http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2008-04-20-calzaghe-hopkins-folo_N.htm?csp=34 I think with Calzaghe avoiding Hopkins for a while did him. Hopkins wanted Calzaghe 5 years ago when JC was fighting nobody’s. A soon as Hopkins had lost a few he gives it a go against the old man and now he’s a legend??? Now a similar thing is happening with Roy Jones. He’s they had never been able to agree on a fee but now Jones is a veteran Calzaghe will take him on. I don’t take Calzaghe that seriously as a legend. Legends win big fights and super fights with he just doesn’t have. If he beats an aging Jones then he will big himself up again. He needs to take on Jermaine Taylor and Kelly Pavlik. If he beats those 2 then fair then alls good but he needs those 2 fights to prove he is the best.
Whoa there tiger. Calzaghe's been trying for years to get Hopkins in the ring. Hopkins has never wanted to face him. Exactly the same with Roy Jones Jnr. Jones has even stated as much in the papers this week saying that, at the time Calzaghe needed him and he didn't fight him. Now he says the shoe is on the other foot. Calzaghe hasn't ducked anyone, unlike many "champions". And, btw, he's said he'll only fight once more. A big pay-day against Jones seems to tick all the boxes imo.
From what I saw yesterday on HBO someone from Roy Jones’s camp was saying they all but agreed a deal 6 years ago but Calzaghe turned around asked for more money and for the fight to go off in Wales. Roy Jones then went on to face another big name instead. Hopkins was too busy fighting Da Le Hoya and whoever in big fights so fighting Calzaghe would have been a no match at the time. Hopkins past it at 43 showed if he was a few years younger he could have finished JC. Age caught up to him the longer the fight went on so I don’t think JC proved anything in beating him. Never mind have to the poewer to trouble the old man. If Joe wants the big fights, now go and beat Kelly Pavlik to see what he’s made of. Come on, beating never has beens like Lacy, Manfredo and whoever else he’s fought doesn’t make you a legend. As the article says, even Chris Eubank was a late replacement at the time when he beat him. By the way good luck against Pompy.
Lol, wouldn't believe too much of what American commentators and agents say about their fighters tbh. They rate our boxers about as high as a snakes belly and are not happy when their "glory" fighters are beaten. Well beaten. The fight was agreed with Roy Jones by all accounts - and he (Jones) waited until the week before the contract was to be signed before asking for £1m more! I felt for Frank Warren at the time, thought he was going for another stay in hospital! Virtually identical thing happened with Hopkins - only this time Big Bad Bernard waited until the night before then demanded his purse be doubled. Sounds like he really wanted to fight, eh? Eubank was the current title holder when Calzaghe beat him, what was he to do? Unfortunately, Joe can't turn the clock back and make them younger, he can only fight what's in front of him. Remember the other "tough guy" still around after Eubanks, Steve Collins. Agreed (and signed up) to fight Joe. Pulled out and retired rather than face him. Hmmmm... Agree with the Manfredo fight, that was only ever to make money. Christ, there's people in my town who'd have a good crack at Manfredo! Joe wants one last big pay-day and has said recently that he'd like to retire unbeaten. He could fill the MillStad with a fight against Jones & would make far more fighting him than Pavlik. Tbh, I'd like to see a re-match with Hopkins in Cardiff, I'd love to see the reaction to his bad-mouthing - and see if he had the bottle to even show up in the ring afterwards. Think he'd be in prison long before that anyway, he wouldn't get away with that garbage over here. Thanks for the good wishes v Pompey btw!
Don’t believe what you hear about things like that. My cousin used to work at the MEN with the events coordinator helping with bookings etc. Under Frank Warrens days with Ricky Hatton he was always making contact with them trying to book for certain dates then cancelling before booking a smaller venue in Wales for against someone else. It was always quite hard to get opponents for him due to the version of the title he held. Kessler, yes he’s decent, but more rugged than dangerous. Clinton Woods for example is rubbish but he held a higher ranked belt than JC for a few years. The amount of times JC dropped out of available dates was quite regular. If there’s another sport I do know about its boxing and not one to just go by hype. Agreed JC would make more money against Jones but if he wants to leave a legacy he needs to take out the young guys and not just the veterans. Yes Calzaghe is good, but legend? Not yet. Needs a few career defining fights. In a way it’s like Cardiff City taking on the 99 Treble winning man U squad tomorrow. They could probably keep it tight and maybe sneak a win. Doesn’t mean they are better than them though does it. All they have done is been a few has been’s who are not up to it anymore.
Main reason for Calzaghe dropping out of fights was his brittle hands. Always been a problem with him. In fact, he was told in no uncertain terms not to drop out of a recent fight because of the damage it was doing to his promotions, think it was the one before the Lacy fight where he broke his hand in first couple of rounds and still went on to win. When the date is then moved, he has no option other than to reschedule it at a smaller venue when the undercard is also revised. I'm not saying Calzaghe is a legend, never have - don't think he is either btw. But his record stands up there with ANY British fighter of any generation past or present. Think you'll find Jeff Lacy was one of these "young guns" you mention as well - until Joe absolutely ruined his career. Took away his alleged invincibility much the same as Buster Douglas did with Tyson. Lacy was the next big thing according to those in the know Stateside. JC in fairness has been saying for years that he wants career-defining fights. It's just that they couldn't attract the purse money in the States (Joe wasn't rated by many pre the Lacy fight) and the big names wouldn't come over here. Why should they when they can remain on the Las Vegas gravy train. And yes, Cardiff City ARE better than Man Utd
Yawn Yawn Yawn Some people just like putting down our sporting legends. That's sadly the British way for a lot of people. If it wasn't for his bad hands, he would have stood a chance of retiring 50-0.
If it was nt for warren getting him in against stiffs the he would not have got to 25-0 If he had been up against someone that could fight back I would have been more impressed with him. He fight like a school kid, a lot of slaps and arm whirling. he throws a lot of punches but does not land many hard shots.
Which one is the cheat? Hopkins for feigning a low blow or Calzaghe for deliberately throwing a low blow? "WBC/WBA/WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe admitted to the London Daily Mail that he intentionally hit Bernard Hopkins low in the second round of their fight Saturday, but says Hopkins was faking it in the tenth when he went to the canvas from an apparent light shot below the belt from the Welshman. "What a crap actor," said Calzaghe. "He looked like he'd been shot in the balls, not hit. When I hit him there in the second round, that was proper deliberate. He'd knocked me down in the first so I had to give him a dig, didn't I? But the tenth — that was a lie, that one.....he's a cheat." So its OK to hit someone in the nuts, but not to fake it?????
It has got nothing to do with his Country of Origin its cos he is a gobby **** that only takes on old men or no-hopers, not quite all of them, he did a great job on Lacy and Kessler(but these 2 were not that good), but in the main he has beaten nothing much other than washed up /nobodies.
So Ring magazine reckon he's the 3rd best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, he's been a world champion for ten years and has an undefeated record, but he's ****? Er, okay.
