Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KOs) is the new World Boxing Association (WBA) Super-Middleweight Champion following a spectacular third-round destruction of Brian Magee (36-5-1, 25 KOs). Fighting in front of a boisterous crowd of 10,127 fans at Jyske Bank BOXEN in Herning, the Viking Warrior sent his opponent down in the second round with a huge right to the solar plexus. Kessler followed it up and scored another knock-down – only for the bell to save the champion. Kessler kept landing in the third, and when Magee went down from a body shot again, the referee waved the bout off. “It feels great to be champion again,” Kessler said. “We planned to go to the body and it worked very well. I am back at the very top, I am ready for everybody out there at super-middleweight.”
Magee praised Kessler afterwards. “He is a great champion and he deserved to win today. I never recovered from the first knock-down, which was a huge shot from him. I tried my best but couldn´t beat Kessler tonight. Congratulations to him.”
The victory gives Kessler plenty of options. “This is another great win for Mikkel,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said. “2012 was a big year for the Viking Warrior. First he destroyed Allan Green with huge left, now he stopped the reigning WBA champion with his right to the body. We will now carefully plan the next steps. There are a lot of great fights to be made.”
