Shaun George: "Calzaghe, Why Not Fight Chad Dawson?"

[Steak]

Glen Johnson's last notable win was Antonio Tarver 4 years ago.

Roy Jones' last notable win was Antonio Tarver 4 years ago.

um...Glen has clearly been a better fighter than Roy since he knocked him out brutally.

I honestly dont care that Calzaghe fought Jones and Bernard. I can understand why he did, and Bernard is still a top fighter. but to fight Jones and not fight Dawson is pretty lousy.

besides, from what Ive heard the last GJ Clinton Woods fight was a robbery that Glen should have won.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

um...Glen has clearly been a better fighter than Roy since he knocked him out brutally.

I honestly dont care that Calzaghe fought Jones and Bernard. I can understand why he did, and Bernard is still a top fighter. but to fight Jones and not fight Dawson is pretty lousy.

besides, from what Ive heard the last GJ Clinton Woods fight was a robbery that Glen should have won.

Probably yeah. Im just playing devils advocate. I actually think Tarver is the most "shot" out of all of them. It staggers me that people cant see the hypocrisy in this article.

Neither do I. Nor do I care that Dawson fought two 40 year olds instead of Diaconu.

Close fights are not robberies.

[freedom213]

are you a fan of boxing or just a fan of calzaghe? so you don't wanna see the 2 best light heavies fight? you'd rather calzaghe waste everyones time and disrespect the sport by fighting old ass shot roy jones cause he gets more money? and how much of that money do you get may i ask? stop being calzaghes public relations agent and start being a fan of boxing.

exactly, what is wrong with these people? If you are such a fan of Joe dont you want to see him fight the best? Its not like the guy isnt gonna get payed better money than most of us will see in a life time for fighting Dawson. Its safe to say Joe has Mayweather syndrome.

[dondi330]

Put up or shut up

This seems a very blinkered and all too common bias against Calzaghe.

If he fights Dawson and wins, it will be little different to fighting Lacy and winning. Pre-fight Lacy was a clear favourite to KO Calzaghe and we saw what happened there. Post fight haters say Lacy was exposed, and it was not an impressive win as Lacy was an over-hyped fraud, etc etc. While there's truth in that Lacy was indeed hyped to the tilt, that is just the nature of boxing; hype sells fights, like it or not. Calzaghe still took on the young lion who, prior to the fight, looked highly impressive and very dangerous. And what credit afterwards? Very little.

He then takes on a young fighter Mikkel Kessler, who is in my eyes the clear future of the SMW div and to call Kessler unimpressive, I think shows a very clear lack of understanding of boxing; either that or just a very blatent anti Clazaghe bias.

'Barely beating an old Hopkins', (and I think he did get deserve to win the fight as he controlled the pace through the fight and made it on his terms, making Hopkins struggle down in the championship rounds, something no-one has ever done before), has been put into perspective by Hopkins last performance against Kelly Pavlik. Hopkins a shot old man? Well can't be that shot, eh.

As for taking the RJJ fight, I disagree with it. It was self gratification. I don't think he should have made this fight, at the time I'd rather have seen him fight Pavlik instead, bearing in mind this was before the Hopkins-Pavlik fight. But the same haters were calling Calzaghe a coward then for not doing so. You notice now the latest next big thing has been proved to not be in the class of Hopkins (and surely therefore Calzaghe?), there's not a whisper from these people now mentioning Pavlik.

So let's just move on to the next guy down the road... there will always, ALWAYS be the next guy. So Calzaghe fights and beats Dawson. There will always be another guy who he ducks after that, despite being 37. If he hadn't have fought Lacy, then Kessler. If not Kessler, then Pavlik, then Dawson, then the next guy.

Admit it, 37 is a retirement age. Jones should have already done so. As much as I can't stand Bernard Hopkins as a man, he is truly special to have preserved his condition and adapted his skills to the age he has. 46 fights in Calzaghe's career is a lot of fights. Just ask OdlH - it doesn't last forever no matter how much you want it to. Sooner or later, you'll need it and it just won't be there anymore. Stop letting bias get the better of you and just admit it, Calzaghe has really nothing left to prove.

Yes I am clearly a Calzaghe fan, yet not one who will defend his every move and I always try to be subjective. Whether it was his choice or Warren's (someone I find it very hard to defend at any time), I will criticise him for not getting the fights sooner - that was really inexcusable. If it was Warren holding him back, he should have threatened to leave him long before he actually did.

It does seem quite amusing though, that the majority of the stick that Calzaghe has gotten is after he finally did get it together and fight the big fights. Without wishing to turn this into yet another Euro vs US squabble, I sometimes wonder what reaction he would have if he was american.

Calzaghe was barely known until he fought Lacy (sure it got him alot of attention) Everyone was like who is this guy that beat Lacy? But more importantly what Lacy did afterwards shown us who Lacy was. He didnt do much, hype? yes. I do understand hype very well thats why I know Cazaghe is just hype. He is good no doubt but he needs to beat Dawson to secure his respect to many.
Kessler ? spare me...we all know where the "proving grounds" are, its America and Kessler hasnt fought here....not to mention aside from Calzaghe, who has he fought?
Hopkins? I never said he was shot, and the reason he looked good against Pavlik is simple, Pavlik is good but one dimensionsal(like Trinidad) Face it no matter how good Hopkins is or was he is 43...so please.
Roy Jones? My opinion greatest gifted fighter I ever seen (in his prime)..but he I will say is a shot fighter. I think Trinidad was Great but Jones should have had the ability to knock him out because he is now just a blown up welterweight.
Look ..if Calzaghe truly wanted to create a legendary status then he made a mistake in trying to create one in Europe and waiting till he was 36 to come to America or 34 to fight his first semi name in Lacy.
I dont believe its asking much to beat what many people believe is a legitimate young lion in Dawson....to truly get the repect he deserves...Im sure in UK he is the man...But in USA you have to back that s^&% up!

[IMDAZED]

exactly, what is wrong with these people? If you are such a fan of Joe dont you want to see him fight the best? Its not like the guy isnt gonna get payed better money than most of us will see in a life time for fighting Dawson. Its safe to say Joe has Mayweather syndrome.

It's absolutely mind-boggling. Seriously.

[rogdogx]

Calzaghe has never fought a prime young threat. Lacy showed huge flaws in technique on his way up and he was an industry made guy. Beat Dawson then u can act like ur one of the greats. until then stick ur head up ur ass Calzaghe. This guy won't fight Dawson he's not gonna take the risk of catchin a beat down and losing the undefeated mark

[hammerhiem]

Calzaghe has never fought a prime young threat.

there's not such thing as a young prime threat.

If you're prime you're prime. The best you are going to be over 4-6 years.

Lacy was prime: He certainly was considered to be the best SMW and he hasn't exactly improved.

Kessler was Prime: WBC/WBA champion in fact

Hopkins showed he's very much close to prime in his next fight, in fact his best years have been the last 6 or so.

Ried was prime, Shieka was prime, even Mario ****ing Veit was prime.

just because the division was weak doesn't mean the opposition was either old or green.

[Mr. Ryan]

Calzaghe has never fought a prime young threat. Lacy showed huge flaws in technique on his way up and he was an industry made guy. Beat Dawson then u can act like ur one of the greats. until then stick ur head up ur ass Calzaghe. This guy won't fight Dawson he's not gonna take the risk of catchin a beat down and losing the undefeated mark

I thought Lacy was going to beat Calzaghe, not because Lacy was great but because I really thought Calzaghe was on his way out. I wasn't terribly impressed with his fight against Salem before that.

He showed that he still had it with that fight. But personally, I haven't been too impressed after that. Of course Lacy is a kind of fighter that he can shine against all night but the fight with Kessler wasn't all that big of a mismatch that people make it out to be and the Hopkins fight could have gone either way.

[optkliluzn]

What the hell is wrong with you....what does age have to do with being a great fighter! Bhop proved otherwise so has Foreman.....hell the same goes for ALL sports....Nolan Ryan stikes out a 21 year old and nobody says ****! If your great or the best....then being 36 yr old aint guna stop anyone, have you even noticed Calzaghe's performance....its MORE impressive now than it was 5 years ago.....this is his prime! He NEEDS to fight Dawson to have a legendary mark otherwise hes just another ducker! PERIOD!

Damn, some people are such hypocrites.

So, old guy Calzaghe (almost 37) at the very end of his career gets slated for fighting older guys, and apparently needs to fight a young guy who beat nobody but two 40 year-olds deserves a fight with old guy Calzaghe and barely anyone even knows who the young guy is, and old guy Calzaghe doesn't even make the kind of money he is looking for at this stage in his career? And apart from that, old guy Calzaghe is almost certain to retire anyway?

Yeah, makes complete sense! Dawson wants a pay day by attempting to fight an old guy who's not far off 40, when really he should be concentrating on proving himself by AT LEAST rematching and beating old guy Johnson who arguably beat him and got robbed. And it's now old guy Calzaghe who needs to prove himself?

**** off Chad, you vulture.

[hammerhiem]

have you even noticed Calzaghe's performance....its MORE impressive now than it was 5 years ago.....this is his prime!

Clearly you've only ever seen his recent fights or you would know how wrong that statement is.