This is a chance for the division to get some long term respect. There have been great fighter to pass through like SRL, Hearns, Roy Jones, James Toney, and Sven Ottke but No one took the trouble to unify thus there has been no distinict champion since the existence of 168. Kessler-Calzaghe is a step in the right direction. Calzaghe is already Ring champion, won the IBF title and the WBO titles and Kessler has the WBA and WBC trinkets which make him number one contender. Calzaghe should be more respected than he has been and a win over Kessler could get him the respect he deserves.
This weight division should have been drowned at birth. It's spent most of its existence as either a rest home for againg lightweights and light welters (Davey Hilton, Dingaan Thobela), a refuge for a bunch of British middleweights who wanted to avoid Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones (we all know who they are), or a quick rest stop for Jones and Toney on the way to bigger and better things. I'm a fan of Calzaghe but I think he's blown his career in this pathetic wasteland. He should have stepped to light-heavy and fought Jones. Or stepped down to fight Hopkins. Looks like the Kessler fight will define his career instead. Whatever happened to guys like Chris Finnegan? Bernard Hopkins is my idea of a champion. He completely ignored this bogus weight class when he jumped to light heavy, and I don't think that it was because he was scared of Calzaghe. We should all ignore it as well.
It will be the making of the super middleweight division and the winner will be the greatest fighter in its history. Lets hope it is not a draw.
More or less what I figured, although I'm not nearly as well-versed on the division's history as you. Would you venture the winner of this bout the greatest the division ever had? I guess in term's of accomplishment, it could be no other, but does that make it so? :think
If the winner is the greatest in the history of the division, it is only because the division has no history. Bob Fitzsimmons, Jack Dillon, Harry Greb, Mickey Walker, Lloyd Marshall, and others were better at the 168 lb weight, but they fought as middles or lightheavies. Archie Moore, also, for a while, and Roy Jones and James Toney.
Bhop Ignored that so-called bogus weightclass because the risks at fighting the likes of Calzaghe or Kessler were far greater than overrated Tarver, who was severely struggling to make weight. EVERYBODY wanted Tarver at that time - and for a reason. RIPE!!!!!!! If it is so damn easy to beat the SMW's isnt it about someone PROVED it instead of just pretending its a formality? Has ANY established MW gone up to be a factor at SMW since RJJ? You like to think it's bc SMW doesnt matter - well if it's that easy? chance to be two weight champ? No ****in way noone would be tempted over the years. Only plausible reason is they dont fancy their chances (and for good reason). Simple as that.
It was my understanding that Hopkins avoided a fight with Calzaghe a few years back by suddenly doubling the asking price after a verbal agreement to fight had been reached. I read somthing about it in a bio of Calzaghe. Anyone else no more about what happened?
Finally Janitor has seen the light... Damn Robinson, damn Walcott, Langford or Gans; damn even Battling Nelson... Mikkel Kessler is the past, present and future of boxing:yep
I don't buy that Hopkins avoided Calzaghe. But who knows. I remember Pat O'Grady insisting that Larry Holmes was avoiding Monte Masters. I can however believe that Hopkins was avoiding a Frank Warren-produced fight. I don't blame him. Warren would have made him take the bus to the fight venue and made him change in the men's washroom. Maybe Hopkins felt that he just wasn't good enough to wear a belt that went all the way back to Murray Sutherland and Chong Pal Park. Those are some big shoes to fill. 99.999% of past supermiddleweight "champions" could have made middleweight if they wanted to. In fact, most of them spent their primes at middleweight. If they all want to add a few pounds and fight above the middleweight limit, that's their business. Just don't dignify it by creating a new weight division.
That's kind of the point of the question, Fogey. I concur with what you said regarding past greats who predated the division's existence.
IMO Calzaghe is already the greatest supermiddleweight in history. Talent-wise IMO he is only behind Jones, and on par with Toney but his achievements past the both of them. Jones was a beast here but only campaigned here from 1994-1996.If Calzaghe wins it further validates his status as the best ever in the weight class. He already beat Chris Eubank, Charles Brewer, Jeff Lacy, Robin Reed, Byron Mitchell all supermiddleweight champions and has beaten more top ten contenders at the weight than anyone. This fight is really to give the weight class the respect it deserves
You make a strong case. So does Kessler winning enable him to surpass Calzaghe automatically? Or could this be viewed, potentially, as a passing of the torch where you think Calzaghe's past accomplishments still give him the edge?
