MIKKEL KESSLER vs DANILO HAUSSLER

Mikkel Kessler, one of the sport's elite fighters, makes a mandatory defence of his WBA super middleweight title in Germany on Saturday when he meets the durable but limited Danilo Haussler, and this has the look of a mismatch.

I think that Haussler, 33, is getting this chance on a “services rendered” basis. He has been around a long time and won the European title almost nine years ago. He came close to regaining the title when he fought a draw with veteran Italian Cristian Sanavia last December. In fact his best two performances in the last four years were against Sanavia, whom he had previously outpointed in a very close fight.

It seems ridiculous that a win and a draw with Sanavia can somehow qualify Haussler for a title fight against Kessler, but the German fighter has battled gamely for years, winning fights in which he has been dropped and bloodied. He seems to be nearing the end of his career and there have been less deserving challengers — it’s just that it is difficult to give him any sort of a chance against Kessler.

In his last fight Kessler regained the WBA title in impressive style when he wore down and stopped a previously unbeaten fighter, Dimitri Sartison, in the last round. The Dane usually doesn’t blow people out (although he flattened Markus Beyer with a perfect straight right hand), but his punches are sharp, fast and accurate and he does a good job of breaking his opponents down.

It will take an exceptional fighter to beat Kessler — Joe Calzaghe did it, but the Danish boxer was handicapped by an injured right hand and still fought well — and Haussler isn’t anything out of the ordinary.

What Haussler is, though, is strong, sturdy and game. A bulldog type, he keeps his hands high and attacks in quick bursts, after which he usually bores his way inside and uses his strength in the clinches to shove the other man back. He doesn’t hit very hard for a European championship class of fighter, with just seven opponents stopped in 33 bouts, but his earnest hustling picks up points.

I think it will be very difficult for Haussler to be effective on Saturday, though. Kessler is a far superior technician and he should be able to use his jab, movement and combinations to keep control of the fight.

Two of Haussler’s three losses were to Danish boxers. The stylish southpaw Mads Larsen outpointed him comfortably while heavy-handed Rudy Markussen dropped him three times in winning a close decision — Haussler outworked the Dane in most of the rounds but the three 10-8 rounds cost him the fight.

Haussler has never been stopped, and it isn’t easy getting clean shots at his chin due to his high guard, but Kessler’s hand speed and combinations could begin to overwhelm the German fighter with each passing round. Also, Haussler has come out of some of his fights looking quite messed up facially, and if he gets cut and his eyes start to swell and close he will be in massive trouble against a sharpshooter such as Kessler, who had Eric Lucas looking the proverbial bloody mess in his TKO win over the French-Canadian.

Fighting at home in Germany in his first (and most likely last) world title challenge, I am expecting Haussler to give his all, but the gulf in class looks too wide for him to cross. I can see Kessler having Haussler looking so beaten up that the fight has to be stopped by about the 10th round, but while this seems the logical outcome I have a sneaking suspicion that the German fighter is going to make it to the final bell, if barely.