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Calzaghe: Pavlik is gutless
Joe Calzaghe has rubbished claims that he is only fighting Roy Jones Jnr because he is afraid of losing to Kelly Pavlik.
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Comments (35)
Nicholas Bauer says...
"he was the best that you yanks had to offer what a joke.." "i hate it when americans cant face the truth..." "There will always be a yank ready to try and prove himself..." Joe Calzaghe is a great fighter - you should be very proud - but let's ease up a bit before we start christening him the greatest middleweight of all time. After all, we're talking about a division that has dominated throughout the years by the likes of LaMotta, Hagler, Hearns, Leonard and De La Hoya - the very best of what we "Yanks" have to offer. There are plenty of reasons to hate the good ol' US of A and it's citizens that don't involve boxing (please contact me for a complete, up to date list). As for myself, I hate it when anyone - regardless of where they're from - can't face the truth....
Posted 05:53 13th October 2008
Phil Manfredi says...
Anyone who thinks Calzaghe even would have had a chance against roy jones in his prime is out of their mind. Hopkins in his prime would have school Calzaghe. And to pavlik dodging Calzaghe, are u serious?? Who remembers super middle weight champs??, middleweight is where legends are made. The only reason Calzaghe wanted to fight pavlik is because he probably figured him as a an undefeated pushover, until he beat miranda and taylor and showed his for real. Now, Calzaghe wants nothing to do with him...
Posted 18:35 6th October 2008
Martyn Sexton says...
Joe is unbeaten. Beat the so called best every time, he has ducked nobody. He is a LEGEND
Posted 21:42 26th September 2008
Dan Huck says...
Chris Robinson have you heard yourself Sir ??? Read your last comment and tell me you believe it one single bit ???? You say Calzaghe was faster than Jones which I think is a bit of ridiculous comment but saying Calzaghe has more power in his punches is absolutely OUT OF THIS WORLD !! Calzaghe is considered by everyone in the world of pugilism a 'slapper'. No other example of this is neccesary as watching him dominate Lacy for 12 rounds and not being able to stop him. Injin Chi could have put him on his back with that many punches. Mental !!!!!
Posted 04:50 26th September 2008
Stu Raynes says...
I've followed Joe's career since the amateurs and I'm a fan of the man but in my opinion Calzaghe lost to Robin Reid (lucky decision), only one fighter got hurt in that fight and it wasn't RR- likewise he got spoiled and schooled by an ancient BH (did you see his face after the fight?) I've no doubts that Pavlik holds no fear for Joe but I for one will never rate Calzaghe as a Legend - very good bordering on great but thats it, and as for the RJJ fight well ok in 2000 but not relevant in 2008!
Posted 22:22 25th September 2008
Hank Mcmanus says...
joe calzaghe is the undisputed champ he will beat jones and if it comeas to it he will beat pavlik.the ghost,if hes the ghost joe will be the ghost buster and do what he does to all his other opponents and beat them.joe is a legend in the middleweight division,and in boxing all together.
Posted 20:02 25th September 2008
Nick Courbet says...
Calzaghe never fought Hopkins or Jones in their prime because he held a lightly regarded belt (WBO) in an extremely weak division (168lbs). He had never fought outside his back yard, so for people to say Jones/Hopkins etc were afraid to face Joe back then are living in a fantasy world. He hadn't established a reputation or any credibility, even as an undefeated champion, not until beating lacy, kessler etc, by which point the best P4P fighters of the 90's were way past their best. Unfortunately Joe is doing nothing for his legacy through fighting Jones, as his reflexes aren't what they were and age/weight loss have taken their toll. However, if he did unexpectedly get beat by Jones, i.e. Jones rolls back the years somehow and schools Calzaghe it would damage his legacy immensely. He should have taken the braver option and chased Pavlik as he in my opinion would have taken Pavlik's 0 anyway and cemented his legacy. All we have now is as usual a big question mark over how good Calzaghe was, given the 2 biggest names on his record will be old shot fighters (No disrespect Hopkins/Jones). I think most boxing enthusiasts would agree that Calzaghe is good but a prime Jones Junior mid to late 90's was a very different breed and would have defeated any of the greats of any era including peak Calzaghe!!! And it wouldn't be nearly as competitive in my opinion as you'd have thought.
Posted 11:18 25th September 2008
Christopher Robison says...
the reason jones did'nt fight calzaghe 5 or 6 years ago is because he knew he had no chance of winning lets be honest about. calzaghe is far faster and packs alot more power in his punches just lacey who got batterd for 12 rounds and dont forget that he was the best that you yanks had to offer what a joke. joe beat kessler a young hungry fighter who was in his prime. he batterd charles brewer who as a good fighter plus there's hopkins, eubank, robin reid and now jones is next. pavlik has ran twice from joe, he knows that he has no hope in hell of beating joe thats why he's mouthing of. plain and simple calzaghe is the best super middleweight of all time.
Posted 02:09 25th September 2008
Zaheer Iqbal says...
Boxing wont be the same when the likes of calzaghe retires, heavyweight devison is already finished & joe is a master in middleweight which he ruled for over a decade, there will always be critics no matter what calzaghe achieves even when he is undefeated champion, pavlik is just another so called big thing to come out from america, its easy to talk, remember jeff lacy, undefeated big american thing called him the new tyson, calzaghe dismantled him with ease, kessler was another next big thing but to come out from europe instead & he was more dangerous then lacey & again calazaghe gave him a boxing lesson, i admit the likes of hopkins passed there best but its not calzaghes fault that they ducked him & even if they didnt then calzaghe would have beaten them, calzaghe is a legend, ive never seen a boxer in my time with the hand speed & skill of joe, his only weakeness was that he got injured alot with his hand but even then he destroyed his oponents with one hand, once calzaghe beats the other legend (jones) then he should retire & forget abt the jokers like pavlik who i personally believe would get beaten if he fought froch or kessler.
Posted 13:09 22nd September 2008
Paul Hughes says...
It's funny...I interviewed Calzaghe six years ago and we threw some names about. He said he feared the politics of boxing would stop him having those big career defining fights, because of marketabiliy etc. All of a sudden...those big names are knocking on HIS door...because all of a sudden THEY need the payday. Age aside, I think the Jones fight will be good, much better than the Hopkins fight. Personally I think Joe should retire after it, win or lose. He doesn't NEED Pavlik.
Posted 10:54 22nd September 2008
Leonard Harding says...
Plain truth is Hopkins best years were at Middleweight years ago and he was beaten twice by Jermain taylor. Yes he beat Tarver but come on the guy was severely drained from coming down from Heavyweight. Roy Jones Jnr knocked out by Tarver and Johnson. Joe is proving nothing by beating these guys because it's already been done he will just add his name to a list of guys that did it before him. He should have chased and chased Pavlik to cement his legacy or someone like Chad Dawson or dare I say it Carl Froch, all these guys are highly regarded, dangerous and live opponents. As much respect that I have for Joe and all his achievements these fights with Hopkins and Jones are purely about Money and not achieving greatness, you can't do that by beating fossils
Posted 09:37 22nd September 2008
Robbie Herd says...
When will these people ever give up. JC is at the end of boxing career, he has beaten everyone put in his path. The simple fact is that there will always be up and coming fighters ready for a crack at the champ but you've got to draw a line in the sand at sometime. What if JC fights and wins this punk, then there will be another punk shouting exactly the same. Its too late sonshine, you missed you chance, JC will retire an unbeaten legend, without having ducked ANYONE.
Posted 22:30 20th September 2008
Danny Cheung says...
i hate it when americans cant face the truth. When Calzaghe was in his prime, he offered all the top fighters a bout with him. They all turned him down knowing that he would destroy all of them. Now just because hes old they try to take advantage and fight him now,knowing he isnt as good as he was,yet he was still able to beat Hopkins. Calzaghe will always go down as a legend for me. He would of beat them in his prime,it isnt his fault they ducked him.
Posted 21:44 20th September 2008
Aidan Reid says...
It aint Joe who avoided the fights with Hopkins and Jones in the past, it was the Yanks, scared of losing there reputation to Joe. Calzaghe has always wanted to fight the best, but the problem is, he cant because he is the best. He wont be beaten!
Posted 18:10 20th September 2008
Gavin Hinkins says...
I would think everyone would know by now that its not always ducking because someone 'is scared', the fights have to be marketable. When RJJ and Hopkins were in their primes, they didnt want to fight Calzaghe because he was an uneccasary risk, and noone stateside would want to watch Calzaghe. Now is a different matter. Im sure if Froch started calling out Pavlik, Pavlik wouldnt fight Carl as Carl isnt too well known over there. I think Froch V Pavlik would be a better fight. I dont see the problem with letting fighters at the end of their careers go for the big name fights for abit of money. I just hope Hopkins wins and stops all this stupid talk from Pavlik.
Posted 15:50 20th September 2008
P. Moriarty says...
When Joe fought Eubank , Eubank was not champion the title was vacated by STEVE COLLINS plus Eubank was past his prime Lacy was unproven and OLD Hopkins from what i saw and a lot of other people beat Joe the only good fighter that Joe beat was Kessler not the stuff of legends . compared to a prime ROY JONES and JAMES TONEY CAlzaghe is jut another fighter a good one but not great one
Posted 14:44 20th September 2008
Ian Cornish says...
I cannot believe some of the rubbish on here claiming Calzaghe has never fought anybody,he is a coward etc. Calzaghe has never ducked anyone.The reason he didn't fight the likes of Jones and Hopkins 4-5 years ago is simple,they ducked him!If he fought Pavlik (a good puncher but limited ) and beat him there would be someone else the knockers would claim he was scared of and had to fight t o prove himself.If he beat Pavlik no doubt the latter would become another overrated bum.As for the claim Lacey was a novice,he was IBF world champion ffs!
Posted 12:36 20th September 2008
Dave Edmunds says...
How can people say that Joe Calzaghe has not fought the best. he has ruled the super middle weight division for years. Fighting the best in the division. When he fought Chris Eubank when he was the Champion in the division, nobody gave him a chance. He has had excellent management in his career and hasn't rushed into big money making fights early in his career like another British boxer. He has bided his time an fought good opponents along the way. even the best boxing critics have doubted him in previous fights. ie: Jeff lacy, kessler and Hopkins and he shut the critics up. Jeff lacy was supposed to be the best American super middle weight at the time he fought him. an look what happened there. And kessler was the best contender when they faught and he won. In boxing there is always sombody lower down the ranks saying they will defeat the best. And this time its pavlik. if joe kept fighting after jones and fought pavlik who will be next to say that joe's scared to fight them lucian bute or carl froch? truthfully there both good fighters but not a scratch on Calzaghe? Calzaghe is a legend. no matter who u fight every fighter is capable of winning. One punch can change a fight.
Posted 14:11 19th September 2008
Gary G says...
Does no one realise that calzaghe wanted to fight Jones and Hopkins when they were champions but none of them 2 wanted to fight him because they were scared of losing there belts to him. Now they are not champions the only way they can make a name for themselves again is by fighting Calzaghe as he is the biggest name out there in there respective division. Who can blame Calzaghe for taking these big money fights now when none of these so called legends would not give him a big pay day back then. Anyway Calzaghe would wipe the floor with Pavlik.
Posted 14:10 19th September 2008
Les Goodman says...
Enough of the 'British running scared' garbage already. Even the poor performance by Calzaghe was good enough to beat the 'executioner' and on his good days he has outclassed plenty of fighters. 45 and 0 says it all! If you want to look at running scared and dodging fighters how about the American heavyweights all dodging David Haye?
Posted 13:09 19th September 2008