Why did Joe Calzaghe and Sven Ottke never fight?

Because God hates super middleweights.

 

So far as I know, Ottke didn't fancy the fight even though Joe was trying to make it. Then again, I did read that in Joe's autobiography, still it might be true...but I wouldn't be surprised if, in their heart of hearts, neither man really fancied risking his '0' and title.

 

Ottke's management really didn't think he could survive Joe beyond his home arenas, and Joe's people didn't dare fight Sven on his turf.

 

"0"

 

I definitely think one of them would have taken the fight, it was the desire to have the nice built-in advantages that they didn't want to surrender.

 

The TV network in question was going to move on that fight, but after some internal discussion it was decided that the World Paint Drying Championships also held that time of the year were the bigger draw, and they aired those instead. It was a tough call, but one I'm sure we can all stand behind.

 

Why would either want to fight each other? Ottke was for some reason loved in Germany, so why take such a risky fight? Calzaghe, even if he had won, would of probably looked terrible doing it. It was a 'Zero Gain' to the loser and possibly for Joe if he had won.

 

Not enough money in a unification for the fight to be made. Calzaghe wanted the fight and he even offered to fight in Germany but the money being offered to Ottke for the fight was simply too little for the fight to be worth making.

Had the fight been ever made Ottke would have been soundly beaten.

 

True. Good point. I'm not sure Ottke really wanted it though, he was ridiculously protected. At least Calzaghe (eventually) went to the US to take on Hopkins and the walking corpse of Roy Jones.

 

because one came from Mars, the other from Venus

 

Which one?

 

Calzaghe ducked

 

I don't think Ottke takes it unless the negotiations are utterly one-sided in his favor.

I think Joe would have fought him in Germany if the money was right.

 

Calzaghe would have overwhelmed Ottke with sheer volume. i'm real leery about picking against Calzaghe. I just wish he didn't have hand problems when he was around in those later years. he would have won those fights by even bigger margins.