He did fight a few times on Showtime...my bad. But they were not exactly what you would call well publicized fights.
Have a look at most threads on here and you will see most Americans on here dont like him for 1 reason or another. Mayb its the idiots on here, im not sure. But im not sure i understand your argument. Why would he have to call some1 out if he was the champ? Surely guys looking for the belt would call him out. Or didnt they fancy coming to Britain to fight, im not sure. I dont recall many people calling him out pre Lacy like i said, but he was the champ and didnt really need to call any1. He fought and beat Prime Lacy (who was previously all that a lot of Americans raved anout), beat Prime Kessler comfortably, and beat Jones and Hopkins in the states. Who else could he have fought?
My argument is that Joe didn't challenge guys like Roy and Hopkins when they were younger, when they ruled the division. He was content to sit on his throne in Wales and polish his belt. That's why he didn't become an international star until he was 35. Jones was a star when he was 24. Simply put, I believe great fighters must beat other greats in their prime to rule the roost. Jones did that. He beat Hopkins and Toney when they were younger. Calzaghe didn't. He waited.
Who would enhance Calzaghe's resume to such a degree that it would be worth coming back? It would be a great domestic dust up between him and Froch but now Froch's 0 has gone would it still be as big? Dawson doesn't seem to be a big draw so that pretty much rules him out. Bute would be a great matchup but i don't see Joe going to Canada or Bute coming to Wales, plus what weight would it be at?
Calfaggy offered nothing to the sport before he retired. What can he do now that everyone knows he is a fraud and protected fighter? Now that all the champions are old he decided to diss the 18 year relationship he had with his protector, Fran Warren. Calzaghe goes into the Biggest Boxing Hype and Fraud Hall Of Fame.
If Calzaghe would come back and beat: Bute, Froch, winner of 6-man tournament if other than Froch, finally Dawson he would end up in top 20 ATG.
Who did Calzaghe not fight in the SMW division that was willing to meet him? What do you mean by Britains answer to Ottke? Who has achieved more at SMW?