Will boxing fans allow Calzaghe to retire without facing Pavlik?

[egreezy]

The post I responded to in this thread. You said "He owes the sport and fans". How exactly does he owe them? Explain it to me. Explain how a guy who has trained and fought over 40 fights over the space of well over a decade and has given his fans plenty of memorable moments all whilst suffering from severe hand injuries owes it to the sport?

i was just saying it cause it an expression or saying, but let me try to defend it.
he made it as far as #2 p4p by fans and writers without the best resume and not in most difficult division. despite that came to america for 2 fights, and ones would expect him to fight the best there like hatton did. at the end of the day he wasnt only guy to beat hopkins recently. so for such a high ranking i think more would be asked. it says alot that hes go 40+wins undefeated and still not seen as #1p4p. i dont see how he could retire b4 ever achieving that. retiring #1p4p > retiring undefeated.

[joseph5620]

Exactly. Joe has been fighting for 16 years, made a fortune, and can retire any damn time he wants to. He owes Pavlik nothing.

I wish more people were intelligent enough to realize what you said here.

[optkliluzn]

I disagree completely....Calzaghe does his best when fighting by backing down his opponents and NEVER has a he fought even a DECENT fighter that could back him up...and Pavlik would mow him down! BUT I DO agree, we will never know unless it happens!
This fight MUST happen! There is NOBODY else that people say Calzaghe could NOT beat in this point of his career!

I dont think pavlik can beat calzaghe on his best day BUT no he Will have to fight him or he will never live it down

[Dan...]

i was just saying it cause it an expression or saying, but let me try to defend it.
he made it as far as #2 p4p by fans and writers without the best resume and not in most difficult division. despite that came to america for 2 fights, and ones would expect him to fight the best there like hatton did. at the end of the day he wasnt only guy to beat hopkins recently. so for such a high ranking i think more would be asked. it says alot that hes go 40+wins undefeated and still not seen as #1p4p. i dont see how he could retire b4 ever achieving that. retiring #1p4p > retiring undefeated.

So because he has never been p4p#1 he owes it to the sport to fight Pavlik? Or are you saying that he has been given a high pound for pound rating of late based on the assumption that he will fight Pavlik? The argument of "he owes it to the sport" is a complete joke. Fighters fight for themselves, they do not owe the sport anything at any stage. They train their arses off to go out their and get hit in the head for out entertainment. If anyone owes anybody anything in this game we fans owe the fighters.

[badboypeenoy]

The way I see it, Calzaghe fans don't like the fight happening and Pavlik fans want the fight to happen...i wonder why?

[Dan...]

The way I see it, Calzaghe fans don't like the fight happening and Pavlik fans want the fight to happen...i wonder why?

I'm sure you wonder about a lot of things considering you know nothing about anything.

[ACHlLLES]

Calz dug himself in a deep hole if he doesn't fight him he looks like a *****, because he talked way too much crap not to step in the ring with pavlik.

[badboypeenoy]

I'm sure you wonder about a lot of things considering you know nothing about anything.

Don't you want the fight to happen?

[Dan...]

Don't you want the fight to happen?

Sure I do. I won't hold it against Calzaghe if he walks away after the Roy fight though. He has put a lot of years and hard work into the sport, a lot of it whilst dealing with some pretty bad hand injuries. I believe any fighter who has fought that many fights over such a long period of time has earnt the right to call it a day whenever they want to. If he wants to finish up then nobody should hold it against him.

[badboypeenoy]

Sure I do. I won't hold it against Calzaghe if he walks away after the Roy fight though. He has put a lot of years and hard work into the sport, a lot of it whilst dealing with some pretty bad hand injuries. I believe any fighter who has fought that many fights over such a long period of time has earnt the right to call it a day whenever they want to. If he wants to finish up then nobody should hold it against him.

So if he retires ducking Pavlik, it would be OK for you because....

"He has put a lot of years and hard work into the sport, a lot of it whilst dealing with some pretty bad hand injuries. I believe any fighter who has fought that many fights over such a long period of time has earnt the right to call it a day whenever they want to. If he wants to finish up then nobody should hold it against him."

...just like Mayweather chosing not to fight Cotto or Margarito, (minus the wear and tear and age excuse of course). Well, that's your opinion and I see 5 others sharing the same notion.