Sorry my friend -- Pavlik DID NOT call Joe out. Joe called Pavlik out multiple times between September 07 and January 08. When Pavlik said yes, and Frank Warren said yes, Joe fired Frank, and made a fight with RJJ.
That makes Joe look like even more of a ducker! He called for the fight til he got it, then ran the other way!
I'm surprised you didn't know this. This clip has the most damning evidence I know of. Pay particular attention to what Joe says from the 6:50 mark on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWDtzdAYTOA
I so wish that was true. I think Calzaghe will knock him out cold relatively early, just like Tarver and Johnson did. It will be tragic and horrible. Calzaghe is a better boxer than either of those two, and Jones Jr is actually going to be worse now than he back then. No-one improves over the years as they move towards 40, the best they can hope for is to maintain the same level, like Hopkins has done but Jones has failed to do.
It's a joke fight and an insult to boxing. A p4p no 2 should be taking live and competitive opponents.
Joe is a coward..ask ourselves what changed between then and now? Well how about Joes daddy bringing Lockett over here to get launched right back to Wales....all I can figure is Jack Loew is right "Enzo went back to Wales after we obliterated Lockett and told Joe not to take the fight." What other scenario is there?
I'm glad I seem to be getting mostly agreement with this thread. I really do think it is a sick and pathetic choice by Team Calzaghe. There should be no honour in victory.
By taking on a living legend well whats more of a joke that or the consideration of that live opponent taking on a much lesser fighter ?
This is just my opinion, but here it is. First Pavlik, with injuries to both hands, won a clear UD over Taylor in the rematch. I'm sure that prior to that Joe was very comfortable with the idea he could easily outbox Pavlik over 12 rounds. Afterward he was probably less certain about staying away from the right hand for that long. Second came Joe's abysmal performance against BHop. By this time I'm sure Joe considered the fact that the man who beat a younger BHop twice got sparked by Pavlik and then lost a UD to him. The final piece of the puzzle was Pavlik/Locket. Enzo got his first up close and personal look at Pavlik. It's speculation on my part, but I do believe that all these factors played a roll in Joe's decison to inspire my new avatar.