Calzaghe Light Heavyweight champion?

bugs · Post by **bugs** » 04 Nov 2004, 09:40

So if Johnson is stripped of his belt for fighting Tarver, then Clinton woods gets another shot, right?

If Woods beats whoever it is he has to beat then he would want the payday that fighting Calzaghe would get him. Calzaghe would thrash him (one bad fight does not mean he is on the slide, all fighters have bad days at the office) and end up with a proper world title and a two weight champion at last.

but does beating Woods count as career defining? Mmmm, maybe not.

J · Post by J » 04 Nov 2004, 09:47

mno it doesnt but would be a road to getitng one, plus Clinton would be a better test than anything JC has faced for some time, I would actually shout for Clinton.

bugs · Post by **bugs** » 04 Nov 2004, 09:54

It would certainly be intruiging, but all I have seen of Woods (Jones fight and two Johnson fights) suggest that he does not have the flexibility to change his game plan, ever. I just think that Joe's fast hands and Stand and hit, then fight behind the jab styles will confuse him.

I really want Joe to get the big fights (without starting a thread about whther he is ducking people or being ducked) because he is good and has put in the hours.

J · Post by J » 04 Nov 2004, 10:00

i like woods though unassuming hard big lad, trains like a train and got a great chin if a little limited. I dont see Calzaghe stopping him not on his last showing off night or not Bugs, sorry but I think JC has missed the boat, he had his chance last year when he had his erm back injury and whjile I sympathise with some of the personal problems that were obviously taking his mind off the job in hand, to be the best you gotta take your chances, and that was Joe's sadly I dont think his career will amount to much that couldda wouldda shouldda.......
hope Im wrong and I dont hate JC I just dont think he has made the most of it, whereas I think Clinton is the opposite he has surpassed himself, he got in the ring with Jones, and Johnson he has fought the best allbeit unsuccessfully which is more than Joe can say at the moment. Hence my admiration and warmth towards Clinton.

dbf · Post by **dbf** » 04 Nov 2004, 11:37

and i remeber reading on secondsout i think, that Clinton was contacted aout fighting calzaghe instead of salem, but then Warren opted for joe to stay at 168. Shame, because I think Clinton would have been a harder fight for Joe then some seem to think.

glittermonkey · Post by **glittermonkey** » 04 Nov 2004, 13:53

I wouldn't bet against Calzaghe getting his hands on a light-heavy title by this method. Woods is certainly a softer touch than Tarver or Johnson, and, i would presume, it'd be easier for Warren to make a fight with Woods than the other two.

If Woods can get past Hoye (i think it's him, feel free to correct me), then he might fancy his chances against Calzaghe, based on Joe's last couple of performances.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 04 Nov 2004, 15:37

It would be just typical that Calzaghe fights a recent world title loser and then call himself the #1 champion. Note, Mitchell ("Ottke was given a "gift"), Brewer ("Ottke was given a gift, Echols was lucky"), Eubank ("2 years out = revitilised"), Woodhall ("was unlucky not to KO Beyer").

I can see this happening and should he win, he will say that Woods was the #1 fighter in the devision and deserved to beat Johnson.

Without disrepting Woods, it would be the option Calzaghe has chosen throughout his career.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 04 Nov 2004, 16:45

I honestly think that a reasonably heavy handed pressure fighter will stop Woods, despite the Delisle comeback i think he is on the wane and he would struggle with someone like Calzaghe or Hoye. I don't think the Calzaghe fight is too far fetched anyway, even more so if Woods loses to Hoye...i can't understand why Johnson would be stripped for fighting Tarver. He has already fought Woods twice in his own back yard, why should he fight him again?

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 04 Nov 2004, 17:24

stujones wrote:It would be just typical that Calzaghe fights a recent world title loser and then call himself the #1 champion. Note, Mitchell ("Ottke was given a "gift"), Brewer ("Ottke was given a gift, Echols was lucky"), Eubank ("2 years out = revitilised"), Woodhall ("was unlucky not to KO Beyer").

I can see this happening and should he win, he will say that Woods was the #1 fighter in the devision and deserved to beat Johnson.

Without disrepting Woods, it would be the option Calzaghe has chosen throughout his career.

Yup....

And then a string of defences against people who Roy Jones knocked out 3/4 years ago. I can see the next 2 years of Calzaghe's career already.

glittermonkey · Post by **glittermonkey** » 04 Nov 2004, 19:07

stujones wrote:It would be just typical that Calzaghe fights a recent world title loser and then call himself the #1 champion. Note, Mitchell ("Ottke was given a "gift"), Brewer ("Ottke was given a gift, Echols was lucky"), Eubank ("2 years out = revitilised"), Woodhall ("was unlucky not to KO Beyer").

I can see this happening and should he win, he will say that Woods was the #1 fighter in the devision and deserved to beat Johnson.

Without disrepting Woods, it would be the option Calzaghe has chosen throughout his career.

Well.....that was kinda what i was hinting at, without actually going the whole hog and just saying it. So much for tact.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 04 Nov 2004, 19:09

glittermonkey wrote:
stujones wrote:It would be just typical that Calzaghe fights a recent world title loser and then call himself the #1 champion. Note, Mitchell ("Ottke was given a "gift"), Brewer ("Ottke was given a gift, Echols was lucky"), Eubank ("2 years out = revitilised"), Woodhall ("was unlucky not to KO Beyer").

I can see this happening and should he win, he will say that Woods was the #1 fighter in the devision and deserved to beat Johnson.

Without disrepting Woods, it would be the option Calzaghe has chosen throughout his career.
Well.....that was kinda what i was hinting at, without actually going the whole hog and just saying it. So much for tact.

Sorry, subtle is not my middle name.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 04 Nov 2004, 19:09

I really dont see Calzaghe moving up. Reports said he earned almost half a million for that wrestle he had last week he's well and truly in the comfort zone at 168. I may be wrong but I bet he's still wbo champ in 2 years.

glittermonkey · Post by **glittermonkey** » 04 Nov 2004, 19:16

stujones wrote:
glittermonkey wrote:
stujones wrote:It would be just typical that Calzaghe fights a recent world title loser and then call himself the #1 champion. Note, Mitchell ("Ottke was given a "gift"), Brewer ("Ottke was given a gift, Echols was lucky"), Eubank ("2 years out = revitilised"), Woodhall ("was unlucky not to KO Beyer").

I can see this happening and should he win, he will say that Woods was the #1 fighter in the devision and deserved to beat Johnson.

Without disrepting Woods, it would be the option Calzaghe has chosen throughout his career.
Well.....that was kinda what i was hinting at, without actually going the whole hog and just saying it. So much for tact.
Sorry, subtle is not my middle name.

I'm glad you said it, and not me. I'd hate to have xtremebox come looking for me.

bugs · Post by **bugs** » 04 Nov 2004, 19:25

007 wrote:I really dont see Calzaghe moving up. Reports said he earned almost half a million for that wrestle he had last week he's well and truly in the comfort zone at 168. I may be wrong but I bet he's still wbo champ in 2 years.

I thought all the recent talk was about how difficult he is finding making the weight. And while there are new guys coming through surely there is only Beyer who has joe's pedigree. Would Beyer fight joe? (note the question is not whether joe would fight Beyer). also two weight champion is better than beating Lacy for his career.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 05 Nov 2004, 04:02

bugs wrote:
007 wrote:I really dont see Calzaghe moving up. Reports said he earned almost half a million for that wrestle he had last week he's well and truly in the comfort zone at 168. I may be wrong but I bet he's still wbo champ in 2 years.
I thought all the recent talk was about how difficult he is finding making the weight. And while there are new guys coming through surely there is only Beyer who has joe's pedigree. Would Beyer fight joe? (note the question is not whether joe would fight Beyer). also two weight champion is better than beating Lacy for his career.

And its probably just that - talk. We've been hearing all this from his camp for how many years now?? And nothing has happened.

He had his chance at an IBF title in a VERY winnable fight against Johnson and he had an unfortunate 'back' injury when in honesty half of south wales knew he was out ho'in when he should have been training.

I'll be quite happy to eat my hat if he wins a belt at 175 but I really dont see him facing the winner of Tarver v Johnson he'll be fighting these WBO #1's for the rest of his career.

After this weekend he will have to face Veit or Brewer in a second fight if he does want to keep that belt.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 05 Nov 2004, 13:41

I agree 007, there is more chance of him facing either Brewer or Veit than either Tarver or Johnsons. I remember when Calzaghe first beat Brewer, everything seemed like it was destined to move onto the next level but since then it has all stalled and at times even gone backwards

Tarver says he will be happy to fight Calzaghe but refuses to be messed around, he thinks Joe should build up his profile with a couple of fights on US big fight undercards to try and stake a claim for a big fight and introduce his exciting style to the American public.

I'm afraid Calzaghe just has little or no ambition.