Kessler gunning for Calzaghe rematch

Former Joe Calzaghe victim and reigning world super-middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler wants another shot at the Welshman and will move to any weight to fight the undefeated star.

Kessler was ringside at Madison Square Garden as Calzaghe, 36, scored a comprehensive unanimous decision over ring legend Roy Jones Jr in their 12-round light heavyweight contest on Saturday night.

The Dane, 29, assumed the mantle of number one super-middleweight once Calzaghe moved up after unifying the 168lb belts with a unanimous decision victory over Kessler at the Millennium Stadium 12 months ago.

Calzaghe, 36, moved up to light-heavyweight after handing Kessler his only defeat and has since defeated American legends Bernard Hopkins and Jones to extend his unbeaten record to 46-0 in what could be his last fight.

He credited Kessler (41-1) on Saturday night as the best man he ever fought but the Dane wants another fight with the Welshman, not praise.

“That’s good, that’s good,” he said in response to Calzaghe’s comments, “but it’s not good enough.

“I don’t want number two, there’s only room for number one. I want to fight Joe again and I’ll be much better next time.”

The weight at which any fight would be made would not matter, Kessler added, because he said he would be comfortable with the leap from 168 to 175 pounds.

“Of course I would go up,” he said. “My weight is super-middleweight but if I had a couple of months so I could build up some more muscle I would be right for that weight.”

Kessler may be in for disappointment, however, as the Calzaghe camp’s one proviso for a possible return to the ring rather than retiring undefeated appears to be that there will be no rematches.

“We don’t do rematches,” Enzo Calzaghe, the Welshman’s father and trainer said after the Jones victory. “I don’t like them, I never have.

“None of my boxers have ever had rematches. I don’t like it.

“Joe Calzaghe, Enzo Maccarinelli, if they beat someone, that’s it.

“Maybe if Joe loses to someone we’ll try it, but we’d have to try losing first.”

Calzaghe, who co-promoted his first card at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night with his opponent’s Square Ring Inc, even jokingly suggested promoting a clash between Kessler and Hopkins.

“Mikkel’s the best fighter I faced,” Joe Calzaghe said. “But I don’t like to do rematches and maybe he should go and fight Hopkins.

“I’ll promote that, it will be a good fight. If they fight each other I’ll sit back and commentate.”