Calzaghe

[kurtangle01]

People probably wouldnt complain Kurt, and if he did achieve that, then nice one.
But he should atleast represent himself over in the states.
Look at Hatton, There is someone who is not afraid to travel despite having argueably a more passionate following than Calzaghe. He wants to conquer the boxing world. there is more money to be made fighting in America through pay per view etc.
Just looking through the division, there isnt really as many world class names as other divisions. This Bika chap isnt even in the top 10.

The division isn't littered with star names but there are alot of good fighters in it. I would love to see Calzaghe win on Saturday then face the winner of this weekend other Super-Middleweight title fight. If he could face the winner of that and unify all 4 major titles as well as holding the IBO title on top of that I don't see what he has to prove.

There is obviously a lot of notoriety to be gained by fighting in the states but I don't think it's essential for a fighters legacy that he fights in America. We should be grateful that he's choosing to stay in this country where we can attend his fights or at least watch them at a reasonable hour on T.V.

Hatton will do well in the states but part of that reason is because all the top names in his division are established there where as alot of the top fighters in the Super-Middleweight division are based in Europe.

[Hollowman]

I'm with Kurt. And you know how that makes me mad.

Calzaghe has nothing to prove. If Americans don't rate him because he never pitched up in their yard to fight some nobody, then fine. The biggest fight out there for him, in terms of quality opposition, is the winner of Kessler-Beyer. The Yanks have nobody. Allen Green? Joe Spina? Please. They're just transatlantic Carl Frochs.

The only way Calzaghe gets a big American fight is if he steps up to fight Johnson or Jones, both of whom are heading downhill, or Taylor steps up (too late in Winky's career to start ****ing with Super Mids I think). If Taylor steps up, then that's a fight I'd like to see.

By the way, Winky-Quartey? ****'s that about? This compensation after the Forrest debacle?

[bazza76]

Well considering there isnt much world class ability in the weight division, then he will get away with not fighting in the states.
If there was however, I think it would be rather soft of him to stay at home all the time.
Personally I like to see world class boxers being able to travel and beat other fighters in their won backyard, not always fighting at home with their supporters behind them.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Well considering there isnt much world class ability in the weight division, then he will get away with not fighting in the states.
If there was however, I think it would be rather soft of him to stay at home all the time.
Personally I like to see world class boxers being able to travel and beat other fighters in their won backyard, not always fighting at home with their supporters behind them.

Yes there is not a lot of genuine worldclass talent in the division, but those that are world class or close to it are all either from or based in Europe, so why would he need to go to the States when the top fighters are in Europe. The Super middleweights in the States are nowhere near the class of Europe, so other than media exposure, there is no great gain to fighting over there, it is not as though he needs American approval to be considered the best at his weight, which he is.

Roy Jones is a classic example of a fighter not willing to travel and beat other fighters in their own backyard, he fought a huge number of fights in his home state of Florida and a large amount of them were in his hometown of Pensacola. Jones is another who did not have a "great" fight to rubberstamp his greatness, but that is the fault of the quality in the division, much as it is the same now for Calzaghe.

[Hollowman]

Jones had some great fights at 160/168. The scraps with Hopkins and Toney would surely count as career definers for anyone else.

[Howard_lfc]

Well considering there isnt much world class ability in the weight division, then he will get away with not fighting in the states.
If there was however, I think it would be rather soft of him to stay at home all the time.
Personally I like to see world class boxers being able to travel and beat other fighters in their won backyard, not always fighting at home with their supporters behind them.

Dont ****in' waver bazza!

Chicken Joe should be taking his skills to the world - not restricting them to those (un)fortunate enough to be in the Cardiff region.

Will I be supporting Chicken Joe tomorrow night? too right !

[Doc_Piptorious]

Jones had some great fights at 160/168. The scraps with Hopkins and Toney would surely count as career definers for anyone else.

The Hopkins fight was a dour affair by anyones standards, both were more concerned with not losing than going for the win.

Beating James Toney was a great result, especially given Lights out's standing at the time, and the fact that Toney was a trim fighting machine back then, before he discovered how much he liked hamburgers. But that was not a career defining fight for Jones as a champ though, but it is not his fault that his skill and reflexes were so far ahead of those he chose to fight once he was champ.

But it could be argued that the Lacy, Eubank and Gimenez (who was well respected at the time) were defining fights for Calzaghe.

My point was that Jones is regarded as a great, and rightly so IMO, but he is as guilty as Calzaghe as being the type of Champ that does not travel and gets the challenger to come to him, again rightly so IMHO.

[Taffy]

Looking forward to the Calzaghe fight tomorrow night as I'm a big fan of his.

This decision to stay over here isn't ureasonable, in my opinion, but I DO think that one fight over in the States will finally give him that recognition he deserves - provided he fights a 'big name' rather than any Joe Bloggs from over there.

Saying that though, what gets me is how all the supposed 'names' in the 'boxing game' all believe that you can't really 'make it' until you win a big fight over there in the States. To me that's total bollox! Yes, a lot of the really big fights have taken place over there over the years but some have taken place over here in Europe too, don't forget! This idea that you MUST go over there to get 'recognised' is a load of old cobblers in my opinion, and on most occasions isn't it reasonable to have the challenger go into the 'lion's den' and face the champion instead of the other way around?! Joe's the real champ in his division so I don't see any reason why he can't expect the challengers to his belts come and fight him rather than the other way around!

Anyway, as has been said, the better fighters in his division are based in Europe these days so I don't see why Joe has to go over there to get the glory! If he steps up then yes, maybe, he needs to go over there and get a really big fight with one of the Americans, but as long as he stays in this division I don't see why he NEEDS to go over there.

There's also the need for Joe to fight the main contenders for his belts, meaning the mandatory challengers, so sometimes that, along with his well-known troubles with his hands, have come in the way of that really big fight he (and us) crave. What I don't like in the press sometimes is how they try to make out that Joe is the one ducking the big fights over recent years, for one reason or another - what people must remember is that on occasions it's the potential opponent that's to blame for the reason a fight doesn't happen due to them demanding a huge purse to fight Joe.

I hope he wins this weekend and finally gets that 'big fight' he deserves, whether it's here or in the States.

[bazza76]

Dont ****in' waver bazza!

Chicken Joe should be taking his skills to the world - not restricting them to those (un)fortunate enough to be in the Cardiff region.

Will I be supporting Chicken Joe tomorrow night? too right !

Well it was getting hard to arge that he should be going to the states to fighters that he would probably make less money on, than fighting at home where he is a bigger pull.

[kurtangle01]

Chicken Joe should be taking his skills to the world - not restricting them to those (un)fortunate enough to be in the Cardiff region.

He's fighting in Manchester tomorrow and last time I checked that city is nowhere near Cardiff!

[kurtangle01]

Well considering there isnt much world class ability in the weight division, then he will get away with not fighting in the states.
If there was however, I think it would be rather soft of him to stay at home all the time.
Personally I like to see world class boxers being able to travel and beat other fighters in their won backyard, not always fighting at home with their supporters behind them.

What's to say he wouldn't travel to the states if there was world class fighters in his division over there?

As it stands unless Bernard Hopkins decides to fight Joe then the biggest fight for Calzaghe is whoever wins between Markus Beyer and Mikel Kessler this weekend. I don't see the need for That fight, if it ever happens, to take place across the pond.

And when you consider that the Calzaghe fight is on HBO tomorrow night what's to say he isn't getting the exposure?

[bazza76]

What's to say he wouldn't travel to the states if there was world class fighters in his division over there?

As it stands unless Bernard Hopkins decides to fight Joe then the biggest fight for Calzaghe is whoever wins between Markus Beyer and Mikel Kessler this weekend. I don't see the need for That fight, if it ever happens, to take place across the pond.

And when you consider that the Calzaghe fight is on HBO tomorrow night what's to say he isn't getting the exposure?

I see your point, but i wouldnt really call it big exposure. Nothing like getting top billing at a big Las Vegas event to grab the attention.

[kurtangle01]

I see your point, but i wouldnt really call it big exposure. Nothing like getting top billing at a big Las Vegas event to grab the attention.

The only person I could see him fighting in Vegas would be Jermaine Taylor but I couldn't see Taylor relinquishing his titles to move up and fight Calzaghe.

Being on HBO after dark, which is the broadcast he is on, is huge exposure. It's the most watched boxing show in America. His fight is obviously on a tape delay because it's the main fight that HBO are showing on Saturday.

[bazza76]

The only person I could see him fighting in Vegas would be Jermaine Taylor but I couldn't see Taylor relinquishing his titles to move up and fight Calzaghe.

Being on HBO after dark, which is the broadcast he is on, is huge exposure. It's the most watched boxing show in America. His fight is obviously on a tape delay because it's the main fight that HBO are showing on Saturday.

but i'm still not backing down

[paulcooper4]

but i'm still not backing down

You will if joe gets hold of yer