ottke/beyer vs lacy/kessler

if the fights against Beyer and Ottke happened in Germany Joe would have probably lost... as Reid said... you have to knock them out to get a draw over there

 

Calzaghe was chasing unification at the time when Robin Reid and Richie Woodhall were champions.

He reitered that point after he beat Mitchell. He was interviewed on Showtime saying that.

He was also in the Hayemaker magazine and quoted as saying that it wasn't his fault that he couldn't get the unification fights earlier.

 

ottke lost to three guys calzaghe beat. robin reid would have completely outclassed ottke if he wasnt about to get disqualified for punching him too hard.

 

Maybe hardcore fans might have respected him more, but he wouldn't have gotten too much respect in the US or UK since Lacy and Kessler were the only fighters in SMW besides Joe that US Television could get exited about, and after Woodhall and Reid no one in Britain cared either (Froch wasn't so big back then).
Martinez had a WBC belt and a good run at LMW, but no one cared until he fought PW. Sadly SMW had far too long been considered a haven for guys that couldt cut it at MW or LHW, but in reality, it was simply due to US and European fighters refusing to cross the pond.

 

you're exactly right about ottke and beyer fights. they would never have benefitted him as much as the lacy and kessler wins have - and the reason for that is because some fighters have absolutely no interest in breaking out of their comfort zone, because fighting for paper belts with a big domestic fanbase when you're a level above the competition is pretty cozy.

look at felix sturm. he got a very rare fight at the modern day cash cow - oscar, who was looking for a MW warm-up before fighting hopkins - arguably (without too much argument i think) won that fight and had a first class ticket to the states shoved into his hand because of it.

all fighters want big fights - all of them - but some want it to fall into their lap just like winning a lotto ticket - and even when it does they just take it and then carry on fighting chumps.

people need to remember this the next time they think that some guy who fought his way to the top is 'avoiding' an up and comer with a padded record.

 

As put up in the OP Lacy/Kessler is IMO much better than Ottke/Beyer. Still an Ottke fight would have been good.



PS: You write that it is 'well documented' that neither Ottke nor Beyer wanted Calzaghe. Can you show me where?

 

Ottke and Beyer were good, maybe even very good SMW. But they were far from great. Kessler would have destroyed them both, probably without losing a round.

Lacy was a big profile raiser, and disproved some myths about Joe.

Kessler/Lacy were much better for JC's legacy, in both the sense of credibility from knowledgeable fans (Kessler) and just general exposure to more casual fans (Lacy).

 

Beating Ottke back in 2000 - 2003 would have given Calzaghe recognition as the main man in the division, so fights with Lacy and Kessler would have followed regardless.

If Calzaghe had beaten Ottke back in 2000 - 2003, it would have taken Calzaghe 3 - 6 years to be recognised as the main man in the division rather than 9 years that it took him.

9 years is a long time. Compare that to Hopkins who took 5 years to become undisputedly recognised as the main man when he beat Trinidad, and was recognised as the #1 in the division when he won the title, compared to Calzaghe where it took him 5 years just to be ranked ahead of Ottke.

 

realsoulja, don't know why you keep banging on about hopkins becoming undisputed in 5 years, whereas it took 9 years for calzaghe to unify with lacy. It was 6 yrs 5 months between Hopkins beating Mercado and Trinidad. 8 yrs 5 months between Calzaghe defeating Eubank and Lacy. So 2 years difference and another yr and a half till Calzaghe finally became undisputed beating Kessler. It's not difficult to argue Hopkins superiority in comparison to Calzaghe, so no need to continually embellish the truth.

 

there is no documentation.
i watched all 3 of there careers the whole way through on uk and german tv.

warren offered ottke money but it was silly money and nowhere near enough to tempt ottke to fight calzaghe.

ottke never ever mentioned calzaghe in any interview he ever did while he was active as a pro .
he simply acted is if calzaghe did not exsist, even when the stupid ottke chicken taunting stunts went on by team warren/calzaghe.

beyer was offered the fight by team calzaghe 900k a career best payday i think but turned it down.

funny enough he went on a little while later to get a better offer from team kessler who outclassed beyer and knocked him out and ended his career.

i should have added warren/calzaghe should have offered team beyer/ottke enough money to make these fight happen much earlier in there careers.

both warren and sauerland did not because it meant spending money on cash cows that already were selling,out there venues v cannon fodder rubbish.