Mikkel Kessler’s promoter Wilfred Sauerland has made it clear that the Dane’s WBA super middleweight title will not be on the line against Andre Ward if the American’s promoter Dan Goossen picks “his friends and colleagues” to judge the Super Six fight.

Despite his confidence that Kessler will retain his title, Sauerland is taking no chances when it comes to the judges and has the backing of the WBA.

“One thing I want to point out. We will not accept Dan’s choice of judges. He has done a great job to get his fighter three fights at home, but now he has appointed three judges from California.

“Needless to say, we will not accept his friends and colleagues judging this fight, so he better starts moving because it takes a while to bring in new judges.”

Sauerland continued: “The WBA has written a strong letter to the Californian commission that the choice of judges is unacceptable but the Californian commission has been somewhat hard to reach.

“The WBA has been trying to contact them, sending faxes and everything. If this issue is not sorted, we can have a Super Six fight, but Mikkel’s world title will not be on the line.”

Goossen defended his position on the judges stating that it was out with both his and his company’s control.

"Our company [Goossen Tutor Promotions] has nothing to do with picking officials. Whoever the WBA and the commission appoint is what we go with. The only man I want to see walking out of the ring is the real champion without any sort of interference."

Ward’s trainer Virgil Hunter, who has handled the undefeated fighter since before his Olympic gold medal in 2004, knows the challenge they have ahead of them, but insists he wants no excuses from Kessler if he loses his title.

"We have a formidable task in front us. Kessler’s a real champion; all accolades he gets, he deserves.

"Years ago, I got a call from a friend to turn on [the TV].  He said that the fighter that was on [Kessler] is going to turn boxing around.  I did turn the television on and I was fascinated. I put Mikkel Kessler in my mental rolodex and my mind processed and unfolded and I began to develop a real respect for him.

"I knew this day would come [when Ward would come to face him] so I began following him and, watching his fight against Calzaghe in Wales, I noticed two things: I kept waiting for him to make adjustments and he didn't and I also noticed that he never stopped fighting.

"Pressure, more pressure, is what I kept hearing. I was disappointed last week when I heard a former publicist say Mikkel Kessler went to Wales with a bad back and broken hand.

“I wanted to hear that the best man won. I just want to say I don't want to hear excuses that something broke or that something was out of place.

"We know what's ahead of us. We know we got a real champ in our way and we know that things will never be the same after Saturday night."