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Last week, in a written column in a British newspaper, promoter Frank Warren made a quite brutal attack on the fighter he used to promote in Joe Calzaghe. Warren claims the things he wrote in his column were nothing but a retaliatory response to some of the nasty things Calzaghe has said about him recently. It is common knowledge the two men ended a hugely successful partnership earlier this year, and a lawsuit is now pending on the part of Mr. Warren..
Some of the things Warren wrote last week included: Claims that Joe often pulled out of fights at short notice, leaving him to "pick up the financial mess." That he wanted Joe to face Kelly Pavlik instead of a "washed up" Roy Jones - who Calzaghe himself claimed was such in his recent autobiography. That Calzaghe was unwilling to put in sufficient effort so as to get publicity, and that Joe falsely claims he was held back and his career was "put in shackles" by Warren.
Hard hitting stuff to be sure, but Warren says he regrets having had to write it, but that he did so only as a response to Calzaghe's blasts at him in the press and was really left with no choice. Without a doubt the relationship that proved hugely successful for over ten years has soured enormously.
In yesterday's edition of Wales On Sunday, Joe's father and trainer Enzo responded to Warren's article and the claims made in it.
"I was very disappointed when I read it," Enzo said. "It seemed like one-way traffic, like Frank was trying to hypnotise the public into only seeing things his way. It seems only about what Frank did for Joe, never mind what Joe did for Frank. If he hadn't had world champions fighting for him, where would Frank be? Joe deserves more than being undermined like that. This is being done only because he wants to promote his own fight. But we are in a world where people are free to make their own choices."
The fight Joe wants to promote himself is, of course, the upcoming Roy Jones Junior bout - a match-up Warren says adds nothing to Joe's legacy.
"I preferred the Kelly Pavlik fight as Jones is way past his best," Warren wrote last week. "In the 2008 edition of his autobiography, Calzaghe states Jones is 'washed up.' Yet he is trying to make out Jones will provide a legitimate challenge. I believe I could have got Calzaghe far more money than he secured himself. He agreed a 50-50 purse split with Jones. Roy must have thought he had won the lottery. A fight against Pavlik would have done far more for Calzaghe's legacy."
There is little doubt Warren is correct on this last point, but the fact is the Calzaghe-Jones fight has already done good business and will likely be an entertaining affair. Still, it's very interesting how Joe's former promoter says he wanted a Calzaghe-Pavlik showdown, whereas Joe opted for the 39-year-old Jones. Maybe, just maybe, Joe never wanted anything to do with Pavlik after all. Who knows for sure?
Some of the things Warren wrote last week included: Claims that Joe often pulled out of fights at short notice, leaving him to "pick up the financial mess." That he wanted Joe to face Kelly Pavlik instead of a "washed up" Roy Jones - who Calzaghe himself claimed was such in his recent autobiography. That Calzaghe was unwilling to put in sufficient effort so as to get publicity, and that Joe falsely claims he was held back and his career was "put in shackles" by Warren.
Hard hitting stuff to be sure, but Warren says he regrets having had to write it, but that he did so only as a response to Calzaghe's blasts at him in the press and was really left with no choice. Without a doubt the relationship that proved hugely successful for over ten years has soured enormously.
In yesterday's edition of Wales On Sunday, Joe's father and trainer Enzo responded to Warren's article and the claims made in it.
"I was very disappointed when I read it," Enzo said. "It seemed like one-way traffic, like Frank was trying to hypnotise the public into only seeing things his way. It seems only about what Frank did for Joe, never mind what Joe did for Frank. If he hadn't had world champions fighting for him, where would Frank be? Joe deserves more than being undermined like that. This is being done only because he wants to promote his own fight. But we are in a world where people are free to make their own choices."
The fight Joe wants to promote himself is, of course, the upcoming Roy Jones Junior bout - a match-up Warren says adds nothing to Joe's legacy.
"I preferred the Kelly Pavlik fight as Jones is way past his best," Warren wrote last week. "In the 2008 edition of his autobiography, Calzaghe states Jones is 'washed up.' Yet he is trying to make out Jones will provide a legitimate challenge. I believe I could have got Calzaghe far more money than he secured himself. He agreed a 50-50 purse split with Jones. Roy must have thought he had won the lottery. A fight against Pavlik would have done far more for Calzaghe's legacy."
There is little doubt Warren is correct on this last point, but the fact is the Calzaghe-Jones fight has already done good business and will likely be an entertaining affair. Still, it's very interesting how Joe's former promoter says he wanted a Calzaghe-Pavlik showdown, whereas Joe opted for the 39-year-old Jones. Maybe, just maybe, Joe never wanted anything to do with Pavlik after all. Who knows for sure?
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