Calzaghe tried to fight Hopkins in the early 2000's

I think you have a point here, but so do the other guys. What they fail to realise is that guys like Hopkins like fights that actually improve their legacies and reputations. So, even if the offer was fair, JOe was an absolute nobody at the time and there's no chance the fight would have been a big pay per view bout in the states.

 

This is about the 500,000th time this topic has been brought up.

 

And also, what is 'officially' calling someone out?
Assuming the post that we're both responding to is true.... what makes Hopkins "call out" more official than the TPs transcript?[/quote]


Because one actually was a "call out" and the other wasn't. A "call out" is simply when a fighter says he wants to fight another guy on national television. Yes, I agree with you that there is really nothing that makes a call out official. However, what Joe did, assuming that it is true, was float an offer to Hopkins. And I'm sure that boxers of Hopkin's calibre and fame receive literally dozens of offer for each fight date. So, it wasn't a call out.

 

Calzaghe was meant to fight Tate in dec 02 to help promote a fight with Hopkins in 03 but Tate pulled out and Calzaghe fought Pudwill instead. Calzaghe was an unknown in the US at that point so the Tate fight was necessary to build interest in Hopkins/Calzaghe. So that may explain as to why Hopkins backed out of the 3 fight deal with showtime at that point.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/2511439.stm

Calzaghe then did fight an American in the form of Mitchell which then led to the $2.5 million offer to fight in feb 04. Fact is by that point Hopkins was looking for bigger fights like De La Hoya and was on a mission to set a record 20 defenses at middleweight.

While clearly Calzaghe was chasing a fight with Hopkins at that point which does discredit alot of the crap that says Calzaghe was being protected early on, the fight didn't take place for business reasons. Both these fighters early on in their careers where accused of poor opposition but the business and politics of boxing sometimes prevents what we see as logical fights taking place.

 

How, praytell, could Hopkins have realized that Calzaghe was a great fighter in 2002? .He hadn't done jack at the time and nobody know who he was.

 

Why exactly are you arguing? Seriously? Are you trying to convince people that Amrerican fighters were actually ducking Joe for all those years? That's ridiculous. And one proposed fight, even if it is true, does not your argument prove.

 

so in effect fighting carl daniels and morrade Hakkar made more business and legacy sense than fighting Calzaghe?

 

It's also in about three other threads right now. Not sure why it needed it's own thread.

 

I couldn't agree more. Furthermore, I don't believe Calzaghe ducked anyone either. He just have absolutely no desire to fight the best. He was happy in the UK making a tidy sum knocking out second-rate contender. This does not mean Joe wasn't a very good fighter, but what even the most avid fan must or at least should admit is that Calzaghe didn't stray far from home and he didn't call out the big names in the press. Yes, he was a very good fighter...not a great one.

 

Daniels was the IBF mandatory challenger and Hakkar was the WBC mandatory challenger. These were not voluntary defences, Hopkins needed these fights if he wanted to keep his titles. The boxing organisations tried to do what they always do when a non marquee fighter becomes undisputed champion they enforce mandatories in an attempt to split the titles so they can make more cash, but Hopkins did what was necessary to keep the titles.

Fact is Hopkins was trying to get either a lucrative rematch with Tito or a fight with De La Hoya, he wasn't interested in anyone else but these 2 guys. He simply wanted a big money fight and during this period only took on madatories. Daniels (IBF), Hakkar (WBC), Joppy (WBA), Allen (IBF). His first Voluntary defence after becoming undisputed champion was De La Hoya.

 

On paper, it looked like easy pickings, and that's why Calzaghe was initially targeted by Hopkins to get a title in a second weight class.

As for what happened to change Hopkins' mind? Could've been any number of factors involving either film study of Calzaghe, or a more attractive fight plan laid out that involved milking a few easy Middleweight defenses instead of moving up in weight for a riskier fight. These things are never as simple as "Fighter A just is too scared of Fighter B" because a fighter will face off against Godzilla for the right price.

By hook or by crook, Calzaghe was on Hopkins' radar and the fight could've happened. Who would've known they'd wind up both fighting as P4P fighters years later after a number of parallels in their career? It's too bad it didn't happen sooner, but at least it happened at all which is saying something when you consider who negotiations were between.

 

You're upset at me for arguing? Then you say:

"Are you trying to convince people that Amrerican fighters were actually ducking Joe for all those years?"

I'm left with a couple of conclusions:

1. Either you didn't completely read my post and who I was responding do, and just decided on this emotional outburst.

Or....

2. You are unable to read, you pieced some things together in your mind and came up with this completely detached response.

Then you try to put a 'smart spin' on it with this gem:

"And one proposed fight, even if it is true, does not your argument prove".

What argument, you moron? Your conclusion is dumb because your premise has nothing to do with anything that I was saying.

 

ggggggggg

 

You're not good at this.