Truce with Calzaghe fans

[HappyBoxingFan]

I edited my post, might be worth another glance.

Dude that's not all that strong or specific, just saying he was responsible. People have actually listed specific reasons on why certain fights didn't come out, ranging from injuries to the other backing out. So what exactly can Joe do about those two? That leaves your generalising attitude of kinda his fault, somewhat ill considered of the more specific situations.

Look at Ricky Hatton... He got the biggest fight on the planet.... What did he do for it. I'm not saying that Joe was obligated to come here and force the hand of the big name fighters, but I am saying he sure could of...

[HappyBoxingFan]

You are overlooking the fact that for most of the time that Joe could have moved up, the only genuinely compelling reason to do so was a fight with Roy Jones. There was no guarantee such a fight would happen and indeed it would be quite unlikely prime for prime since Roy had his heart set on a trip to HW. LHW was not packed with talent itself and the general standard was not much better than SMW. Tarver and Johnson (who had been a losing peer of Joe's at SMW) only emerged as 'big fights' after Roy had been to HW and back and then lost to both of them. At this time Calzaghe was already on the Lacy and Kessler trail.

I wish Joe had moved up, because he might well have handed Roy his first loss instead of Tarver, but it is easy to see why he didn't. Also I think it quite likely that had he done so and beaten Tarver and Johnson those two wins would be disregarded as being agsinst journeymen and people would say he ducked Kessler and Lacy.

But he didn't fight Tarver and Johnson OR Jones... and he still found time to fight Bika and Manfredo.

[abadger]

But he didn't fight Tarver and Johnson OR Jones... and he still found time to fight Bika and Manfredo.

Presumably though, having taken Lacy's belt he wanted to unify against Kessler. What makes Tarver and Johnson 'better' opponents than pre-beatdown Lacy and Mikkel Kessler, when you consider their relative reputations? Both the LHW guys are basically regarded as good journeymen, whereas Lacy was seen as a monster and Kessler is regarded as one of the most talented young fighters there is.

It seems to me that Johnson and Tarver are mostly seen as 'better' wins because 1) they are LHW peers of Jones and 2) Joe didn't fight them.

[HappyBoxingFan]

Presumably though, having taken Lacy's belt he wanted to unify against Kessler. What makes Tarver and Johnson 'better' opponents than pre-beatdown Lacy and Mikkel Kessler, when you consider their relative reputations? Both the LHW guys are basically regarded as good journeymen, whereas Lacy was seen as a monster and Kessler is regarded as one of the most talented young fighters there is.

It seems to me that Johnson and Tarver are mostly seen as 'better' wins because 1) they are LHW peers of Jones and 2) Joe didn't fight them.

I didn't say they were better than Kessler and Lacy... although... they might be... I said that Johnson and Tarver were better than Bika and Manfredo.

[abadger]

I didn't say they were better than Kessler and Lacy... although... they might be... I said that Johnson and Tarver were better than Bika and Manfredo.

Yeah, but Joe couldn't just switch back and forth between LHW and SMW at will now could he? Also is he not allowed tune up fights? (Which Bika and Manfredo were)

Anyway, like I say, it would have been nice if Joe had gone up to LHW for a fight with Jones sometime between 2000 and 2003, but like I said its tough to leave your weight division and go chasing after one fighter who might never fight you when that fighter is the only compelling reason to do so.

[Kris Silver]

Happyboxingfan, with respect you seem to make out like all fights are on the table to everyone from several divisions, at any time. When in reality that's far from the truth.

That is especially true when at LHW in particular Joe wasn't in a great bargaining position with no belts.

[Chunk..]

Joe Calzaghe - Great fighter - Iffy resume.

Can't we all just admit i'm right?