Calzaghe, Jones and Hopkins

Great post!

 

Hi mate,

No need to ever apologise, I know you're busy. Don't worry, just reply back whenever you've got time, I always enjoy your reading your posts.

Roy did say he was considering dropping back to 168, but he didn't give it a lot of thought. That video was from 2002 I think, when he was weighing up his options. He'd mentioned Joe's name after the Woods fight, along with Tarver's. I think if Roy had've fought Hopkins in a rematch at that point, they may have been a slight chance of him fighting Joe, because it would have been at a catchweight of around 167 pounds. But to be honest, I don't think it was viable, because Joe wanted the crown Jewels, and nobody (HBO etc) would have been willing to pay it him at that time.

But Joe was at the bottom of Roy's list anyway. Tarver would have been a bigger fight for more money, and at the time Joe was on soccer am, Murad was trying to get him the Ruiz fight. So although Roy said he night drop back to 168, I don't think he was that serious.

What Joe failed to realize is, despite him being great, he wasn't a name outside of Britain, and him and Frank had no bargaining power. Joe wasn't really respected, and he was just thought of as a good european fighter. He didn't bring any money to the table to a guy like Roy, because the U.S. fans hadn't seen him. So even if Roy hadn't have gone up for Ruiz, he'd have fought Tarver instead anyway.

He really should have gone over to the U.S. and fought whoever he could at 175 to get people interested in a potential fight. Also what you have to remember is, Roy had been giving serious thought about moving up to heavy the previous year. So he went into 2002 with one eye on moving up. That's why he wasn't that fussed about fighting Hopkins again at a catchweight. I think he would have done it for the 60% he wanted, but I don't think he was that bothered. He'd already beaten him, and he knew that he'd have to start gaining weight soon, so he didn't really want to come down from 175. I don't think he was serious about fighting Joe for the same reason.

Nobody ever sees things from Roy's perspective. They only seem to see things from Joe's. If you put yourself in Roy's shoes at the time, what would Roy have gained? He'd have had to lose weight, to fight a guy who isn't that well known, for not a of money. He wouldn't have been bothered about Joe's title either, because he'd already been the 168 champ, and he'd have had no intention of defending it had he won it. So really there was nothing to gain by fighting Joe.

But Joe never seemed to realize that. He thinks he was ducked. But it wasn't a duck. For that fight to have had any chance of taking place, Joe would have had to have moved up to 175. But he always seemed reluctant to do it. He was too attached to his belt, and he refused to give it up.

I understand that people can change their minds over time, that's fair enough. But Joe's contradicted himself 4 or 5 times throughout his career.

The chance did come up to fight Roy in 2008 for the payday, and he took it. But if he was going to take it, he couldn't expect any credit for the win, after what he'd said.

I think someone's more likely to tell the truth after a split, because they've got nothing or nobody to protect. He said it was a nightmare working with Showtime (they called him no show Joe) and he refused to go to America. There's no way Frank made that up, and I've never heard Joe deny it.

No Joe didn't look nervous against Lacy, but Frank had to threaten him to get him out there. So what would have been going through his mind if it'd have been Roy he was getting prepared for? Especially when he said he knew what his capabilites were. That quote reads to me, like he thought that he wasn't good enough to beat Roy, but he'd give it his all.

As I've said before, I've no problem with Joe's crown jewels comment. I'd have wanted the crown jewels to fight Roy. The problem I have, is that he wasn't in a position to be asking for them, and no network or promoter was going to pay him them, because he wasn't a big name. It was totally unrealistic on Joe's part to expect them. So I've no problem with him saying to reporters he'd want them, but it was stupid of him to say things like "I'd have fought Roy, but they wouldn't pay me what I wanted." Of course they weren't going to pay him what he wanted! Why would they have?

He either had to accept whatever offer there was on the table, if the opportunity came around, or he had to keep his mouth shut. If he'd have moved up to 175 and impressed the U.S. fans he could have had his dream fight. But who was Joe in 2002, to be wanting the crown jewels? We know how great he was. But to Roy, HBO, and the U.S. fans, he was an unknown European fighter from Britain, who had the WBO belt that wasn't respected. Frank at some point must have said to him "I'll try and get you the fight, but it won't be for a huge payday" That conversation had to have taken place, because why would Frank have pushed for the fight otherwise? He would have known, that an HBO offer wouldn't have been for a huge amount, so he'd have been wasting his time.

I know what Roy said in that 2008 video, but he was hyping their fight. He said he'd wanted to fight him for a long time, and he'd been aware of him etc, but the truth is, when Roy was on top, he wouldn't have given Joe much thought.

Roy's saying the same things now about the cruiserweight division. He's desperate for a belt, but in 2003, the thought never even crossed his mind.

Great debate, just reply whenever you can mate.

Regards, Loudon.

 

Zod,

You're links are useless! They're not in VIDEO format! I want a VIDEO of the terms regarding The Super Champions! I also want a VIDEO of Lou de Bella Speaking! If you do not provide VIDEO EVIDENCE, I shall refuse to engage you in this debate! Hahahaha!

Ha! Thanks for that mate, that was really interesting. It really puts things into perspective doesn't it?

You're links have proven that the door was open for him to showcase his talents in America, and he also had the opportunity to fight up at 175, that he claims he wanted to do.

But he didn't take the opportunity until 2008, and by then, it was too little, too late.

Regards, Loudon.

 

Dont worry bailey, you never got owned by Loudon or Zod or even myself because there is no video evidence to prove it.

 

hey, I have found some video evidence.

 

Havent been on here for a few days, click on the last page of this thread and see that I must be haunting some of these people, as Soulja is obviously, along with Zod immortally wounded by me and having to mention me atsch
Souljas so shot as an ESB poster it is bordering on embarrassing that he is even mentioning me and Zod, well hes been owned by myself and KO Artist so many times, I bet he regrets starting this thread as much as Soulja regrets ever calling out the champ :verysad:-(

 

dont get it? Why would you always make a post claiming you are schooling others (and no other content to your post besides that) when everyone is of the opinion that they schooled you badly?


oh hang on, I've just given bailey an opportunity to reply to this post in the same way with - 'I dont understand what the **** you are saying, so schooled you too ha'

ummmmmm........

 

berol still here, esb's resident 24 hours a day calzaghe basher :rofl

seriously berol, have you ever posted in a thread that doesn't involve joe calzaghe? :think

 

only when I am not replying 2 u.

 

thats not true, you were not replying to me in this thread before i just asked the question :deal

I got some spare time on my hands and i'm gonna search through your posts and see how many and what percentage of your posts are assigned to slating joe calzaghe :rofl atsch

before i do that, would you like to hazard a guess as to the percentage of your posts that are assigned to threads involving joe calzaghe :think

 

Thanks!