This is going to be THE best fight for a long, long time.
I was hoping Mundine would get a shot...but, at this stage, Calazghe and Kessler are the two best out there by a long margin.
Undefeated champions meeting...fight of the year baby!
WBO champion Calzaghe, boxing's longest-reigning world champion, will have home advantage for the November 3 clash at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
The 35-year-old Welshman, (43-0, 32 KOs), has defended the title 20 times in 10 years, but faces a big test against Kessler, 28, (39-0, 29 KOs), who outpointed Mundine in 2005.
Kessler was upgraded to the status of WBA super champion last October after he took the WBC title from Germany's Markus Beyer, who twice defeated Australia's Danny Green in world title bouts.
That left the regular WBA title vacant, and Mundine won it in impressive fashion with a ninth-round stoppage of Sam Soliman in Sydney in March.
Provided he holds on to his title, Mundine is entitled to challenge Kessler within 18 months of the Dane winning the Super belt, which he did last October.
It is the second time in Mundine's career he has held the regular version of the WBA title behind a Super champion. The first time was back in 2003-04 behind Sven Ottke, who retired before giving Mundine a chance to avenge his knockout loss to the German in an IBF world title fight in Dortmund in 2001.
Mundine subsequently lost his title in May 2004 to Puerto Rican Manny Siaca, who was dethroned in his first defence by Kessler six months later.
After sweeping aside Soliman, Mundine, easily outpointed Argentinian Pablo Nievas on the Gold Coast last month.
The Australian has frequently talked about establishing himself as the top fighter in the division, but would have to defeat the winner of the Calzaghe-Kessler contest to achieve that aim.
Calzaghe, who briefly held and then vacated the IBF title, started his WBO reign in October 1997.
A win in November will see Calzaghe match Ottke's record of 21 successful defences and lift the Briton to fourth on the all-time list for consecutive title defences.
Promoter Frank Warren anticipates a crowd of around 60,000 for the November bout, which he claims is "probably the biggest fight in the world at the moment".
"I'm very excited about it and I think it's the best fight I've put together in the last 20 years - there's no doubt about it," he said.
I was hoping Mundine would get a shot...but, at this stage, Calazghe and Kessler are the two best out there by a long margin.
Undefeated champions meeting...fight of the year baby!
WBO champion Calzaghe, boxing's longest-reigning world champion, will have home advantage for the November 3 clash at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
The 35-year-old Welshman, (43-0, 32 KOs), has defended the title 20 times in 10 years, but faces a big test against Kessler, 28, (39-0, 29 KOs), who outpointed Mundine in 2005.
Kessler was upgraded to the status of WBA super champion last October after he took the WBC title from Germany's Markus Beyer, who twice defeated Australia's Danny Green in world title bouts.
That left the regular WBA title vacant, and Mundine won it in impressive fashion with a ninth-round stoppage of Sam Soliman in Sydney in March.
Provided he holds on to his title, Mundine is entitled to challenge Kessler within 18 months of the Dane winning the Super belt, which he did last October.
It is the second time in Mundine's career he has held the regular version of the WBA title behind a Super champion. The first time was back in 2003-04 behind Sven Ottke, who retired before giving Mundine a chance to avenge his knockout loss to the German in an IBF world title fight in Dortmund in 2001.
Mundine subsequently lost his title in May 2004 to Puerto Rican Manny Siaca, who was dethroned in his first defence by Kessler six months later.
After sweeping aside Soliman, Mundine, easily outpointed Argentinian Pablo Nievas on the Gold Coast last month.
The Australian has frequently talked about establishing himself as the top fighter in the division, but would have to defeat the winner of the Calzaghe-Kessler contest to achieve that aim.
Calzaghe, who briefly held and then vacated the IBF title, started his WBO reign in October 1997.
A win in November will see Calzaghe match Ottke's record of 21 successful defences and lift the Briton to fourth on the all-time list for consecutive title defences.
Promoter Frank Warren anticipates a crowd of around 60,000 for the November bout, which he claims is "probably the biggest fight in the world at the moment".
"I'm very excited about it and I think it's the best fight I've put together in the last 20 years - there's no doubt about it," he said.
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