Why did Joe Calzaghe Waste His Prime Years Feasting on Weak Opposition?

Brcause it took him that long to convince Frank Warren the risks were worth the reward. There were better fighters around in Joe's prime too, right now 168-175 is rather empty.

 

I don't think Hatton ever convinced Warren really, basically backed him into a corner to make the Tszyu fight, won, and promptly ****ed off!

There is a lot of bad blood between Hatton and Warren - Ricky was sick of defending a meaningless strap. In fairness, Warren is great at getting title shots, but is clueless as to what to do next, doesn't like his guys fighting in America etc - hence why Joe was unknown in America until the demolition of Jeff Lacy.

Hatton wanted to do this, and saw little alternative but to get out, and found a promoter who would give him what he wanted, realising he had a star on his hands.

Calzaghe's book refers to Hatton fighting in America, a slight tinge of jealously but also ambition - JC has always been Warren's pet project, Calzaghe must have threatened to leave for Warren to even consider a bout across the pond.

To be fair, I think Joe could have dealt pretty easily with most of these guys, just a shame that the question mark will never disappear.

 

This Frank Warren argument is bull****...

Joe Calzaghe can do what Joe Calzaghe wants. He CHOSE to take the easy route, plain and simple.

I would never call him names for doing that, it's his choice. He has balls enough to get in the ring period, let alone start moving weight classes and fighting THE BEST ALIVE...

The point is: Joe took the easy way, and now his legacy will pay for it. Maybe he is/was one of the best ever, but we'll NEVER know. He never fought a PRIME ATG HOF FIGHTER WHEN CALZAGHE HIMSELF WAS IN HIS PRIME. The closest he came was Eubank, and that is still wayyyyyy off...

Joe made a great deal of money, kept his WBO belt for a decade, and has countless fans. He's a success, no doubt about it. He's a very good fighter, no doubt about it. He will NEVER be an ATG fighter. He's past that point...

 

:bbb

 

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spot on:good

 

Calzaghe beat some good fighters in his prime years, but he did not mix it with the elite until he fought Lacy and then Kessler.

If he had pulled away from Warren 3 years earlier than the Lacy fight and taken more risks stateside then he would have been able to lay claim to a much higher standing than he will ever reach now.

Beating a fading Mary Poppins is not going to make up for the 3 years wasted prior to beating the great american hope of Lacy/...:good

 

I think the point is that it was HIS choice to stay with Warren and not go stateside and elite level earlier.:good

His talent suggests this was a mistake.

 

Because no one wanted to fight him back then cause they knew they'd lose their gravy train rides in the states where the media reign supreme and chump can be champ.

 

Because LHW was out of the question as Roy Jones would have destroyed him. Hopkins, the middleweight king, was younger and better. Quite why he didn't go for the SMW titles earlier I don't know. Maybe he needed to be WBO champion for a long time to get the confidence up?

 

Yeah, guys like RJJ would fight James Toney, but feared Calzaghe??? Give me a break...

 

Its not ALL one way guys, contrary to popular belief the elite were not exactly jumping at the chance to fight Joe.