Calzaghe "rejects" Pavlik fight

[Autobarn]

As per fightviews.com
Calzaghe rejects Pavlik fight!
The proposed October 18 superfight between WBC/WBA/WBO super middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe and WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik appears to be off. "I think it's unlikely," Calzaghe told the South Wales Argus. "I'm not sure if Pavlik really wants to face me at the moment. He would have little to gain because I believe I would definitely beat him and, with respect to Gary Lockett, I would be a step-up too far for Pavlik." Calzaghe called a clash with Roy Jones Jr. "the right fight for me at the moment."

ok a weird article. Joe saying Pavlik doesn't want to fight me because I'd beat him and I#d rather fight Roy Jones. But it indeed looks like Joe has turned him down in favour of Roy Jones. Is this what Joe always wanted - the seniors tour?

Why did Setanta do that deal to show Bob Arum fights if not to build Calzaghe vs Pavlik??

Personally, I like what I see of Pavlik at middleweight. He can go for Abraham, he can stick around 12-18 months for Quillin perhaps. And if Kelly can somehow remain at 160, perhaps Golovkin and Pirog, in a couple of years' time. Pav MUST stay very busy, like James Toney in the early '90s, to be able to keep making the weight IMO.

Boxing needs a champion who will hold all the belts, so that all the prospects have to truly prove themselves by fighting the champ and not taking a backdoor route/vacant belt.

[Dioufy]

How can Roy Jones be the right fight when Pavlik is ready to go - I think Calzaghe wants no part of Pavlik myself.

[jameswilson]

I think what people want is for Joe to say to Roy Jones 'win a belt and I will fight you at 175.'

And then fight Pavlik.

[Autobarn]

I like it how he says Pavlik doesn't want it, when Calzaghe really means he doesn't want it himself!

The Jones fight will probably be like the Hopkins one. Jones has no legs but still has fast hands.

What Jones will do is try to spoil and counter,and if he can't win, at least convince ppl that he would have won in his prime.

That's what happened with the Hopkins fight, that could happen with Jones - another low contact expert - and this could be Joe's ultimate legacy!

Will Joe be remembered for taking the unbeaten records of Kessler and Lacy, or for - perhaps - struggling to (shoe)shine vs a pair of ancient, faded greats?

[Max Molyneux]

How can Roy Jones be the right fight when Pavlik is ready to go - I think Calzaghe wants no part of Pavlik myself.

The right fight because fighting Roy would make him alot money maybe more than Pavlik and even thought Roy Is past It he has his name still and would look good on Joe's resume.

Doubt Joe would duck Pavlik.

[Coco]

I think JC ha gone for the easier and more lucrative option

[Max Molyneux]

The article doesn't exactly say he's turned the fight down either so theres no ducking yet.

Calzaghe's fought worse threats so he wouldn't duck Pavlik, he said he wasn't going to fight Kessler before It happened too.

[chris_23]

I think JC ha gone for the easier and more lucrative option

I think lucrative is the key, RJJ is willing to come to Cardiff (as per an interview I heard) and if they do it at Millennium Stadium that is mega bucks with a home crowd. JC is looking for the last big pay days me thinks, fair play to him though why not..

I think JC v KP is a bad fight for both of them to be honest, they are different generations. Its too early for KP to start moving up through the weights as he has the other belts to win at Middle. By the time he's done that JC will have retired because he is 10 years older.

I think its a dangerous fight for JC at 36 and likewise KP at 26 if he gets beaten by the guy about to retire when he is on the cusp of being the next great American boxing superstar...

I'd love to watch it though!!!

[n1ebf]

i think JC would beat Pavlik and with not too much fuss either...though Jones would be less of a threat and possibly more lucrative - not sure why as Calzaghe Pavlik seems like more of a "fight" to me.

Whenever Joe's been in with a dangerous opponent who comes to knock him out it has always brought out the very best in him. Don't see why a Pavlik fight would be any different...........36??.....Calzaghe could still be boxing championship level at 40.

[Autobarn]

How can Roy Jones be the right fight when Pavlik is ready to go - I think Calzaghe wants no part of Pavlik myself.

The right fight because fighting Roy would make him alot money maybe more than Pavlik and even thought Roy Is past It he has his name still and would look good on Joe's resume.

Doubt Joe would duck Pavlik.

he doesn't duck very much. that's why he takes so many right hands.

It's about the time that Joe is cruising for a defeat. He seemed to peak vs Lacy and then he's struggled, despiute beating Kessler.

Joe's not unbeatable like you think he is. The fights with Reid and Hopkins could have been scored against him. Was the big difference vs Hopkins that Joe was forcing the fight, or that Planet Hollywood wanted to do a deal with Khan? Was Joe just a bit too fast for Reid, or did he get the nod because it would be better for British boxing that he won, a feeling put across by Warren when he said "Joe Calzaghe is my fighter for the millennium". I'm not saying it's corruption or anything, it's just that when there is doubt, the guy who is "supposed" to win often gets the benefit of it.

[Goz]

I'd like to see Calzaghe-Pavlik but I can also want to see why JC wouldn't really want to know. I probably wouldn't in his position.

I think Calzaghe has earned his ticket on the seniors tour, he only wants 1/2 more high publicty/low danger fights.

Roy Jones or Hopkins (in a rematch) won't be trying to take his head off like Pavilk. Calzaghe is a different generation (not to mention currently 2 weight classes apart) to Pavlik.

[The_Don1]

This sounds to me like Joe is trying to wind Pavlik up for him to come back and say he does want the fight with Calzaghe, its just the standard trying to hype up a potential fight talk.

[Autobarn]

Yet Pavlik has things he can do at middleweight, like Abraham. Arum will have a good plan to build Pavlik into a big star by knocking out decent guys regularly on a number of different TV stations to keep ppl watching.

If Pavlik keeps doing well, when he moves up to super middleweight there will be other big fights out there for him.

I think it;s Joe who could do with the fight more than Pavlik; but maybe Joe realises that Pavlik is nowhere near the big name that he's on his way to being.Personally, I'm glad to see it not happening, Even though these fights are great for UK boxing. Becausre Pavlik will now fight as soon as September I believe and I'm keen to see him back in action.

[harrygreb]

joe quite rightly wants no part of a mix up with young hungry pavlik. i'd do the same if i was him. beat roy jones to a pulp and then retire.
pavlik will come unstuck against the new breed of good middles. here comes golovkin

[Autobarn]

You could be right, Harrygreb. But then again Pavlik might get better and better.

Golovkin and Pirog look very good. I also think Barker can go far, as well. I'd like to see Pavlik monopolise all the belts so that these quality younger fighters - especially those out of Germany - HAVE TO target Kelly.

I'm not sure whom the promoters of Golovkin and Pirog are. If it's Universum they'll maybe want to match them with Sturm.

[Max Molyneux]

How can Roy Jones be the right fight when Pavlik is ready to go - I think Calzaghe wants no part of Pavlik myself.

The right fight because fighting Roy would make him alot money maybe more than Pavlik and even thought Roy Is past It he has his name still and would look good on Joe's resume.

Doubt Joe would duck Pavlik.

he doesn't duck very much. that's why he takes so many right hands.

It's about the time that Joe is cruising for a defeat. He seemed to peak vs Lacy and then he's struggled, despiute beating Kessler.

Joe's not unbeatable like you think he is. The fights with Reid and Hopkins could have been scored against him. Was the big difference vs Hopkins that Joe was forcing the fight, or that Planet Hollywood wanted to do a deal with Khan? Was Joe just a bit too fast for Reid, or did he get the nod because it would be better for British boxing that he won, a feeling put across by Warren when he said "Joe Calzaghe is my fighter for the millennium". I'm not saying it's corruption or anything, it's just that when there is doubt, the guy who is "supposed" to win often gets the benefit of it.

He struggled with Kessler's strength who's strong and can bang with the right hand but I thought Joe won 9 rounds to 3 In that one.

The best fighters would struggle with that version of Hopkins, Hopkins didn't come to win at all and after the 1st round, I struggled to give him a round until the 8th since he barely fought back at all. I had Joe 9-3 In that fight as well, easy to score when all Bernard did after the 1st was hold, foul and fake low blows. Was a money fight mostly and not a good win since Bernard was past It.

Yeah Reid gave him a tough fight but Reid was a decent fighter In his prime and Joe fought well with a broken hand.

Usually accurate right hands Joe takes and they need to be timed and quick, Pavlik just comes forward and tries to throw them a little reckless, he'd need to catch Joe when Joe might get a little over eager. Joe gets caught usually when over eager.

[hitman_hatton1]

shame it looks like being jones rather than pavlik.

jones was a great fighter and still is a good fighter.

but it doesn't set the pulses racing like a pavlik tear up.

that would have been a great clash of styles.

[Timmbo]

If you look at it this way;
Joe Calzaghe's age 36
Roy Jones Jr 39
Kelly Pavlik 26

the sensible option for JC has got to be RJJ. I think 10 years to give away to a dangerous upcoming fighter at this stage is too much of a risk.?

[Autobarn]

He struggled with Kessler's strength who's strong and can bang with the right hand but I thought Joe won 9 rounds to 3 In that one.

The best fighters would struggle with that version of Hopkins, Hopkins didn't come to win at all and after the 1st round, I struggled to give him a round until the 8th since he barely fought back at all. I had Joe 9-3 In that fight as well, easy to score when all Bernard did after the 1st was hold, foul and fake low blows. Was a money fight mostly and not a good win since Bernard was past It.

Yeah Reid gave him a tough fight but Reid was a decent fighter In his prime and Joe fought well with a broken hand.

Usually accurate right hands Joe takes and they need to be timed and quick, Pavlik just comes forward and tries to throw them a little reckless, he'd need to catch Joe when Joe might get a little over eager. Joe gets caught usually when over eager

Joe is top level, but he is definitely getting old. That will see him lose if he hangs on much longer. That, if nothing else, IMO. If he moved down to super middle, I think he'd weaken himself.

I'm not certain that Pavlik would beat him. But with Pavlik's height and the fact that he has more punches than Kessler...we could see Joe reaching in and Pavlik perhaps countering him as he reaches. It would be a hard fight because Pavlik is young and - like Joe at super middle - Pavlik holds all the belts that count.

I just see flaws in Joe and want to see someone really try to graw away at them. Like when he reaches in vs a tall foe and loses his balance, tipping forward. Or when he takes the right hands...someone needs to follow through with a left hook & try to drive Joe back. Joe uses his unorthodoxy to confuse opponents but I reckon someone can make Joe wish he didn't have that style.

I think the Lacy win was his peak, and that everything had to go slightly down hill after. He did brilliant to beat Kessler, and these will hopefully be his legacy, not the retirement fights vs the old men. But I don't think he can maintain that level of boxing, not when he's physically moved up to light heavy and mentally wants the lucrative retirement fight.

I can't blame Joe for choosing Jones. If they get it in the UK, it will be a massive event. Because Jones' novelty hasn't worn off over here. Pavlik's not yet the superstar (he will be, but not until next year IMO). Anyway, always wanted to see Pavlik-Abraham.

[lowersmiths]

im sure papa enzo will have told joe to avoid pavlik at all costs after watching lockett get annihilated from close range.

pavlik knocks calzaghe out and he knows it. better to take on faded old roy.

[Poncey]

I think this might be mind games to try and get the fight made as soon as possible.

[Autobarn]

Rubio says the Pavlik fight's already signed so surely Pavlik will have that fight next.

Can't see Pavlik going up to light heavy, far above where his world title is. Can't see Joe even trying to make 168 after this year.

[steve689]

As written in the Times the other day. Calzaghe going to opt for 1) A menaingful last fight against a live opponent or 2) A farewell, retirement bout against a faded former name.

It's funny how Jones Jnr is now happy to travel and fight abroad and says in interviews it is no problem going to Wales. How the mighty have fallen. When he was at his peak and calling the shots, Jones would never travel anywhere.

[WildWaylon]

If Calzaghe lost it would tarnish his legacy having been beaten by a middleweight. If Pavlik lost, the unbeaten record would go and the rising star would have to rise again. Too risky for both men, so its best avoided. Great fight for us though, I do admit. Joe wants a big name, a big payday and a 60/40 or better chance of winning IMO. To retire undefeated after so many fights and so many years has to be his goal. Enzos lads have had a pretty hard time of late, Rees, Macca and Lockett all losing so I cant see him wanting his own lad in a fight that could end the dream. The finale to Joes career has to be carefully planned and I believe will be for the reasons I have given.

[Dioufy]

I would personally rather watch Kessler in with Pavlik rather than Calzaghe - I think it's more even then.