Who will you be rooting for: Pavlik or Calzaghe??

[WLAD OWNS]

After being the best fighter in the sport for several years and dominating divisions like he did he does not need to 'earn a shot' at anybody. He could not fight for another 5 years then come back and 'deserve a shot'. He isn't just another ex-champ, he is an out and out legend of the sport.

He's well past his prime...Calzaghe would beat Jones and he would get no credit because Jones is washed up....A win over Pavlik will do more for Calzaghe's legacy.

Tarver and Johnson are more deserving of a shot at Calzaghe because they both brutally KO'd Jones.

[johnm is...]

After being the best fighter in the sport for several years and dominating divisions like he did he does not need to 'earn a shot' at anybody. He could not fight for another 5 years then come back and 'deserve a shot'. He isn't just another ex-champ, he is an out and out legend of the sport.

So... If Mike Tyson comes out of retirement tomorrow, he "deserves" a shot at Wlad?

[Silencers]

I just want them to fight, hard to root for either one.

[Stickman]

After being the best fighter in the sport for several years and dominating divisions like he did he does not need to 'earn a shot' at anybody. He could not fight for another 5 years then come back and 'deserve a shot'. He isn't just another ex-champ, he is an out and out legend of the sport.

I disagree. Nobody should get a free ride, anywhere, anytime, legend or no. I think it's a disgrace to the sport when fighters are given a shot at a title without having earned it, and a slap in the ****ing fact to every other fighter in the business.

[Dan...]

He's well past his prime...Calzaghe would beat Jones and he would get no credit because Jones is washed up....A win over Pavlik will do more for Calzaghe's legacy.

Tarver and Johnson are more deserving of a shot at Calzaghe becasue they both brutally KO'd Jones.

I'm not saying that he isn't past his prime. I also agree that he most probably wouldn't beat him, he is too easy to hit these days. What I am saying is that a guy like Roy who is an ATG does not have to work in order to 'deserve a shot' at a guy like Joe whose most notable win was over a 43-year old B-Hop.

[Dan...]

I disagree. Nobody should get a free ride, anywhere, anytime, legend or no. I think it's a disgrace to the sport when fighters are given a shot at a title without having earned it, and a slap in the ****ing fact to every other fighter in the business.

See, I would argue that dominating the LHW division for several years constitutes 'earning it'.

[Zero Stage]

I'm rootin for Pavlik all the way!

[MANGLER]

I respect Joe C but I'm a fan of Pavlik and I'd love to see him be the one to take Joe's 0. A win over Calzaghe bumps Pavlik way up on the P4P list.

[Stickman]

See, I would argue that dominating the LHW division for several years constitutes 'earning it'.

Yeah, but that was some time ago. He's been KO'd twice (recently), has only managed wins since then against unproven/unknown fighters, and of course a middleweight that he should've KO'd if he wanted to prove he's "back".

I think Jones did accomplish a great deal, and was (note the past tense) one of the most gifted and talented fighters ever in the sport, but he's no longer as fast as he was, doesn't have the reflexes he did, and he never learned the finer points of the sport, instead depending on his talent and reflexes to get him by. And it worked beautifully, but he's nowhere near the fighter he was, never will be again, and to pretend he deserves any sort of shot at any title based on what he could do 5 years ago is just plain silly. I like Roy, respect what he's done, and appreciate that he wants to continue fighting, but he's simply not able to compete at the championship level anymore. Calzaghe would most likely end the fight with Jones on the canvas. I just don't see how that would help either fighter's legacy. To be perfectly frank, Calzaghe probably should fight Jones, just for a nice big payday, and then take the winner of a Kessler/Pavlik match, but if Jones is smart, he'll continue to price himself out of the fight, because it would do nothing but force people to realize he's utterly finished at that level of competition.

[Dan...]

Yeah, but that was some time ago. He's been KO'd twice (recently), has only managed wins since then against unproven/unknown fighters, and of course a middleweight that he should've KO'd if he wanted to prove he's "back".

I think Jones did accomplish a great deal, and was (note the past tense) one of the most gifted and talented fighters ever in the sport, but he's no longer as fast as he was, doesn't have the reflexes he did, and he never learned the finer points of the sport, instead depending on his talent and reflexes to get him by. And it worked beautifully, but he's nowhere near the fighter he was, never will be again, and to pretend he deserves any sort of shot at any title based on what he could do 5 years ago is just plain silly. I like Roy, respect what he's done, and appreciate that he wants to continue fighting, but he's simply not able to compete at the championship level anymore. Calzaghe would most likely end the fight with Jones on the canvas. I just don't see how that would help either fighter's legacy. To be perfectly frank, Calzaghe probably should fight Jones, just for a nice big payday, and then take the winner of a Kessler/Pavlik match, but if Jones is smart, he'll continue to price himself out of the fight, because it would do nothing but force people to realize he's utterly finished at that level of competition.

Look, I agree to a large extent. I don't want Roy to take the fight because he wouldn't be able to do himself justice and you're right, he could even be knocked out. Also, I don't want the B-Hop effect kicking in where all the nutcase Joe fans start saying Joe is better than Roy and all that kind of garbage.

All I am saying that I don't think it is reasonable to expect someone like Roy to earn a shot. Sure everything is situational but it hasn't been THAT long since he was P4P#1.