Fighting Jones Is The Perfect Capstone For Calzaghe’s Career
October 29th, 2008
By Jim Dower: On November 8th, Joe Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs) will likely be stepping into the ring for the final time in his 15-year boxing career for a bout against Roy Jones Jr., a fighter that many people consider to be faded and washed up long ago. Calzaghe, 36, has taken heat for having fought almost the entirety of his long career in Europe against mainly European fighters, and only recently has he ventured into the U.S to fight the 43 year-old Hopkins, and now the 39 year-old Jones.
Quite obviously, when taken in as a whole with the lack of what people consider to be quality opponents in Calzaghe’s career, the fight with Jones would seem to be the fitting end to Calzaghe’s career. Instead of facing other more fitting opponents like Chad Dawson, Jermain Taylor, or Carl Froch, we will be seeing Calzaghe face another older fighter as he bows out of the game for good. It’s so sad. Calzaghe’s record looks good on paper, yet when you take a look at it under a microscope, it just doesn’t stand up in comparisons to other fighters like Jones and Hopkins, both of which fought superb opponents during their career. As you’re no doubt aware, Hopkins and Jones are considered all time greats of the sport, and that’s mainly because of the top quality fighters that they’ve proven their worth against throughout their career.
Hands down, both of them never ducked anyone and were never afraid to take on the best. This is why it’s so disappointing that at the end of his career, Calzaghe is choosing to fight an old Jones rather than a younger fighter like the aforementioned Taylor, Dawson or Froch. At least in fighting them, there would be a good chance that Calzaghe would lose the fight and his unblemished record. I can safely assume that there’s not much possibility of Calzaghe losing to Jones, however.
Jones is too old, badly slowed down and pretty much incapable of fighting in the center of the ring for any length of time without having to retreat to the ropes in order to give his weary legs a rest. Now, there are some people who are actually giving Jones a chance against Calzaghe, but I think for those people, it’s more wishful thinking that anything else. From where I sit, Jones doesn’t have even a slim chance at winning. He might have if he had any power, but his speed was his power and that has essentially drained away in the past five years or so.
Like a lot of people, I think Calzaghe would have been beaten down and humiliated against a younger version of Jones. For that matter, even Jones in his early 30s would have been far too much for Calzaghe to deal with. That’s not the case anymore. I don’t even know why Calzaghe is choosing Jones as his last fight, because it seems the worst possible opponent to take given Joe’s largely mediocre resume.
You would think with a whole bunch of stiffs on his record, Calzaghe would want to be finishing strong, taking on someone good for a change like Dawson or Taylor. I would respect that, because at least he would be finishing with some courage and improving his opponents rather than staying with the status quo.
14 Responses to “Fighting Jones Is The Perfect Capstone For Calzaghe’s Career”
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Jim Dower is talking through a hole in his hat. Clearly he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Roy Jones has ducked Joe for years as everybody knows. Talk sense man!
Pretty decent forum this, some knowledgable peeps and some less than knowledgable.
Calzaghe who hopefully will beat Jones and then stop boxing, although from the sounds being made it looks like so many others he will go on and probably ruin his legacy.
Calzaghe is a great, I have seen nearly every one of his fights and he may not have fought many great americans but he has taken on all comers. If you look at his record he has fought really awkward opponents with just about every style going, punchers, counter punchers, peopel that prefer an elbow or a headbutt than a fist, yes some of his fights have been unspectacular but thats because the opponents have had styles that don’t gel with his boxing style. Irrespective of that you have to say that he has beaten them all and found ways to beat awkward opponents like Biko and Hopkins.
Anyone that says he has fought nobodies is a fool, Kessler will go on to prove what an amazing fighter he is, imho the Kessler fight was the toughest fight Calzaghe could have had, Kessler is World Class and Calzaghe passed his prime took him on and beat him.
For those that call him stay at home Joe, sure he stayed at home but why should a Champion give any advantages to his opponents ? Joe now feels he needs to do that for financial purposes and to cement his legacy but he wasn’t wrong to fight his corner. If you are the champ its upto the challenger to take your title not for you to give him a head start is it ?
I can only think of Tyson and Ali that really did that.
Kelly Pavlik is a puncher, if he ever does fight Calzaghe he will go the same way as Lacey they are almost identical styles no lateral movement and as the excellent veteran Hopkins showed ring craft will outdo them. Hopkins says that he took Calzaghe to school which is a joke, he hit Calzaghe with a brilliant counter punch in the first round then he never connected cleanly for the rest of the fight. Calzaghe adapts and overcomes, he can think for himself and solve tough problems. The only fighter in his league in World boxing presently is Mayweather.
So to all the Joe haters, get a life and watch all his fights if you think he has never fought anyone.
sick of peolple with no boxing knowledge saying calzaghe has ducked fights list them for me he has fought and beat anyone who has called him out the truth is he makes people look average or washed up when he beats them if hopkins is washed up where does that leave pavlik the same as the rest of them contenders not a champion simple
wooow! some sense! massive respect fm, im british but i have always been a massive fan of pbf, what an awesome fighter and thats y i like him not cos of where he is from, and being british i must say i hate amir khan, i dont think he is a great figher and it showed in his last fight, on to the subject of jc, his stlye is good not great but technically his is unbeatable and thats what makes him the best at what he does, u cant fight every1 and every1 cant fight u, pick the best forget the rest, name a super-middle weight that is good enough to face jc that hasnt already? not light heavy not middleweight jc is a super-middle and that is what his is going to be remembered for
completely different subject i hope kessler and pavlik fight!!
I also don’t see the great competition that Jones and Hopkins faced other then themselves. I guess you could include James Tony as being great for Jones. As it was beating Ruiz but he is no great fighter so whose left Tarvers not a great fighter but beat him twice. Montell Griffin is he great no, that leaves Virgil Hill is he great? How about the Cop and salesmen he fought? So the way I see Roy’s competition is he beat a out of action Tito who was out of his league, James Tony and Hopkins as the Great fighters he fought. Glen Johnson by no means a great fighter Koed him. Hopkins on the other hand also beat fighters that were out of his League in Pavlik Oscar and Tito. Any great fighter he faced beat him Jones & Calzaghe Taylor might be great when he’s finished boxing but it doesn’t matter he beat Hop Twice! So that leaves Joppy, Eastman and Wright are they Greater than the fighters Joe Has fought? Calzaghe beat the Great Hopkins the Highly regarded Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler he also derailed their careers and gave them their first 0. Guys like Robin Reid and Chris Eubank are comparable to the best of Hopkins and Jones Competition. Joe Calzaghe is in a lose lose Situation when he beats Jones he will have beaten an old washed up fighter who they think could of beaten him in his prime. We can thank Hopkins for looking great in his fight against Pavlik so they can’t say that about him in his fight against Joe. We Americans like to think that the competition is no good unless they fight in the USA. Those same people think that the Heavyweight division stinks because all the Champs are Russian but let me tell you the Klitschko brothers, Ruslan Chagaev, Nikolai Valuev and Alexander Povetkin would be competitive in any era of boxing. Unless Joe becomes a US citizen will he be considered great. Good Luck Joe and kick Jones Big mouth shut. One American who can see through his patriotism and see the truth.
try compare any of hopkins, jones jr oppponents to calzaghe, he is the best out there around his division.
Clearly the writter has an anti-Calzaghe agenda, like alot on here. As I mentioned previously – some of JC’s opponants have been poor-to-moderate, but all fighters, past and present, have a selection of moderate opposition on the records. Let’s not forget JC absolutly destroyed Lacy (the next best thing) and has also put Kessler, Hopkins, Eubank, and Woodall to the sword. AND when he faced B-Hop, it was similiar, Hopkins is 43, too old, easy pay-day etc…but now B-Hop thrashed Pavlik, all of a sudden he’s the best thing again. Anyone in the know, recognises JC as a top operater, who when it’s mattered has upped his game. For sure, he’s beaten some stiffs, but like I say all fighters have a spattering of low grade wins on their record and anyone who thinks otherwise is wearing rose tinted glasses.
Hopkins is so over rated its a joke. JC wooped Lacy, thrashed Hopkins rounds 4 onwards, Battered Kessler and you jumped up septics still cant give him credit. You were all calling for him to fight Pavlik, I for one wish he would have as he would have took him to school. Give the man some bloody respect.
Just out of interest, name 3 genuinely world class fighters active, from the US, and post de la hoya/hopkins…
“Cant hear you????”
Can the guy who wrote this article please list the quality fighters that Jones and Hopkins have faced ? Hopkins two biggest wins were against lighter fighters De La Hoya and Trinidad
Whats all this Calzaghe has ducked fighters but Bhop and Roy havent. Let me fill you in.
You cant duck someone who isnt in your weight division moron.
If you want to call people “duckers” then hows this shape up if be youre reckoning Calzaghe ducked Dawson and Taylor.
Fighters you could say Calzaghe Ducked- Johnson, Beyer,Ottke,Dawson and Taylor
Fighters you could say Roy and Bhop ducked(by your logic)- Jackson,Mccallum,Mcclellan,Graham,Eubank,Benn,Watson,Collins,Beyer,Ottke,Dawson,Taylor,DM,Lewis,Wlad Kiltscko,Kessler,Lacy,Mitchell,Brewer,Reid, Nunn,Diaconu,Holyfield and Vitali Klitschko to name a handful of fighters you might have heard of active at one time or another in each of Roy’s and Bhop’s division.
Well said (Jim Dower) but even though Jones has faded he still has enough class to deal with Mr Joe pound 4 pound in the british ranks lol where you just have to beat a handful off tomato cans and maintain a undefeated record not hard is it? Euro boredom at it’s best.
Just wondering who calzaghe has ducked???
I AGREE WITH JIMMY ,B-HOP BEAT A BLOWN UP TRINIDAD AND DE-LAHOYA,THEN BORED US STIFF IN 2 FIGHTS WITH TAYLOR.CHRST HOW MANY BUMS DID RJJ DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST . IN HIS PRIME HE COULD STAY OUT OF TROUBLE AND OUT BOX ANYBODY NOW HE CLEARLY CAN’T DO THIS FOR 12 RNDS.YOU YANKS WON’T GIVE J.C ANY RESPECT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS.
hopkins defended his title against a lot of nobodys, then got beat by taylor (twice), calzaghe would be too much for taylor and dawson who has done nothing yet. calzaghe has just been way too good for the supermiddleweight division and hasnt had much competition, then came along lacy and kessler. he is one of the best p4p fighters out there.