Manfredo is a bigger name in the UK than Calzaghe..

[Smashing]

Joe is well known in the UK....not hugely well known...but no way is Manfredo more known in the UK..although im speaking from a London perspective..don't know where you guys live in the UK..but all my non boxing mates have heard of Calzaghe..if i said to them whos Manfredo..they would say is that a new pop band.

[Shanus]

Calzaghe want's the fame, but won't take the risk. And therefore it's a good fight for Calzaghe. He's not aiming for the record books, just the tv-guides.

And Kessler is, right?

If he fights Taylor in the summer, Manfredo is a good fight for him at the beginning of the new year.

[medium-deek]

Joe is well known in the UK....not hugely well known...but no way is Manfredo more known in the UK..although im speaking from a London perspective..don't know where you guys live in the UK..but all my non boxing mates have heard of Calzaghe..if i said to them whos Manfredo..they would say is that a new pop band.

Unfortunately, its one of these rediculous statements made by Juy along with the other one, which is that Calzaghe is not liked by the majority of English boxing fans because he happens to be Welsh. Yeah right. Boxing isn't football. Its not as tribal as football.

[medium-deek]

Maybe in the States he is, but he's totally anonymous in the UK.

Clearly he is not going to be very well known. He has spent most of his life boxing career on Sky. What do you expect?

[medium-deek]

and many of the Contender fans were reality TV fans, not boxing fans.

People will not watch reality tv unless the subject interests them. You will not find non boxing fans watching contender. Why would they want to watch an American reality tv show which has no significance in the UK? The participants are all Americans. The winner will not make any personal appearance on UK newspapers or TV shows. You wont see Manfredo as a guest on GMTV or BBC breakfast news. He wont be interviewed by Hello or OK. Wont feature on any Sun, Mirror or Evening Standard entertainment/celebrity listings or features. The winner of Fame Academy, Big Brother, X-factor, Pop Idol (all UK reality shows), will.

[Shanus]

People will not watch reality tv unless the subject interests them. You will not find non boxing fans watching contender. Why would they want to watch an American reality tv show which has no significance in the UK? The participants are all Americans. The winner will not make any personal appearance on UK newspapers or TV shows. You wont see Manfredo as a guest on GMTV or BBC breakfast news. He wont be interviewed by Hello or OK. Wont feature on any Sun, Mirror or Evening Standard entertainment/celebrity listings or features. The winner of Fame Academy, Big Brother, X-factor, Pop Idol (all UK reality shows), will.

I can see where you're coming from, but it was extremely suspensful and addictive to watch, it was more of a reality show than a boxing show, seeing as the fights were edited and were pleasurable to watch for even a non boxing fan.

My grandmother is a fan of the program, females that I know even watch it, but if I asked either of them who the P4P#1 fighter in the world is they wouldn't even know what I meant.

[GEOFFHAYES]

I'm a boxing fan and I can't stand the Contender. I don't know many boxing fans who watched much of the Contender.

[SHB]

Last time I checked Calzaghe was second favourite for UK Sports Personality of the year (yeah, the irony isn't lost on me either). Hardly fits in with the "more people have heard of some random in the US" line.

[GEOFFHAYES]

Last time I checked Calzaghe was second favourite for UK Sports Personality of the year (yeah, the irony isn't lost on me either). Hardly fits in with the "more people have heard of some random in the US" line.

He's fourth favourite with the bookies, but only because there's nobody else worthy! He was nominated on a shortlist of five or six because of his win over Lacy, but he'll come last in the voting anyway

[GEOFFHAYES]

Only die-hard boxing/Calzaghe supporters and Welshmen will vote for him.