LOS ANGELES (AP)—WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler’s camp is unhappy about the assignment of local judges and a California referee to his Super Six tournament bout against Andre Ward in Oakland on Saturday.
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.”
Source http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=Ahrba.w09ucxzY4b7HQ58iCUxLYF?slug=ap-kessler-ward-officials&prov=ap&type=lgns
I dont feel sorry whatsoever for a europen boxer having to deal w/american judges whatsoever.
European boxing judging is the most corrupt in the world.
He has some nerve bitching about something like this.
Ward has no balls !
Another clazaghe in the making imho !
"He has some nerve bitching about something like this. " He may be bitching because because he believes the argument that the current arrangement would go against the contractual agreement for the tournament AND WBA rules, which would mean the fight may not be sanctioned by them, not be a defense for a world championship and perhaps decrease interest in the fight.
Andy the man - Ward has no balls !
Another clazaghe in the making imho !
Oh yeah?where did Calzaghe take on Hopkins at?
MITman2k - "He has some nerve bitching about something like this. " He may be bitching because of his argument that the current arrangement would go against the contractual agreement for the tournament AND WBA rules, which would mean the fight may not be sanctioned by them, not be a defense for a world championship and perhaps decrease interest in the fight.
Possibly,but I think it is just because of the judges being from California.
He basically even said as much.
voorhees -Andy the man - Ward has no balls !
Another clazaghe in the making imho !
Oh yeah?where did Calzaghe take on Hopkins at?
And how long had joe been a pro for before fighting hopkins in america ?
denmark /germans are too used to home cooking...
crooked judging at that!
when it's done to them - it's an outrage!!!
LOL
Andy the man -voorhees -Andy the man - Ward has no balls !
Another clazaghe in the making imho !
Oh yeah?where did Calzaghe take on Hopkins at?
And how long had joe been a pro for before fighting hopkins in america ?
Well,at least long enough to fight RJJ in America as well.
I just hope they work something out cuz i was really looking forward to this Fight.
Heartbroken Lee -Andy the man -voorhees -Andy the man - Ward has no balls !
Another clazaghe in the making imho !
Oh yeah?where did Calzaghe take on Hopkins at?
And how long had joe been a pro for before fighting hopkins in america ?
And how long had Hopkins been a pro before fighting Joe in the UK? Oh that's right - never. Joe fought the best the US had to offer, in their hometowns, and shit all over them.
Im a fan of joe but that is bs !
He fought a rjj that was ANCIENT !
He even say's in his book that there would be no point in fighting rjj !
Same with hopkins , old as hell !
Yeah he fought the 'best' that the u.s had to offer .... in what ? his last three fights ?
Why not fight say dawson ?
B/s again !
Eubank was on the slippery slope downhill mate !
He night not be a 'big fight' but he would beat roy & hopkins !
Who ?
People like him are taylor made for joe !
So who are some of the spectacular and established fighters that Joe should have fought?
.
Oh man, hope this gets settled...I was looking at the brackets & they seemed a little "strange". What I had wondered was WHY Kessler x Abraham wont face each other till the very end. I spoke to Librado Andrade & he said they'll never face each other bc they're are promoted by the same person & its planned that way so the "Americans don't win"....and the Europeans (or whomever) will hold the titles for a very long time, & keep the money etc etc. Pretty interesting, I thought.
I hear they will fight either way...but if the judges aren't replaced Kessler's belt won't be on the line.
Been looking forward to it all week so I too hope they get their acts together.
At least give them the chance to fix it before talking trash. They still have time to do so before Saturday.
Unlike the European screwjob of Dirrell which hasn't been fixed and won't be.
they have replaced one of the California judges, according to this article from yahoo sports...has a qoute from Kessler's camp, saying they are ok with the ref and the judges now.
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=Aqbbxik9uExpqlJ_O7g1H7.UxLYF?slug=ap-ward-kessler-officials&prov=ap&type=lgns
I fail to see how Ward should get any blame, its not like he is the one who picks the judges, fucking idiots.
Kessler probably got a little extra money to take this fight in Ward's hometown. I would think the rest of Kesslar's fights will probably be in Europe.
^^^
Fuck off !
I was AT the trent fm arena that night & let me tell you this , froch got outclassed imho !
So much for this legendary chin of his , he nearly got ko'ed in the 10th / 11tgh (iirc) and dirrel was about to tee off on him !
Froch had FUCK ALL for dirrell that night & im a froch fan (that may not come across in this post) !
He is without a doubt the most deluded boxer here in england !
Talking of being able to hang with hagler & hearns and gets put on queer street by andre who ?
Andy the man - ^^^
Fuck off !
I was AT the trent fm arena that night & let me tell you this , froch got outclassed imho !
So much for this legendary chin of his , he nearly got ko'ed in the 10th / 11tgh (iirc) and dirrel was about to tee off on him !
Froch had FUCK ALL for dirrell that night & im a froch fan (that may not come across in this post) !
He is without a doubt the most deluded boxer here in england !
Talking of being able to hang with hagler & hearns and gets put on queer street by andre who ?
Sounds like you watched the exact same fight I did, Andy the man.
Kessler and Ward both look ready to go for tonight's Super Six clash:
