Calzaghe's Curse

more than likely joe calzaghe will be remembered as a great fighter in britain but a fighter who could have been great by the majority of boxing fans around the world.

despite having outstanding skills, who here wouldn't have liked him to follow the path ricky hatton took, travelled to the US, and fought someone like hopkins or jones when they were at the height of their powers instead of taking on faded remnants of them now?

as roy jones said, calzaghe was high risk, low reward back then..so welcome to the world of frank warren. the world hatton had the balls to leave so he could find out how good he really was while he was at his peak.

this isn't a sledging post. i'm a big fan of calzaghe - but what i am not a fan of is sitting back in your hometown and turning a blind eye to the 'milking process' which frank warren is notorius for, and then calling out people like hopkins and jones (which calzaghe did) before you've truly earned your dues, knowing full well it wouldn't happen.

like it or not - you make your name in the US. that carries weight, a greater fanbase, an interest from the heavyweights like HBO and 'hey presto' - you're a legitimate candidate for a shot at one the world's top fighters. because you then carry legitimate cash to the negotiating table. if you don't want to take those chances then you may as well change your name to sven ottke.

title defences are immaterial. as kessler's promoter mogens palle said, "we can sit and fight nobodies 4 times a year, rake in the cash and hit 21 defences too" - or something to that effect. but only the beercan boxing fan, or patriot, on the street will buy it.

and this is warren's market.

which leads me to my point.

calzaghe beating a 44 year old hopkins is nothing more than a bee in his bonnet and will not further his legacy.

the reason being of course is that calzaghe should have lived for the moment years ago when it counted instead of counting the cash with warren. he could have done it - and because he didn't - he will more than likely be remembered as an extremely gifted fighter who, wait for it, never fought a proven world class fighter in his prime.

if calzaghe accepted this choice he consciously made (IMO) without crowing about how hopkins and jones wouldn't fight him 10 or so years ago then no problem, but living with the illusion that beating hopkins now will further his legacy is the greatest illusion of all and, if he believes it, it's a result of the publicity and euphoria that exists around him from being a high profile sporting hero in britain - regardless of how educated people are.

for me, his career has been a waste of one of a great talent.

i'll say it again - GREAT.

but i can't refer to him as that for not having the balls to pursue his own destiny like his former stablemate ricky hatton did.

floyd accepted ricky's challenge....

calzaghe, 7 or so years his senior, had to ask hopkins for his 'moment'.

 

he's taken on and beaten kessler.
the point is, the guys who could have furthered his legacy he never genuinely pursued.

 

i'm not under-rating joe's talent at all. but if you read the full post you wouldn't feel the need to refer to the defences and so on as a defence to him.

just read the full post and tell me what you disagree with.

 

just read the point i made about being a commodity in the US and being recognised.
check out what jones said and that applies to hopkins too...

no fighter who has made their rep is going to risk it against a fighter who brings nothing to the table. calzaghe was a european champ then and a nobody in the US to be honest.

calzaghe was never 'dodged' because if you want the top fighters you need to play the business game of boxing.
please read the full post.

 

solid post.

but to be honest it's hard to see anyone except pavlik giving joe props now, don't you think?

 

exactly. you reflect me view to a tee.

i don't mind if anyone disagrees with what i say - i'm more than happy to defend it. but please read the entire post before disagreing because i think i've covered things to the best of my ability, am willing to answer questions and challenges, but not if they are made prematurely because the full post hasn't been read - which is what is happening.

 

that's not an answer.
say why you disagree.
it's not about allegiances - calzaghe is one of my favourite fighters.