By Mark Vester
HBO may have dropped the ball when it refused to up $5 million dollars for the super middleweight unification clash between unbeaten champions Joe Calzaghe (43-0, 32 KOs) or Wales and Mikkel Kessler (39-0, 29 KOs) of Denmark. Dan Rafael reports that HBO's exclusive negotiating window is now up, and their network rival Showtime is making a serious move to get the fight.
Showtime has made a two-fight contract offer to Calzaghe, with the Kessler bout coming in 2008. Calzaghe first bout for the network would come in the fall, but due to budget restraints for 2007, meeting the $5 million dollar price tag for Calzaghe-Kessler would have to wait until early next year.
Calzaghe's first bout for Showtime would be no walk in the park, the network wants him to face undefeated light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson. Dawson would move down to 168-pounds to make the fight happen. Of course, this all depends on whether or not Dawson is able to come to terms with Antonio Tarver for a Sept. 29 fight.
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