Mikkel Kessler, WBA super middleweight champion, is confident he can prevail against local boy Andre Ward in the Super Six World Boxing Classic when the pair clash in Oakland, California on Saturday.

The Dane, whose title is on the line, insists he hasn’t come to America to lose against the undefeated Olympic gold medallist despite fighting in his opponent’s backyard.

“I’ve been here before so I am loving it in California. I have thoroughly enjoyed my entire stay here, living in a nice house and training in Sacramento.

“I want to thank everyone involved in making this fight possible and for the nice words from their camp.

“But now I am ready to fight. I didn’t come all the way from Denmark to lose and I am fully prepared and 150% ready. I’m in better shape now than I’ve ever been.

Kessler, 30, who enters the ring with a record of 42-1 (32 KOs) maintained that suffering defeat has spurred him on to not let it happen again when he meets Ward, 20-0 (13 KOs).

“I have had only one defeat and that was to Joe Calzaghe and it still eats at me today. Even thinking about that fight makes me even more motivated. That’s why I am looking at this fight as a second chance to prove that I am the best.

“I hurt my hand and had only two weeks to spar for Calzaghe, but there will be no mistakes or excuses after this one. I may be 30 but I have a lot of fight left. Saturday night can’t come soon enough.”