Calzaghe and Dawson: a double standard about fighting old opponents

[MACAQUEINBLACK]

I don't think either guy should be criticized for it. Hopkins was an elite, past prime or not, and RJJ was a glamor fight too good to pass up for Joe. For Chad, there aren't exactly a wealth of options at LH.


Correct if I'm wrong, but isn't the reason Dawson's camp wouldn't fight Cloud because none of the majors were paying out for it? So what's his next fight? I've been out the loop for a couple days.

[black.ink]

The Johnson that Dawson is heading to fight is a better boxer then the RJJ that Calzaghe fought.

I think it's also fair to say that the Hopkins win was a great win for Joe, against arguably one of the best fighters at 168-175 right now. Although controversial, it is probably his best win on resume.

[MACAQUEINBLACK]

The Johnson that Dawson is heading to fight is a better boxer then the RJJ that Calzaghe fought.

I think it's also fair to say that the Hopkins win was a great win for Joe, against arguably one of the best fighters at 168-175 right now. Although controversial, it is probably his best win on resume.

Was about to say the same re. hammerhiem's earlier comment. So is the Tarver that Dawson fought.

But like you implied, that doesn't mean Joe should take **** for his 2008 choice of opponents in Hopkins and RJJ.

[Deja_Vous]

Seeing how Hopkins was ranked as the best lhw, whats the huge problem that Calzaghe fought the best lhw at his first fight at lhw? Oh no Bhop is 40 something, big whoop he was still rated as the best lhw.

Hopkins was not the best lightheavyweight.

[Deja_Vous]

I'm not a huge fan of Joe but he gets unfairly criticised a lot on here

I don't blame him for taking the Hop/RJJ fights, just like Pac shouln't be criticised for fighting shot weightdrained Oscar $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The Hopkins and Jones fights both FLOPPED terribly.

Joe said he'd never fight Jones because he was shot and he'd fight Pavlik.

The guy showed Jones NO RESPECT...clowning and showboating the legend..At least Holmes had the class and upbringing not to clown the shot Ali.

At least Willie Wise had the home-training not to clown the shot Chavez.


Dawson fought Tarver and Johnson..2 guys Joe would never step in the same town with.

Joe SHAMELESSLY ducked Glen Johnson on several occasions..each excuse more cowardly than the last.

"My divorce is too painful"

LOL

Sloppy Joe deserves every bit of dissrespect he gets...and then some.

History will not be kind to the Welsh Rabbit..Especially when future fight fans view his spastic technique...horrid defense...and ****ty resume.

[Davros?]

Interesting how Joe Calzaghe took so much abuse on this forum for fighting two old fighters, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Chad Dawson will now have FOUR fights in a row against 40 year olds, but the same people who were so hard on Calzaghe are not saying anything - in fact they are making excuses for Dawson.

The age 26 Dawson dropped TWO titles to avoid mandatories with prime opponents (Adrian Diaconu and Tavoris Cloud) in order to fight 40 year olds. As well, he avoided Diaconu in June 2007 and fought clubfighter Jesus Ruiz, and again avoided him early in 2008 to take the first fight with Johnson.

Calzaghe was old himself, he had been an amateur in the late 80s and pro since the early 90s and now is retired, while Dawson is in his 20s.

Why did Calzaghe take so much criticism, while Dawson gets away with it? I'm sure for pointing this out, I will receive a lot of criticism myself - but no one said much about those like bsrizpac who expressed their extreme displeasure with Calzaghe day after day in this forum .

Is there a double standard?

From what i remember Dawson didn’t fight Diaconu because Diaconu got injured and Ruiz stepped. No one really criticized Calzaghe for facing Bhop but Jones was clearly shot, Dawson was forced to fight Tarver twice because of the rematch clause. And Johnson is still considered one of the best Light heavyweights the first fight was very good and almost everyone at the time wanted to see a rematch.

[The Hammer]

From what i remember Dawson didn’t fight Diaconu because Diaconu got injured and Ruiz stepped. No one really criticized Calzaghe for facing Bhop but Jones was clearly shot, Dawson was forced to fight Tarver twice because of the rematch clause. And Johnson is still considered one of the best Light heavyweights the first fight was very good and almost everyone at the time wanted to see a rematch.

You're omitting a lot of facts, Davros.

1. Jesus Ruiz was a low-level clubfighter, a voluntary opponent in June, 2007. Diaconu was Dawson's mandatory - he wasn't injured at that time and wanted to fight Dawson, but Dawson was approved by the WBC to have a voluntary defense and he chose Ruiz.

2. Diaconu was injured in Sep 2007 so Dawson fought Epifano Mendoza instead.

3. Diaconu was healed and ready to fight by December, 2007. Dawson avoided Diaconu again in early 2008 and another voluntary defense, this time against Johnson, was approved by the WBC.

4. Dawson ducked Diaconu again in the early summer of 2008, and vacated his title to fight the age 40 Tarver.

5. Dawson ducked Tavoris Cloud in early 2009 and decided to go for the rematch with Tarver. His contract with Tarver stated that he could have a fight in between, before the rematch, but he chose to avoid Tavoris.

6. Dawson ducked Cloud again in May 2009, and vacates his title to rematch Johnson, who is now age 40.

[Deja_Vous]

From what i remember Dawson didn’t fight Diaconu because Diaconu got injured and Ruiz stepped. No one really criticized Calzaghe for facing Bhop but Jones was clearly shot, Dawson was forced to fight Tarver twice because of the rematch clause. And Johnson is still considered one of the best Light heavyweights the first fight was very good and almost everyone at the time wanted to see a rematch.

And remember Joe ducked the **** outta Johnson on several occasions.

[MACAQUEINBLACK]

Correct if I'm wrong, but isn't the reason Dawson's camp wouldn't fight Cloud because none of the majors were paying out for it? So what's his next fight? I've been out the loop for a couple days.

Quit bitching and school me, you self-important *******s.

[Davros?]

You're omitting a lot of facts, Davros.

1. Jesus Ruiz was a low-level clubfighter, a voluntary opponent in June, 2007. Diaconu was Dawson's mandatory - he wasn't injured at that time and wanted to fight Dawson, but Dawson was approved by the WBC to have a voluntary defense and he chose Ruiz.

2. Diaconu was injured in Sep 2007 so Dawson fought Epifano Mendoza instead.

3. Diaconu was healed and ready to fight by December, 2007. Dawson avoided Diaconu again in early 2008 and another voluntary defense, this time against Johnson, was approved by the WBC.

4. Dawson ducked Diaconu again in the early summer of 2008, and vacated his title to fight the age 40 Tarver.

5. Dawson ducked Tavoris Cloud in early 2009 and decided to go for the rematch with Tarver. His contract with Tarver stated that he could have a fight in between, before the rematch, but he chose to avoid Tavoris.

6. Dawson ducked Cloud again in May 2009, and vacates his title to rematch Johnson, who is now age 40.

cool well I have a crap memory so I really cant remember the exact dates of when people got injured etc and I would know the fine details of the contract that Dawson signed with Tarver, anyway people criticized Dawson's performance against Johnson and people on here said he deserved a rematch now he gets one people moan at Dawson for not fighting Cloud I don’t care as the first one was a great fight and i am looking forward to the rematch, I am not a Dawson fan but I cant believe people are hating on him when he is giving people the rematch they wanted to see.