Calzaghe Record Tarnished, Because The Protected Ducked Him

By Boxing News - 02/06/2009 - Comments

calzaghe46523669By Tom Avington: Joe calzaghe has finally decided to hang up his gloves at 46-0. As the dust settles on his long career, there still remain many question marks. It’s a sad situation to be in, but and unfortunate reality. Calzaghe has never ducked a challenge, but he just cold not get the big name fighters he craved.

Although the states no longer produces all the best fighters in the modern era, it is still the place where all the money is and where the boxers from other parts of the globe want to come and make a name for themselves. So they can earn the big paydays they crave. Joe calzaghe unfortunately was unable to do this because he happened to be in division which was nearly exclusively European. Since he won the WBO title against Chris Eubank he campaigned generally against the best in the division, with a few bums thrown in when fighters pulled out at short notice with injuries etc, e.g. Thomas Tait pulling out through injury, resulting in a mismatch against little known Tuker pudwill.

His main problem started with a fighter in Germany the former IBF and WBA champion Sven Ottke. Ottke would not fight Calzaghe in a unification fight; refusing offersr in the million’s which were tabled by Frank Warren. Sven Ottke had won both his titles through dubious decisions against good American champions in Charles Brewer and Byron Mitchell. Sven Ottke had the judges in his pocket and never left Germany, continuing to defend his titles winning more and dodgier decision against the likes of Glen Johnson and Robin Reid. It meant that Calzaghe was unable to unify the division. His victories against Byron Mitchell and Charles Brewer should have been unification fights, but alas, as long as Otkke had his titles in Germany and his dodgy refs and judges there with him there was not much calzaghe could do.

The WBC title was changing hands a rate of knots, and calzaghe was unable to pin any won down in a unification fight. Apart from Eric Lucas who managed to hold the title for a time, but he refused offer from the calzaghe camp to fight in unification fight.

Calzaghe had to look to America to try and get some big names; the best in the division below was Bernard Hopkins, the best in the division above was Roy Jones, but neither would fight calzaghe, despite attempts by Frank Warren to make the fights happen. In the end Calzaghe was the victim of money and politics, an overhyped fighter like Ottke would not fight him. The ameicans like Hopkins and Jones ducked him. Not willing to take the risk. Warren even offered £3miilions to Hopkins for a fight with Calzaghe. Despite the best efforts of Frank warren, in the end when Calzaghe did get them they were older, and we find another Tyson v Lewis situation, where both Like Tyson when he fought Lewis were considered past there prime, limiting the credit Calzaghe could get from these victories.

Now Calzaghe walks away from the game fed up with politics and money, which got in the way of success, and those fighters who ducked him most of his career. It seems now those question marks will never be answered.

History now seems to be almost repeating itself, when we see a similar situation with Froch and Taylor, Taylor ducking a good European fighter because he is more interested in ££’s signs than in fighting the best.



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