By Chris Williams: Sounding a more than a little defensive and angry in an interview with The Sun, undefeated Joe Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs) ripped into middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs), saying that Pavlik declined to fight him after he made an effort to fight him just after he (Calzaghe) had defeated Jeff Lacy back in 2006. Rather than fight him, Calzaghe points out, Pavlik chose to fight Jermain Taylor, who Pavlik beat twice. Calzaghe claims that after Pavlik defeated Gary Lockett in June 2008, he failed to approach Calzaghe about a fight. It was only after Calzaghe signed for a fight with the 39 year-old Roy Jones Jr. (52-4, 38 KOs), that Pavlik “started to get brave,” Calzaghe says. What Calzaghe says seems somewhat odd, however, because Pavlik had previously shown great interested in fighting Calzaghe before and after the fight with Lockett, and would seen curious that Calzaghe believes that Pavlik wasn’t interested in a fight.
Pavlik, arguably the best fighter in the middleweight division, has been interested in a fight with Calzaghe for well over a year, something that most boxing fans are well aware of by now. It was thought that Calzaghe would fight him after Pavlik’s fight with Lockett recently. However, instead of signing on with a fight with the young 26 year-old knockout artist Pavlik, Calzaghe turned his sights over to what most fans feel is an easier opponent in the thirty-nine year old Roy Jones Jr., a fighter that is clearly in the twilight of his once great boxing career. Saying that he’s accomplished all that there is in his career, Calzaghe has recently announced that his November 8th fight against Jones will be his last fight of his career, and that he will retire immediately after the fight.
The light middleweight division is barren of stars, as is the middleweight and super middleweight divisions. The same goes for the light heavyweight division. Perhaps the only fighters that fans would even consider as an opponent for Calzaghe would be someone like Oscar De La Hoya or Antonio Margarito. I doubt seriously that De La Hoya would want to risk getting his face slapped around by Calzaghe for 12 long, likely embarrassing rounds, and in the case of Margarito, he would be simply way too small for Calzaghe.
Other than Pavlik, there would be no other fighters that the boxing fans would take seriously enough to listen to if Calzaghe was challenged in his retirement. For that reason, it’s important for Calzaghe to try and somehow reconsider his decision to retire after his fight with Jones, and instead fight one more time against Pavlik, even if it means a potentially career ending loss. There’s no shame in losing to a fighter like Pavlik, is there? I think there’s more shame in avoiding him and having people question Calzaghe’s manhood than in facing him and trying his best.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:54 am
calzaghe will never go down in boxing history as one of the greats.not in ameriac any way.most of his victories was from unknown fighters and the only real fighter he beat was hopkins and calzaghe only won that fight was because hopkins said that he will never let a white boy beat him.thats why hopkins did not get the nod and for lacey he beat a fighter no a robot that stud ther and looked for one lucky right or left hook.and all the other fighters was c class fighters.oh roy jones jr will have just enough left in him to beat calzaghe ass.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:05 am
marvin ur lack of knowledge is startling. c class fighters like kesler undefeated ibf champ when joe beat him. now wba champ and ranked 1 in super mid. Bika still ranked 9 in world. eubank one of the all time great super mids with 23 champ fights. Just because you havent heard of anyone outside america doesnt make them c class except manfredo jnr!
September 18th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Calzaghe said he planned on retiring after two more fights before he fought Hopkins. Jones garners more attention as a fighter because he’s more well-known on the international circuit, being a bona fide legend, and not just in the US. Pavlik will earn his shot after the Hopkins fight (provided he wins) but by then, Calzaghe won’t necessarily want to keep going, and honestly, doesn’t owe it to anyone to take up the opportunity. Frankly, there will ALWAYS be someone beating down the door for the number one spot. He’d get the same criticism if Pavlik didn’t exist. It’s all too clear to the discerning observer that he’s being criticised because he’s not an American. This constant unbalanced “journalism” is getting in the way of reality.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
When mentioning opponents for Joe Calzaghe, why isn’t anyone bringing up Chad Dawson. He’s by far poses a bigger threat than Kelly Pavlik. It’s true that Pavlik is undefeated and shown himself to be a good champion but, Chad Dawson has shown the same level of competency while being bigger and having fought the better level of opposition.
September 19th, 2008 at 8:13 am
I am sick of hearing how Joe has faced mainly euro boxers, as if it is a step down. When he has faced american boxers they have faired a lot worse than the so called inferior european boxers. Look at how Manfredo and Lacy coped with Joe, comapred to say Kessler & Eubank. There may be some rubbish euro fighters on Joes record as you generally fight poorer opposition when you first start out; in the same way Pavlik will have a lot of poor american oppsotion on his record from when he first started out. But simply being an american does not automatically mean you are a better boxer.
October 4th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Calzaghe is scared of Pvlik,so don’t plan on seeing him man up.He’s a pus*y.