By Mark Vester
Promoter Frank Warren, in the middle of a nasty split with super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, recently revealed that after Calzaghe won a split-decision over Bernard Hopkins in April, he wanted the Welsh fighter to take on WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Instead, Calzaghe cut ties with Warren after a relationship that lasted over a decade, and signed to fight Roy Jones Jr. on November 8 at New York's Madison Square Garden. Warren has since sued Calzaghe for breach of contract and Calzaghe has counter-sued for $4 million dollars that he claims Warren owes him from the Hopkins bout.
"Joe didn't realize how much he was in the driving seat. Roy Jones had nowhere to go. I wanted Joe to fight Kelly Pavlik instead," Warren told The Guardian.
According to Warren, Calzaghe would have been to big for the middleweight champ and the win would have meant a lot more to Calzaghe's legacy than a win over Jones, who lost three of his last six fights. He also says Calzaghe would have made more money with Pavlik.
"Joe would have been too big for Pavlik and it would have meant so much more than beating Jones. Calzaghe and Pavlik are two pin-ups and undefeated world champions. Jones has lost three of his last six fights," Warren said.
"Joe would also have made more money against Pavlik, who would have taken the short end of the purse. But, yeah, it's very disappointing. Joe was undefeated as a world champion of 11 years - and that's a real legacy."
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