Why was Joe never challenged

Probably some of the same reasons why Joe chose to fight his last fight in MSG.

 

why were the fans not demanding jones/hopkins fight this young fighter from UK. like they are demanding JC fight CD or pavlik

 

cunningham
garay
froch
dzindurek
bradley

etc etc

any fighter who is seen as a threat, but little money no matter what the continent gets ignored by the superstars of the sport.

 

So you think he could have beaten Hopkins in 2002 on the basis that that's when he tried to make the fight with him, presumably?

 

Joe Calzaghe looks sloppy. Nobody would guess, even from his better fights pre-Lacy, that he would have a chance against the Joneses and BHops of the world. I have a feeling even Joe and Enzo didn't think they could.

For me, it all comes back to Calzaghe vs Jeff Lacy, in-between rounds one and two: "He can't punch ****!" Calzaghe exorts surprised. "He ain't ****-all!"

"I know he isn'!" Enzo states nervously. "Keep working behind the double-jab! Are you listnin', Joe?!"

***

After the fight the Calzaghe's would realize that maybe the American superstars weren't a cut above -- a league beyond -- a bridge too far. Maybe, just maybe, Calzaghe could compete and win.

I believe the knowing you could, possibly, and never trying would drive any athlete with a will to win insane. Never knowing? Let alone Joe Calzaghe, the driven Whelsh Dragon. He made the most out of what I can only call his second career, started with Jeff Lacy.

 

risk/reward
not a big name
money

 

Hopkins was supposed to fight joe for a very good purse but he pulled out at the last minuete by doubling his pay demands.

says it all really :think

 

Yep, and Joe ducked Ottka....no matter how you how to see it, you do not offer the two belt champ 1/3, and less than he got for fighting in Germany.
A couple of times Joe got bad hands when talking to Ottka's camp about a fight, when it seemed serious.
I sort of remember that, in it took me a few years to appreciate Ottka...like learning to like dirty tasting sour French wine...and finding out that is the way it is supposed to taste.
And as to that fight were Ottka edged out a win, when the guy changed strategy in the 8th. Some of that guys punches were not counted because they were illegal cuffing punches...The Germans do do that sort of thing; like not counting illegal punches as points, odd as that may seem.
The guy should never have changed his stratagy which was working.

The only reason I can think that that guy changed his stratagy, was Ottka's shoulder punches were taking thier toll....That being Ottka's best weapon.....In fact I too was one of those stupid vierwers who wondered how a man could be so inaccurate with his right.
In Ottka's last fight were he was going for a KO, that he didn't get...I was terribly shocked to see that Ottka's rightr could hit the head just like any one elses. He had fooled me all those years.

 

Well neither were these guys "challenged", but they all went to fight prime young fighters in the States.

Hatton
Turpin
Buchanan
Benn
Bruno
Lewis
Huneyghan
McGuigan
Woods