggle and no change of momentum, only a steady tightening of control followed by a clean finish. Kessler defended both championships against Librado Andrade five months later, before taking them to Cardiff for his meeting with Joe Calzaghe in November 2007.

I expected Kessler to win, but not to make a three-time WBC champion look so ordinary. Beyer had experience and southpaw cleverness, yet his difficult draw with Sakio Bika suggested the best of him had gone.

Kessler controlled the range immediately. His jab kept Beyer upright and hesitant, while the straight right followed down the centre before the German could counter. Nothing was wasted, and his balance remained sound after every attack.

The finish was textbook, a left followed by a right that dropped Beyer heavily near the end of the third. This was Kessler at his sharpest, disciplined, powerful and ready for bigger contests.