Magee targeting Great Dane Kessler

By Jonny Stapleton

Brain Magee hopes a great first defence of his WBA super middleweight interim title in Denmark in January will lead to a mega fight with great boxing Dane Mikkel Kessler.
The Belfast veteran is back in training readying himself for the challenge of Rudy Markussen. And manager Pat Magee believes victory over ‘Hard Hitter’ early next year  will see Brian Magee take step one of a three fight plan that will eventually lead to a clash with Super Six contestant Kessler.

The former British and European champion plans to leave the Danish fight fans wanting revenge by retaining his title in impressive fashion before fulfilling his mandatory rights and fighting the beatable Karoly Balzsay for the regular WBA title.

Once in possession of that crown Ireland’s most travelled boxer plans to return to Denmark, where he also beat Mads Larsen, for the biggest fight of his career against the former two time WBA and WBC super middleweight champion and the reigning WBO title holder.

“We had a number of options for Brian regarding his first defence,” manager Pat Magee told Mirror Sport. “The idea behind fighting in Denmark again is build toward a fight with Kessler. The plan is to win there in January then peruse the regular title which we are mandatory for. After that we hope to cash in on the fall out of the Super Six. All the big names will be free and we will be looking to get Kessler. Brian will be further known to the Norwegian fans by then and we have no problem travelling.”

A deal to fight Markussen has been agreed in principle and should be finalised by the end of the week. Ireland’s only reigning world champion is just waiting date conformation.

“We will fight in Copenhagen in January. We are just waiting on a date to be finalised. The Dane’s are trying to sort out TV. Look at the last two Saturday’s in January and it should be one of those. If it spills over to the first week in February that is not a problem this end. Brian is back training and will be ready to fight.”