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Nov 6 2008 by Blair Wood, Western Mail
Roy Jones Jr has upped the stakes ahead of Saturday’s superfight with Joe Calzaghe, declaring that whoever wins will be the best boxer in the world.
Jones, a former eight-time and four-weight world champion, is adamant Calzaghe is now the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet. And, while he feels victory for the undefeated Welshman would simply secure that status beyond any doubt, he claimed an upset in his favour would see him return to the very top of the sport.
The American’s comments add further importance to a bout being dubbed as the ‘Battle of the Superpowers.’ And it puts yet more pressure on Calzaghe to deliver one of the performances of his life in what he has suggested could be his last ever fight.
Without a doubt this is the biggest compliment the legendary Jones has paid to Calzaghe in the build-up to their highly-anticipated encounter. The likes of Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito would probably have something to say about it but, as far as the 39-year-old is concerned, no-one but him truly compares to “Super Joe” right now.
“Without a doubt whoever wins this fight is the best boxer in the world right now,” he declared. “No-one else can come close. “For me Joe is the best pound for pound fighter in the world now. But you know I love to change things.” He continued: “He is a great fighter and right now he is the best around. Who else has got a record of 45 fights undefeated? “I won’t take that away from him, I can’t. No-one else has got a record like that, Joe is the man right now.”
Calzaghe was naturally delighted to hear such glowing praise from his opponent. But, displaying his usual modesty when it comes to comparisons with other fighters, he wouldn’t fully endorse it.
As far as the Newbridge man is concerned it’s not his job to tell the world how good he is. And he is happy that, with a record of 45 fights and 15 years undefeated, he now gets the credit he deserves without needing to constantly remind people of what he has done.
Nevertheless it never hurts to be told you are the best boxer in the world. And, pledging to deliver one of the best performances of his career, Calzaghe was keen to show everyone exactly why Jones rates him so highly.
“To hear Roy Jones say I am the number one, that is brilliant,” he beamed. “And on Saturday I will prove he’s right. I don’t go shouting about being the best in the world, I’m not that type of person or fighter. But I like to think that my record speaks for itself. “And I think most people would rank me in the top two or three best in the world.”
As for Saturday’s bout, he continued: “The bigger the fight, the bigger the performance I give. That is what champions are all about. “I am as hungry for this fight as I have ever been. My hands are great, I’m in great shape and I am sure you will see a great performance.
“I wouldn’t have come to America if I wasn’t certain I could win this fight. I know I need to be at my best to do that but I can promise I will be.” Calzaghe’s comments about producing his best performances against the hardest opponents certainly struck a cord with Jones.
It’s a quality he feels he shares with the Welshman and, more importantly, it’s one he claims sets them aside with only a handful of other truly great boxers.
Jones strongly believes both he and Calzaghe have the sort of winning mentality only a small elite possess. And, in his opinion, that is exactly why this fight deserves to be referred to as a battle of legends. “I am a natural born winner and so is Joe,” he said.
“It’s not often two of them come together in the ring. Being able to step it up for big fights is a special quality that only the great champions have. You can have all the skill and power but, without that quality, you are nothing but an average fighter. It’s just the ability to be a winner. It’s hard to beat and not everyone has it.”
In a sport famed for it’s public bust-ups, it’s rare for a head-to-head press conference to be packed with so much mutual respect. And last night’s event was yet another example of how Jones and Calzaghe tend to avoid the routine trash talk.
But for the first time the American actually let his guard down. Mixed in with his standard quotes about how great Calzaghe is, he couldn’t help but question the 36-year-old’s punching power.
Jones even went so far as to suggest the Welshman would have to drop his “pitter-patter” style of boxing. And he claimed that, if Calzaghe fights like he did against Hopkins, he would be tasting defeat for the first time in his illustrious career.
“I’m not saying that I don’t respect Joe’s power,” he said. “But if he throws lots of those little pitter-patter punches, a bunch of them won’t even add to half of my quality punches.
“He has got a power punch. But, if he uses them, he won’t throw that many of them. I think he will have to change his game. I don’t think he will throw as many punches but he will try to throw more meaningful ones because he wants to prove he can fight with the best. “He knows he is fighting a different breed of fighter now. He won’t come here and be the ordinary kind of Joe because that won’t win.”
Calzaghe himself was quick to point out that he and Jones had not been in contact since their press tour ended six weeks ago. And he made it clear there wouldn’t even be a hint of friendship left by the time he stepped into the ring. “The respect and friendship have gone,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to Roy for six weeks. Make no mistakes about it, while I respect Roy enough to want to fight him, he is in my way now.
“He is trying to stop something that I have worked for all my life and I’m not going to allow that.”
Roy Jones Jr has upped the stakes ahead of Saturday’s superfight with Joe Calzaghe, declaring that whoever wins will be the best boxer in the world.
Jones, a former eight-time and four-weight world champion, is adamant Calzaghe is now the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet. And, while he feels victory for the undefeated Welshman would simply secure that status beyond any doubt, he claimed an upset in his favour would see him return to the very top of the sport.
The American’s comments add further importance to a bout being dubbed as the ‘Battle of the Superpowers.’ And it puts yet more pressure on Calzaghe to deliver one of the performances of his life in what he has suggested could be his last ever fight.
Without a doubt this is the biggest compliment the legendary Jones has paid to Calzaghe in the build-up to their highly-anticipated encounter. The likes of Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito would probably have something to say about it but, as far as the 39-year-old is concerned, no-one but him truly compares to “Super Joe” right now.
“Without a doubt whoever wins this fight is the best boxer in the world right now,” he declared. “No-one else can come close. “For me Joe is the best pound for pound fighter in the world now. But you know I love to change things.” He continued: “He is a great fighter and right now he is the best around. Who else has got a record of 45 fights undefeated? “I won’t take that away from him, I can’t. No-one else has got a record like that, Joe is the man right now.”
Calzaghe was naturally delighted to hear such glowing praise from his opponent. But, displaying his usual modesty when it comes to comparisons with other fighters, he wouldn’t fully endorse it.
As far as the Newbridge man is concerned it’s not his job to tell the world how good he is. And he is happy that, with a record of 45 fights and 15 years undefeated, he now gets the credit he deserves without needing to constantly remind people of what he has done.
Nevertheless it never hurts to be told you are the best boxer in the world. And, pledging to deliver one of the best performances of his career, Calzaghe was keen to show everyone exactly why Jones rates him so highly.
“To hear Roy Jones say I am the number one, that is brilliant,” he beamed. “And on Saturday I will prove he’s right. I don’t go shouting about being the best in the world, I’m not that type of person or fighter. But I like to think that my record speaks for itself. “And I think most people would rank me in the top two or three best in the world.”
As for Saturday’s bout, he continued: “The bigger the fight, the bigger the performance I give. That is what champions are all about. “I am as hungry for this fight as I have ever been. My hands are great, I’m in great shape and I am sure you will see a great performance.
“I wouldn’t have come to America if I wasn’t certain I could win this fight. I know I need to be at my best to do that but I can promise I will be.” Calzaghe’s comments about producing his best performances against the hardest opponents certainly struck a cord with Jones.
It’s a quality he feels he shares with the Welshman and, more importantly, it’s one he claims sets them aside with only a handful of other truly great boxers.
Jones strongly believes both he and Calzaghe have the sort of winning mentality only a small elite possess. And, in his opinion, that is exactly why this fight deserves to be referred to as a battle of legends. “I am a natural born winner and so is Joe,” he said.
“It’s not often two of them come together in the ring. Being able to step it up for big fights is a special quality that only the great champions have. You can have all the skill and power but, without that quality, you are nothing but an average fighter. It’s just the ability to be a winner. It’s hard to beat and not everyone has it.”
In a sport famed for it’s public bust-ups, it’s rare for a head-to-head press conference to be packed with so much mutual respect. And last night’s event was yet another example of how Jones and Calzaghe tend to avoid the routine trash talk.
But for the first time the American actually let his guard down. Mixed in with his standard quotes about how great Calzaghe is, he couldn’t help but question the 36-year-old’s punching power.
Jones even went so far as to suggest the Welshman would have to drop his “pitter-patter” style of boxing. And he claimed that, if Calzaghe fights like he did against Hopkins, he would be tasting defeat for the first time in his illustrious career.
“I’m not saying that I don’t respect Joe’s power,” he said. “But if he throws lots of those little pitter-patter punches, a bunch of them won’t even add to half of my quality punches.
“He has got a power punch. But, if he uses them, he won’t throw that many of them. I think he will have to change his game. I don’t think he will throw as many punches but he will try to throw more meaningful ones because he wants to prove he can fight with the best. “He knows he is fighting a different breed of fighter now. He won’t come here and be the ordinary kind of Joe because that won’t win.”
Calzaghe himself was quick to point out that he and Jones had not been in contact since their press tour ended six weeks ago. And he made it clear there wouldn’t even be a hint of friendship left by the time he stepped into the ring. “The respect and friendship have gone,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to Roy for six weeks. Make no mistakes about it, while I respect Roy enough to want to fight him, he is in my way now.
“He is trying to stop something that I have worked for all my life and I’m not going to allow that.”