The Super Middleweight Landscape

We all know belts don't matter one jot, really. Not that the fight against Hopkins is that meaningful, anyway.

I think Joe would hold on to the SMW belts until he fails to defend against his mandatories. Not sure who would be the first mandatory but I would bet it's the winner of Froch v. Inkin for the WBC eliminator to become mandatory. Cannot see Joe having to defend any mandatories before late September, say; by that time, he will already have retired, most likely, even if he fights another fight at LHW after Hopkins.

 

I cannot see Joe carrying on just to put one over old Ottke. If he wants to fight the winner of Pavlik v. Taylor (Pavlik) after Bhops, we both know that the WBO will do whatever it takes to accommodate that, and so would, probably, the other two. In any case, I cannot see Joe deciding to wait to have the fight with Pavlik later than September, and by my reckoning, that is well short of the dead-line for a mandatory. (Joe and Mikkel fought in November) His first mandatory could be 9 months later at the latest, I guess, and that would make it beginning of August. Plentry of time for Joe to recover after the Bhops fight and prepare for his last fight. No?

 

Ah, fair enough! Never thought about it, trying to match him to Dawson so badly. But I guess, that after Kessler, winning BBC SPOTY and general recognition, it would have been a good stepping off spot. Still, Joe wants to humiliate Bhops. If he feels he has slowed down considerably in that fight, he will pack it in. No chance will he lose that fight though, not even by robbery.

 

HBO refused steiglitz as an opponent and put manfredo`s name forward.

 

I wanna see Kessler beat down an American top name.

 

Only American that would qualify as a top name is Dawson. Tough fight, though. Not sure who would win.

 

Zuniga is the IBO 168lbs champion. Not Calzaghe.

 

Did Joe lose the IBO belt in the ring to Zuniga? Don't think so, mate! So in my book Joe is the IBO Champ!:bart

 

And how is that the IBF or Stieglitz problem?

Stieglitz won the right to fight Calzaghe by fighting a title eliminator. The IBF title had not been defended in like 2 years.