By Eric Thomas: In yesterday’s boxing news about super middleweight/light heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe’s (45-0, 32 KOs) ending his relationship with his famous promoter Frank Warren, we see that Calzaghe is also not interested in fighting Kelly Pavlik at all, ever. Instead, Calzaghe, 36, said that he plans on moving forward and will be his own boxing promoter and will be likely fighting Roy Jones Jr. in the coming months, a fight which would be Calzaghe’s final bout of his career. The news about Pavlik, however, is like a dagger to the heart of most boxing fans because many of them much rather wanted to see this fight than the likely dull fight against the faded 39 year-old Jones, who is well past it at this point in his diminishing career.
Calzaghe, for whatever reason, appears to want no part of Pavlik, and seems to want things to be much easier by facing the much less powerful Jones. Who can blame Calzaghe, though, since Pavlik with his huge power would be a very tough fight for Calzaghe to win and might very well beat him.
I suspect that Calzaghe, if he was ever seriously considering fighting Pavlik, it might have died out when Calzaghe watched him dismantle Gary Lockett in three brutal rounds earlier this month. Lockett, a tough fighter with a lot of power, is trained by Calzaghe’s father, Enzo. Seeing a fighter that Calzaghe is very familiar with getting stopped in such a one-sided fashion, couldn’t have given him good feelings about having to face Pavlik and risk having the same done to him.
Calzaghe accomplished this to an extent, fighting Mikkel Kessler, Peter Manfredo Jr., Jeff Lacy and then most recently Bernard Hopkins. A fight with the 39 year-old Roy Jones Jr. would obviously be a continuation of this path, since it’s a fight that will bring Calzaghe a good payday despite Jones’ now faded skills. However, none of these fights compare to the kind of money that Calzaghe would make against Pavlik, and it’s not even close. For this reason, few fans or boxing writers alike believe Calzaghe when he says he doesn’t see Pavlik as a challenge. Indeed, they seem to think it’s the opposite of that - Pavlik is perhaps too big of a threat for Calzaghe to fight.
It doesn’t help matters that Calzaghe is totally obsessed with ending his career with his unbeaten record intact, thinking that it will leave him with a legacy of everlasting glory. That may or may not be the case, it’s hard to say at this point, but I personally don’t think his glory will be anything what he thinks it will be if he fails to summon his courage and fight Pavlik. I don’t think the fans will forget it, and probably neither with Calzaghe, either. No matter how much he’s accomplished in his long career, to be seen as someone that is showing fear of another fighter like Pavlik, I think, is a major turn off for fans.
Calzaghe can walk away from the fight, but in doing so he appears to be harming his legacy and leaving a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. In this case, it would be much better if Calzaghe fought Pavlik, even if he does lose the fight. At least by facing him, Calzaghe can say that he tried, and I think that will sit much better with the fans at the end of the day than if he just plain avoids Pavlik and gives a series of hard to swallow excuses.
June 25th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Ha haaaa, yeahh right, sure, cmon now lets get back to the rel world yeah. Calzaghe would leave pavlick standing. Ok so there is always a chance that Joe could be caught with a big punch but it is extremely doubful that the robotic Pavlick could catch him flush. Like I said before Joe would have a field day showing off his boxing skills in this fight. As for Roy Jones - ok so he aint the same fighter but he is still a force in the ring and has gotten better and more confident with each fight, roy is actually very powerful, dont forget all those knockouts on his record. A prime roy Jones would embaress Pavlick as would joe Calzaghe. Joe isnt scared, he obviously wants to fight a hero of his and see’s Pavlick as a fight that simply doesnt interest him. Do you think that if the tides were turned and Pavlick were in his Joe’s shoes he wouldnt do the same?. Joe has earned his right.
June 26th, 2008 at 6:45 am
My gosh, this commentator has a very short memory. Are we talking about the same JC that was supposed to have the snot beaten out of him by one Jeff Lacy, the Jaw smashed to pieces by Kessler and out-boxed by Hopkins ? Please, stop the ’smack’ talkin and keep it real in a way that JC’s record deserves. He would kick Pavlik’s arse, full stop, no discussion !! JC would dance rings about the pondering and cumbersome Pavlik … Infact, Joe would possibly make Pavlik quit with such a badly swollen face that the either his corner or the ref would call the unmerciful assault off in the interest of Pavlik’s life ….
June 26th, 2008 at 6:58 am
… Sorry, but I’d forgotten to add that Pavlik has heart and an ability to pull himself back from the brink against fighters that lack the ability to finish a fighter off correctly … Joe, however, wouldn’t be favourite to inflict a straight KO, but more of a long drawn out ‘beating’, by using his ring craft, skill and exceptional hand-speed. However, this would only apply if they fought at Super-Mid - this is where I think JC is at his best … I didn’t like the rather obvius slow-down when he fought Hopkins at Light-heavy. yes, Pavlik would be moving up a
weight and might benefit a touch from that when you look at his frame, but JC is no doubt at his optimum at Super. You could argue that Pvlik would always stand a punchers chance, but JC has always shown an ability to ride a take a powerful shot, even after getting off the floor. Pavlik is no more powerful a puncher than JC has faced most of his career at Super-Middle. Infact, Pavlik may find the power os the super-mids a little more than he has been used to at Middle. Still, if the public pressure mounts, JC might just finally agree to whoop the boy, if little else than to silnce his undeserved critics once again !! I, personally, would like to see him fight Roy Jones, as I think Jones and JC would be a better fight than many are predicting, by far.
June 26th, 2008 at 7:55 am
There is a lot of sh*t that gets put out on this website lets not forget its boxingnew24 not some 4 some lil spotty kid putting his own biased views on becuase hes sexually attracted 2 pavlik, Pavlik is good but the way these people are making joe sound like hes still a challenger trying to prove himself to the world just how great a boxer he is, pavlik should aim 2 fight mikkel kessler first and if he can deaft him then then maybe joe will even think of a fight after finishing with jones jr
June 26th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I this writer truly believes that JC would make more money fighting Pavlik than Roy Jones Jr, someone needs to take his pen off him and stick it in his f*cking eye. Eric, why don’t you take Pavlik’s cock out your mouth and start writing something resembling an insightful article and not the same old “Calzaghe is scared” nonsense, (which incidentally preceded the Jeff Lacy ass f*ck rodeo)
June 26th, 2008 at 10:45 am
That said, I think it would be a fairly competitive 12 round fight, with JC using his experience, superior movement and unorthodox angles to frustrate and out box the relatively unproven Pavlik. I honestly believe that Roy Jones Jr offers more of a threat than Pavlik. IMO if Pavlik faces King Arthur then Kessler, he’ll likely experience 1 or 2 losses before the end of 2009 and the fickle American public will turn on him in much the same why as Jeff Lacy. 2008 P4P greatest of all time, 2009 tomato can journey man.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Eric lay off the crack pipe bud. you yanks have a cheek talking about joe ducking kelly. first point is that he isnt,the fight will happen (and the ref will save pavlick inside 7) but after the jones jr fight. second how about floyd ( i need a dodgy ref ) mayweather who would rather do wwe than have a rematch with ricky hatton or delahoya or face cotto and a number of others. And hopkins glen johnson and jones jr ALL ducked joe when he (and them ) were in their prime. But now hes a name across the pond and left super middle they all suddenly want him. Lets see Calzaghe Vs Jones Jr and Pavlick Vs Kessler then lets get it on.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I’ve said it once and i’ll say it again. What makes the yanks think they are so special when they think that all boxers have to prove themselves by travelling over the pond and winning? Nonsense! JC has proved his credentials and is sensible to fight Jones and secure his future. Pavlick will come and go within a couple of years and will not sustain a long and illustrious carreer as Joe has, so why don’t all you disbelievers get off his back and give him some credit. Wales forever!!
June 28th, 2008 at 11:35 am
what a joke. calzaghe called out pavlik but pavlik claimed he wanted to wipe out his division. no way would pavlik make more money than jones. if abraham was american and pavlik wasn’t they would be saying he’s ducking him right now.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
carnt belive every one thinks it will be easy for joe to beat kelly i think its joes riskest fight to date may be to risky