Exclusive: Double vision ends Mikkel Kessler's career

(Editor's Note: Michael Marley long served as Kessler's agent and was involved in negotiating terms and conditions many of his world title bouts, including those against Markus Beyer and Joe Calzaghe.)

Now maybe we know why Mikkel Kessler was completely befuddled by unbeaten American Andre Ward and struggled to beat Englishman Carl Froch.

According to his doctors, Kessler was seeing TWO Wards and a pair of Froches when he was fighting his Showtime Super Six Tournament rivals.

That's right, Kessler suffers from double vision and the burning question now is not whether he fights again but why he was allowed to compete against Froch when he staggered through the loss to Ward seeing two Andres coming at him.

Now, Kessler has pulled out of the tournament, out of a Sept. 25 bout against lightly regarded American
Allan Green and the Dashing Dane's boxing career looks to be kaput.

See Scott Heritage on how Kessler injury KO throws Showtime competiton into turmoil.

Kessler held a press conference Wednesday in Copenhagen and, naturally, he had hopeful words. There were optimistic words from his promoter.

Even though it has been revealed now that the “Viking Warrior” needs a complete, nine month rest from the rigors of boxing, including any and all sparring, they are saying that Kessler will return to the ring in 2011.
Multiple European sources tell me that—despite all the future words—that his continued problems with double vision will mark an end to the 31 year old's fight career.

"This is the most disappointing moment of my boxing career," said Kessler, who regained a piece of the 168-pound title with a close decision against Carl Froch in their second-round tournament bout on April 24. "After defeating Carl Froch, I was on the way to win the tournament, so pulling out now really hurts.
 

"The eye problem has bothered me since the beginning of the Super Six in my preparation for the bout against Andre Ward. It also bothered me in the fights against Ward and Froch, and in my training for the fight against Green it has become unbearable. I have consulted leading experts in Denmark and Germany and they have advised me to take a break from boxing so that the problem can heal."

Kessler lost a belt via a lopsided 11th-round technical decision to Ward in November in their tournament opener.

"I have been assured that it will heal completely and that I will be back in the ring next year," Kessler said. "As a fair sportsman, I do not want to delay the Super Six, which is still the best thing that has happened to boxing for a long time. I wish my fellow contestants the best of luck -- may the best man win. I will be there to fight the winner in 2011."

Said Kalle Sauerland, Kessler's promoter: "You can recover from losing in the ring but you cannot recover from losing your health. There is nothing that is of bigger importance than the boxer's health. As much as we regret to see Mikkel pulling out, he was left with no other choice."

No one ever questioned Kessler's fighting heart. Although we kept it on the down low for obvious reasons, Kessler went into the ring against undefeated Calzaghe in Wales with a right hand which was virtually broken.

You may remember certain U.S. boxing writers griping about Kessler not doing many prefight interviews before he tangled with Super Joe and now you and they know why that was the case.

We were fearful that the word on Kessler's useless right hand would leak out and that his biggest payday would be jeopardized.

That's right, after earning about $10 million including a whopping $5 million for his showdown with Joe Cazlaghe, Kessler's fighting days are over.

Kessler has expressed this reality to several of his closest friends and associates, past and present in recent weeks.

If he is finished in boxing, Kessler retires as a multimillionaire who owns homes in Denmark and in luxurious Monte Carlo.

Not too shabby for the son of a saloon owner in a dicey section of Copenhagen.

This is is one of those stories where I  hope I'm proven to be wrong, I hope Kessler can fight on, but it is a gloomy situation when you put aside all the wishful comments.

Remember all the hoary comments about knockout victim Jermain Taylor, part of the same tournament, coming back?

Boxing people try to put a smiley face on bad news and so what?

No matter, Kessler gave it his all every time out.

We can't ask any more of any boxer.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)