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Originally posted by mspiegelo
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There's a great article on this at Maxboxing called "Calzaghe is Afraid of Ghosts" by Dave Sholler. Maxboxing is the best and anyone who is not a member should join asap!!!!
" In the great trade of boxing journalism, informed scribes search for elaborate, creative ways to begin their stories. Sometimes, they refer to great philosophers. Other times, they create literary scenes that dance like Ali in readers’ heads. The folks that cover the sweet science look for ways to lure in an audience much like a boxer jabs his way in on an opponent. Ultimately, they hope that the set up gets you hooked.
Today, I am just going to get right to the point. Like a doctor choosing to operate on a patient without the use of anesthesia, I have decided to cut right to the core.
Ladies and gentlemen, super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe took the easy way out. By turning down a fight with middleweight king Kelly Pavlik in favor of a bout with a fading Roy Jones Jr., the Welshman proved that he has no desire to be considered pound-for-pound champion. Instead of facing the rising stud from Youngstown, OH, Calzaghe fired his promoter Frank Warren and began the “Bring on Roy” campaign. At a time when he had the opportunity to secure his spot as the number one fighter in the world, Calzaghe opted to chase a fight that wasn’t good enough to be made a decade ago.
While we will not offend the legacy of Jones Jr., what point does it serve an undefeated Calzaghe to face a 39-year-old who is 3-3 since 2004? For what reason should the Cardiff native, who has already stated he may only have one bout left, face a fighter who has clearly diminished skills?
With apologies to my friends in the United Kingdom, I’m going to be honest. Joe Calzaghe fears Kelly Pavlik. He won’t say it, but Calzaghe is afraid of “The Ghost.” No matter how hard his father/trainer Enzo Calzaghe tries to spin Pavlik as “undeserving” or “not on Joe’s level,” the fact of the matter is that Pavlik poses the greatest risk to the overhyped Calzaghe dynasty. He is young. He punches hard. He smells blood and finishes fights. Simply put, he’s everything Calzaghe wishes he could be.
What’s more, the likelihood that Calzaghe is exposed by Pavlik is far greater than if he moves forward with the Jones bout. Yes, I said it. Go ahead. Read that sentence again. Pavlik would expose Calzaghe. The kid from Ohio would prove that Calzaghe’s fast-handed, high output approach is no match for a power-punching, Paul Bunyan-like, chop-ya-down style fighter.
Opponents to these claims may point to Calzaghe’s performance against Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler, or Bernard Hopkins. In fairness to Joe, he outboxed and outclassed Lacy. There is really no other way to put it. But against Kessler and Hopkins, he unveiled some major flaws. At times, his two-handed approach has left him squared up, unsteady, and vulnerable.
Kessler caught Calzaghe with some quality shots during this time of weakness, but “The Viking Warrior” didn’t display the pedigree necessary to truly capitalize. The 43-year-old Hopkins – who won the fight 114-113 on this writer’s scorecard – knocked Calzaghe down in the first round and consistently landed the heavier, stiffer punches. The Philadelphian recognized some wrinkles in Joe’s game, but Father Time and two judges who score activity over productivity prevented Hopkins from securing the win.
There would be no judge’s decision if Pavlik fought Calzaghe. Kelly is far too much for Calzaghe to handle. Unlike Kessler, Pavlik has yet to be frustrated or taken off his game plan. Heck, Jermain Taylor nearly buried him in the mat at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City last year, yet “The Ghost” rose from the dead. Calzaghe gets off on frustrating opponents. But what if Pavlik just kept pawing through the Calzaghe bee hive? What if Pavlik, nearly two decades younger than Hopkins, caught Calzaghe flush with a punch? Could the fighting pride of Wales rise from the dead? Doubtful.
Clearly, Calzaghe sees Jones as an easy sell and less hassle. I wish he would just say it. Instead of firing promoters or having your daddy badmouth one of the sport’s brightest, promising stars, just tell the truth. Tell all of the fans that protecting the zero on your record is much more important. Remind them that the amount of zeros on your paycheck (Jones is still a cash cow) determines your opponents and that the pound-for-pound ranking means nothing to you.
Tell them the truth Joe. Tell them you’re afraid of ghosts." - Dave Sholler
" In the great trade of boxing journalism, informed scribes search for elaborate, creative ways to begin their stories. Sometimes, they refer to great philosophers. Other times, they create literary scenes that dance like Ali in readers’ heads. The folks that cover the sweet science look for ways to lure in an audience much like a boxer jabs his way in on an opponent. Ultimately, they hope that the set up gets you hooked.
Today, I am just going to get right to the point. Like a doctor choosing to operate on a patient without the use of anesthesia, I have decided to cut right to the core.
Ladies and gentlemen, super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe took the easy way out. By turning down a fight with middleweight king Kelly Pavlik in favor of a bout with a fading Roy Jones Jr., the Welshman proved that he has no desire to be considered pound-for-pound champion. Instead of facing the rising stud from Youngstown, OH, Calzaghe fired his promoter Frank Warren and began the “Bring on Roy” campaign. At a time when he had the opportunity to secure his spot as the number one fighter in the world, Calzaghe opted to chase a fight that wasn’t good enough to be made a decade ago.
While we will not offend the legacy of Jones Jr., what point does it serve an undefeated Calzaghe to face a 39-year-old who is 3-3 since 2004? For what reason should the Cardiff native, who has already stated he may only have one bout left, face a fighter who has clearly diminished skills?
With apologies to my friends in the United Kingdom, I’m going to be honest. Joe Calzaghe fears Kelly Pavlik. He won’t say it, but Calzaghe is afraid of “The Ghost.” No matter how hard his father/trainer Enzo Calzaghe tries to spin Pavlik as “undeserving” or “not on Joe’s level,” the fact of the matter is that Pavlik poses the greatest risk to the overhyped Calzaghe dynasty. He is young. He punches hard. He smells blood and finishes fights. Simply put, he’s everything Calzaghe wishes he could be.
What’s more, the likelihood that Calzaghe is exposed by Pavlik is far greater than if he moves forward with the Jones bout. Yes, I said it. Go ahead. Read that sentence again. Pavlik would expose Calzaghe. The kid from Ohio would prove that Calzaghe’s fast-handed, high output approach is no match for a power-punching, Paul Bunyan-like, chop-ya-down style fighter.
Opponents to these claims may point to Calzaghe’s performance against Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler, or Bernard Hopkins. In fairness to Joe, he outboxed and outclassed Lacy. There is really no other way to put it. But against Kessler and Hopkins, he unveiled some major flaws. At times, his two-handed approach has left him squared up, unsteady, and vulnerable.
Kessler caught Calzaghe with some quality shots during this time of weakness, but “The Viking Warrior” didn’t display the pedigree necessary to truly capitalize. The 43-year-old Hopkins – who won the fight 114-113 on this writer’s scorecard – knocked Calzaghe down in the first round and consistently landed the heavier, stiffer punches. The Philadelphian recognized some wrinkles in Joe’s game, but Father Time and two judges who score activity over productivity prevented Hopkins from securing the win.
There would be no judge’s decision if Pavlik fought Calzaghe. Kelly is far too much for Calzaghe to handle. Unlike Kessler, Pavlik has yet to be frustrated or taken off his game plan. Heck, Jermain Taylor nearly buried him in the mat at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City last year, yet “The Ghost” rose from the dead. Calzaghe gets off on frustrating opponents. But what if Pavlik just kept pawing through the Calzaghe bee hive? What if Pavlik, nearly two decades younger than Hopkins, caught Calzaghe flush with a punch? Could the fighting pride of Wales rise from the dead? Doubtful.
Clearly, Calzaghe sees Jones as an easy sell and less hassle. I wish he would just say it. Instead of firing promoters or having your daddy badmouth one of the sport’s brightest, promising stars, just tell the truth. Tell all of the fans that protecting the zero on your record is much more important. Remind them that the amount of zeros on your paycheck (Jones is still a cash cow) determines your opponents and that the pound-for-pound ranking means nothing to you.
Tell them the truth Joe. Tell them you’re afraid of ghosts." - Dave Sholler
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