Calzaghe and Dawson: a double standard about fighting old opponents

[NickTheGreek]

Dawson is not claiming to be the "best" by beating old men though, and never had the opportunity to facet these guys at a younger age.

Whereas Calzaghe did, but decided on facing the older versions.

When exactly did Calzaghe have any options to fight Hopkins or Jones before he did?

He offered Hopkins the fight back in 2002 (or 03) and Hopkins agreed before coming back the next day and doubling his money demands that he had agreed to a day earlier. There is evidence of this.

Jones also said back then that he wasn't interested in a fight with Calzaghe as he wasn't a big enough name at the time.

By the time Calzaghe was a big enough name Jones was at light heavyweight and Calzaghe has two contenders to his throne at 168 in Lacy and Kessler. He went onto destroy Lacy in one of the most one sided world title fights i have ever witnessed, and then went onto outclass Kessler before moving up as the undisputed #1 at 168.

[mathed]

Or maybe it was because he lost to Dawson so he moved up...possible.

I actually never heard the weight-drain story. Do you have an sources with Adamek discussing it. I would be very interested in that read for my history notes. And if true, it would be good info to have just in case Dawson moves up to CW and fights Adamek again.
I did hear before Adamek said it was "speed" that troubled him with Dawson most of all. I think that was in the post-fight press conference. I'll have to check to see if it was in there. I need a link for it though. Wonder if this site still has the video....

Anyway, if true that Adamek was "weight-drained" as you say, why continue to fight at LH?
Was he trying to take advantage of smaller fighters???

I heard the same thing on Showtime. The commentators were commenting on it during the fight with Cunningham- don't have sources but they made a statement similar to at least Adamek is not weight drained like he was for the Dawson fight. They gave weight issues as the reason for moving up to cruiser.

[The Hammer]

Tarver had a rematch clause.

You can't blame that on Dawson.

The rematch clause stated he could take a fight in between, before the rematch.

So he could have fought his mandatory Cloud and then Tarver, but he chose to avoid Tavoris and make him wait several more months for a fight he then decided to avoid.

[IMDAZED]

The rematch clause stated he could take a fight in between, before the rematch.

So he could have fought his mandatory Cloud and then Tarver, but he chose to avoid Tavoris and make him wait several more months for a fight he then decided to avoid.

Now Tavoris Cloud is being ducked for..Glen Johnson. Even you don't believe what you're saying.

[The Hammer]

Or maybe it was because he lost to Dawson so he moved up...possible.

I actually never heard the weight-drain story.

Of course you did. Why lie about it?

Do you have an sources with Adamek discussing it. I would be very interested in that read for my history notes. And if true, it would be good info to have just in case Dawson moves up to CW and fights Adamek again.
I did hear before Adamek said it was "speed" that troubled him with Dawson most of all. I think that was in the post-fight press conference. I'll have to check to see if it was in there. I need a link for it though. Wonder if this site still has the video....

So sarcastic! Do you really have a superior intellect? If so, why can't you debate more honestly?

Anyway, if true that Adamek was "weight-drained" as you say, why continue to fight at LH?
Was he trying to take advantage of smaller fighters???

Talk about thinly veiled dishonesty! Why not just be a man and admit you hate Europeans?

As fighters get older, their bones become heavier, and they have to move up. He didn't plan on it - at the time he won the title, he had no problem making weight but that changed by the Dawson fight.

But you knew that too, didn't you, Benny?

[The Hammer]

I heard the same thing on Showtime. The commentators were commenting on it during the fight with Cunningham- don't have sources but they made a statement similar to at least Adamek is not weight drained like he was for the Dawson fight. They gave weight issues as the reason for moving up to cruiser.

Yes, and Benny heard and read about Adamek being weight-drained too. He's just pretending he did not, playing his usual games.

[The_Demon]

calzaghe gets unfair critisim.he cleared up the SMW division winning all the belt and at the end of his career stepped up to fight 2 ATGS and thats wrong apparently,whereas dawson a young fresh champion can beat up these old guys and its ok,ridiculous double-standards

[mathed]

All action former WBC light heavyweight champion and current IBO Cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek (32-1, 22 KOs) will return on December 29 on the big Sauerland Event card at the Seidensticker Hall in Bielefeld, Germany. Adamek, now campaigning as a cruiserweight, will face Tiwon Taylor (26-14-1).

“I feel good in this division,” said Adamek. “This is my natural body weight. Now I’m not so starved like before. I can eat and drink and as a result, I feel even stronger....I have lost none of my speed. The only difference is that the punches of the opponents are harder than before so my style has changed a bit. I now box a little more from a distance.”

The 31-year-old, who is known for his “blood and guts” wars when 175lb world champion, is now rated at #6 by the IBF at cruiserweight. He is eyeing a shot at the winner of the IBF title fight between Steve Cunningham and Marco “Käpt’n” Huck, which is headlining the attractive December 29 card.

http://www.kocorner.com/boxing/category/Tomasz-Adamek/

[S.G.]

Yeah it's true... Personally I'm okay with both of them fighting slightly older fighters. Hopkins, Johnson, Tarver and Jones are all top level opponents regardless of age and bring a lot of name power and financial rewards to the table

[steptwome]

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?

Many will be hard pressed to answer that question, but it does seem that way