By Adam Wells: Joe Calzaghe had the same problem during his career as David Haye is having in the heavyweight division right now. Calzaghe was regarded by the top fighters in America as the dangerous Welshman who couldn’t command a sky high fee or for that matter a decent crowd.

I believe Calzaghe’s big mistake was beating Chris Eubank so early on in his career. Do not try to tell me none of the top dogs in the US didn’t take any notice of this one. They refused to take on such a dangerous unknown opponent, because he simply was not worth the risk.

Yes, Frank Warren probably protected Calzaghe during this time but it was the same thing that Roy Jones Jr’s promoter was doing over in the U.S., as Roy was making a name for himself in the middleweight division fighting boxers who couldn’t lace his boots.

You got to give credit to Mikkel Kessler for stepping to the plate to fight Calzaghe, which in fairness, Kessler probably had to do as he will have been having the same problems as Joe. A talented dangerous Dane who couldn’t command the money or the glamour. Make no mistake, Calzaghe easily beat Kessler in this fight and Kessler had been on fire for years.

So what now? The Americans decide to send their brightest star in Jeff Lacy to silence the annoying Welshman once and for all. There is no way anyone in the Lacy camp thought Calzaghe would beat him but beat him he did in emphatic style.

Cue Bernard Hopkins finally realizing he was big news and smelt a payday a mile off. Don’t tell me Hopkins was finished as AFTER this fight. He destroyed one of the best middleweights in the world in Kelly Pavlik (yes, I know I’m gonna get the banter that Pavlik jumped up a weight but so did Calzaghe.)

I have no idea where the notion comes from that Bernard won this fight. Were you watching the same fight as me? I didn’t give Hopkins a round in the last seven of the fight, which ended up with Calzaghe winning by a 12 round split decision.

So here comes Roy Jones wanting a payday, too, and he decided to come in defending with his face and was beaten to a pulp. The only reason that I believe Calzaghe didn’t knock him out was out of respect.

So before anyone comes back and says Calzaghe didn’t fight anyone, please remember it was these so-called “legends” that avoided Calzaghe for years, and not the other way around. And when they did come calling, Calzaghe beat them all.