Calzaghe not contemplating defeat

[Chambers2]

Interesting US article on the fight here

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns

Ticket sales at Planet Hollywood are abysmal for his bout on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus with light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, a rare match between a pair of future Hall of Famers.

On Wednesday morning, one could purchase eight prime seats, in Row J in the ritzy $1,500 section, simply by clicking a few buttons on the Planet Hollywood website.

It should be a match of epic proportions, but instead it’s dying an agonizingly slow and painful death. Promoters already returned $2 million of the $11 million site fee that Planet Hollywood owner Robert Earl had paid. Earl’s looking at a loss of an easy $5 million, perhaps more.

Part of the problem, clearly, is the ludicrous ticket pricing. There are few boxing matches that can support a $1,500 top ticket and this clearly is not one of them, particularly in this economy.
.......

And Calzaghe’s handlers haven’t helped, keeping a guy who is charming and thoughtful hidden away from a media desperate to introduce him to an unknowing American public.

If the fight between Calzaghe and Hopkins were held in Wales, where it should be, there would be more than 60,000 fans in attendance and it would be the biggest story since the Prince Charles-Lady Di engagement was announced. But here in the U.S., it’s largely an afterthought.

Promoter/manager allegedly said he had a deal several years ago for a Calzaghe-Hopkins fight in which he was prepared to pay Hopkins $3 million. The next day, Hopkins came back and asked for $6 million.

“The easiest way to avoid a fight is to price yourself out of it and that’s exactly what Hopkins did,” the Hall of Fame-bound Warren said on Tuesday.

Hopkins, prior to an open workout before a few hundred Calzaghe supporters Tuesday at Planet Hollywood, didn’t deny Warren’s allegation, as might have been expected.

“I ain’t going to dispute that, right or wrong,” Hopkins said. “The bottom line is the best time for us to do it is now, obviously. I’ve achieved things in my career. He’s achieved things in his career. Why talk about the past? That’s spilled milk. I’m going to say the opposite of what allegedly says. We should get beyond that stage. It’s four days before the execution and we’re still talking about yesterday when the future is in our face. To me, it’s like you’re treading water, backwards.”

[MightyWarrior]

So Hopkins avoided Calzaghe a few years back, now we know for sure - add the overrated Sven Ottke to that list as well.

Sounds a promotional disaster, no wonder Frank was calling out to the American fans to come and support their man. $11 Mill??!!!

What were they thinking? This was never going to be a big draw in the US, both are unknown outside the boxing world, and neither has a big fan base. Added to that, it's a fight that even the fans admitt could well turn ugly.

[DavidPayne]

It needed a better semi-final. Or A semi final. This isn't going to entice the hispanic interest either.

[MightyWarrior]

Yeah it is a horrible looking undercard.

[DavidPayne]

Morales v Khan would have helped?!!!!

[bennie]

A few references:
Peerless Jim Driscoll took on world featherweight champion Abe Attell in a 10-rounder in New York in 1909 and pulled off a marvellous decision win (newspaper decision). Attell then wanted no part of the gifted Cardiff man in defence of his title. Pontypridd's Freddie Welsh possessed a great jab and even Benny Leonard struggled to get past it. Welsh held the world lightweight title when he drew with the masterful Leonard over 10 rounds in New York in July 1916 (newspaper decision).
Gorseinon gravedigger Colin Jones ventured to Reno in March 1983 to face unbeaten Kronk star Milton McCrory and shrugged off his customary slow start to snatch a thrilling draw for the vacant WBC welterweight title (made vacant by one Sugar Ray Leonard). They met again five months later in Las Vegas and this time McCrory really capatalised on the Welshman's slow start and floored him heavily in the opening round. Big-hitting Jones took a few rounds to recover and later staggered McCrory in a marvellous attempt to equal things up. It wasn't to be. The knockdown and McCrory's better boxing got him home on the cards.
Said Jones: "How can he call himself champion when he ran like a bloody thief!"
Tonypandy's Tommy Farr took the legendary Joe Louis 15 bruising and bloody rounds for the world heavyweight title in New York's Yankee Stadium in 1937 in front of 32,000. Louis was 10 months away from his 136-second destruction of Max Schmeling and defeated most of his opponents before they even left the dressing room. Farr refused to be intimidated. "I got those fighting tigers!" he cracked, when Louis glimped all the scars on his back at the weigh-in (a result of Farr's days in the mines).
Tommy would be one of only four men to go the 15 rounds with Louis.
Johnny Owen lost his life on a ghastly night in Los Angeles in 1980 for the WBA bantamweight title. Owen fought a brave, typically hardworking fight but Pintor proved too strong and nailed the Merthyr Matchstick with a cracking right hook in the 12th round (if 15) and Owen fell, copping another shot on his way down, and was then subject to disgusting actions from some in the pro-Pintor crowd as he left the ring on a stretcher.
They say Dick Owen, Johnny's father, never really got over it but he was there when Pintor made his way to Merthyr in 2002 to unveil a Johnny Owen statue and died shortly afterwards.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

My predictions are:

1. BHOP will use backward and lateral movement, wait for Cal to make mistakes and counter Joe worse than he has ever been countered.

2. Because of BHOPs tactics and countering ability Joe himself will pick his spots more and reduce his punch output. There will be no 1000punches thrown, expect his punch output to drop by about 40%

3. Joe will miss more and be hit flush more than ever in his career.

4. Joe will try to counter BHOPs counters leading to exciting exchanges

5. Joe may sweep the early rounds as Nard is a slow start, this may take some of the wind out of Nard

6. Many of the rounds will be close and will be hard to score. Some people prefering clean effective punches will prefer Nard, people preffering volume and aggression will go for Joe

It will go the full 12 rounds with no KDs and we will have a 7-5 or 8-4 decision either way, some people will favour Joe some people Nard.

[Asterix]

I hope that doesn't happen, Phen. That sounds awful.

[MightyWarrior]

From what I've read, Roach + Hop are planning on body shots to slow him down, for a midrounds takeover. Hmmmmmm....cant seem them pulling that off somehow

[Goz]

I like these two (Calzaghe and Hopkins) because they are sportsmen at the top of their game who are older than me.

Not many sportsmen older than me these days!