Why did Joe Calzaghe and Sven Ottke never fight?

both guys had a belt, a national following and were both limited. why fight each other when you can make money fighting nobodies at home. this would have been a pick 'em fight in the late 90s.

 

Yep.

So hard to defeat the guy. Southpaw with top shelf whiskers/top shelf conditioning/whiskers/ringsmarts. That all adds up to a hard night's work for anyone.

And me, I think he boxes his way to lopsided wins over the boards guys that never ever lose a fight to anyone ever hypothetical guys; Hearns and Leonard.

I don't see either guy doing well and think those bouts mirror the Calzaghe--Jones fight where everything goes Joe's way and he holds a boxing clinic and opponents spend their time either A:covering up or B:missing.

 

Well Joe fought Mitchell so I doubt he had issues fighting ottke.

Sven probably was more to blame but its hard to be sure.

 

Calzaghe and Frank called Ottke out, made a decent offer and were willing to travel to Germany for the fight. Sven wanted nothing to do with Joe.

[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3163285.stm[/url]

[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3090294.stm[/url]


Ottke didn't fancy his chances and wanted nothing to do with Calzaghe. Which is a shame, would have been another great win for Joe's legacy

 

Ottke made good paydays in Germany, Joe did in Wales, I'm not sure a unification would have increased the amount they made significantly, hence it didn't happen. Calzaghe wanted it near the end of Ottke's reign when he was past it

Ottke was past prime in '03 though and W@rren around this time had a history of making derisory offers

Ottke's camp say that their fighter is already receiving purses in excess of the amount on offer.


Still I do think Calzaghe wanted this one and he would have won, Ottke may have made it messy

 

That's a fair post, you're right about ******. I think the offer of $1m was fair to Ottke, I just think he didn't fancy it. His team stated there were bigger offers from elsewhere, but never actually state where

Ottke was past his best in 2003, but still an undefeated champ and the consensus no.2 SMW, it would have been a defining fight. I think Calzaghe wears Ottke down and stops him late in 2003, in an ugly fight

 

Joe was a masterful fighter managed like an amateur. Also, brittle hands.

I can't imagine how difficult brittle hands would make a career.

 

Because Wales isn't in Germany.

 

Joe was a bigger puncher than he gets credit for, but his injuries meant he was rarely able to sit down on his shots. Credit to him for adapting his style very effectively.

How would you class Joe's style magna?

 

ottke was a coward who would have lost to joe in neutral territory but ottke would win in Germany, and no way was joe going to Germany to lose a fixed fight.

to be fair, joe was ahead of ottke in that game, he had his welsh refs famous for carrying welshboys to their corners and stopping fights after three slaps. But bear no bones joe was better than sven.

 

The answer is the title of Ottke's book. He was...

Waiting for Hugo Corro

 

Shame Ottke would not take the fight, Joe wanted it but Ottke didn't need it...i think Joe would have dominated

 

:good

 

Ottke wanted no part of it. Can't blame Joe for not fighting him in Germany.

No way can Svenns hit and run tactics beat Joe Calzaghe.

 

Ottke made pretty big money from German TV, he was more popular and higher paid than Darius I believe.

Joe only really went after the Ottke fight after Reid was robbed in Germany. Ottke was past it then and Joe would have won.

Prime for prime though it's more interesting and Ottke I believe is 1 of the most underrated boxers of the last 30 years. Very hard to hit clean, very tehnically solid and deceptively fast.