`unfortunately` things didn`t go to plan `unfortunately`

[tonyevs]

`Unfortunately` the fight with Jeff Lacy is `unfortunately` been put back to `unfortunately` sometime in February `unfortunately`.
The injury`s that `unfortunately` Joe Calzaghe suffers with `unfortunately` happened again and `unfortunately` the November date for Lacy has been `unfortunately` set back `unfortunately`.

He done well to fight one handed from the 5th onward, good job it was a bum fight then .

He has no chance with Jeff Lacy...absolutely no chance at all

He would need a miracle if his hands hold up and if he can land enough to keep Lacy off, he`s left it too late.

The Khan fight stank, I hate to watch a bully.....boxing is a dangerous sport enough when you have two equal guys punching it out...but when you bring one guy in to be punched upon by another it just stinks....a circus...thats all the Khan fight was tonight...was it anything less than a 99% certainty he`d win...the only surprise was that he didn`t get a stoppage before the 4th.

And the piece with Barry and Duke .....that was the worst bit of staged TV ever ...what was that all about? ....the camera over hearing their opinion...when it was obvious they waited for their lead in....just so cringe-worthy TV....I know McGuigan is paid by SN...but why make it so obvious.

On a plus...John Rawling ( think thats his name) made a good contribution...he added facts that we knew but added for the benefit of the lesser in the know viewer....doubt he`ll be back then.

So frustrated after watching that...its all so cliche...you knew what would happen...and what would `unfortunately` not be happening.

[Exile]

`Unfortunately` the fight with Jeff Lacy is `unfortunately` been put back to `unfortunately` sometime in February `unfortunately`.
The injury`s that `unfortunately` Joe Calzaghe suffers with `unfortunately` happened again and `unfortunately` the November date for Lacy has been `unfortunately` set back `unfortunately`.

He done well to fight one handed from the 5th onward, good job it was a bum fight then .

He has no chance with Jeff Lacy...absolutely no chance at all

He would need a miracle if his hands hold up and if he can land enough to keep Lacy off, he`s left it too late.

The Khan fight stank, I hate to watch a bully.....boxing is a dangerous sport enough when you have two equal guys punching it out...but when you bring one guy in to be punched upon by another it just stinks....a circus...thats all the Khan fight was tonight...was it anything less than a 99% certainty he`d win...the only surprise was that he didn`t get a stoppage before the 4th.

And the piece with Barry and Duke .....that was the worst bit of staged TV ever ...what was that all about? ....the camera over hearing their opinion...when it was obvious they waited for their lead in....just so cringe-worthy TV....I know McGuigan is paid by SN...but why make it so obvious.

On a plus...John Rawling ( think thats his name) made a good contribution...he added facts that we knew but added for the benefit of the lesser in the know viewer....doubt he`ll be back then.

So frustrated after watching that...its all so cliche...you knew what would happen...and what would `unfortunately` not be happening.

I think your being too harsh on Khan but other than that your pretty spot on.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

MOAN MOAN MOAN, Calazage was fighting with 1 hand - would he have been doing that against a supposed KO Artist if he didn't have too? I don't think so, he has fragile hands - hence the name Slapazage

Lacy is made for Calazage - Calazage will pick off the telegraphed moves Lacy makes all night. He may be able to beat him with just the right hand because of the speed disparity and the 1 dimensionalness of Lacy

Khans a bully because hes not in a 50-50 fight in his second contest , at least he was in against a genuine man of his weight and not a feather/super feather

[tonyevs]

Re-read what I wrote

No think its pretty tame for what I really think

Tell me I`m wrong....but is boxing about watching one fella beat upon another?....real boxing is about equally matched fighters finding out who has that xtra bit...sure he is a new fighter to the pro ranks ...but don`t tell me this was anything other than a showcase...they expected and wanted a second rnd TKO...I hate this side of boxing and its something that doesn`t deserve air-time...sure it maybe of benefit but its like cubbing for the fox-hounds...maybe neccessary but something that the public shouldn`t see

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Re-read what I wrote

No think its pretty tame for what I really think

Tell me I`m wrong....but is boxing about watching one fella beat upon another?....real boxing is about equally matched fighters finding out who has that xtra bit...sure he is a new fighter to the pro ranks ...but don`t tell me this was anything other than a showcase...they expected and wanted a second rnd TKO...I hate this side of boxing and its something that doesn`t deserve air-time...sure it maybe of benefit but its like cubbing for the fox-hounds...maybe neccessary but something that the public shouldn`t see

This is how prospects are built up though. Hatton was doing 1sided fights for his first 38fights pretty much and now hes fighting Mausa.

Name a fighter who fought anyone slightly competitive before their second fight other than Pete Rademacher

I thought you were saying Calazage faked the injury as many people are sayign already on ESB and here.

Your right I'd love to see 50-50 fights every fight out but we'd see allot of brain damaged fighters after 10 fights.

[stujones]

And the piece with Barry and Duke .....that was the worst bit of staged TV ever ...what was that all about? ....the camera over hearing their opinion...when it was obvious they waited for their lead in....just so cringe-worthy TV....I know McGuigan is paid by SN...but why make it so obvious:

Yes, that piece needs to be scrapped. I suppose they didn't have a presenter and an interviewer (obviously not confident in Gabriel Clarke's interviewing skills). I think they wanted to get the views of McGuigan and McKenzie without Jim having to move from the interview position to where Barry and Duke were standing. Its actually quite a difficult thing if you haven't got two seperate people.... Setanta did it by having Hunt, Francis and Lills right next to the boxer when giving their analysis... that must have been uncomfortable. It was a new thing that they tried out, perhaps it was a one off cause Matt Smith is busy with the Footie this week.

I actually enjoyed the show presentation apart from that "Fighting talk" bit. I thought the segment with Barry and Amir training was good, as was the other Video of Barry offering his view on Joe. The segment with Calzaghe was also good and fair play even Baz Carey had a few moments. Some of the VT stuff had a Sky feel to them, and I don't think it is a bad thing.

While I agree that Fighting talk bit was poorly done and the it was a love fest for Joe in the commentary, I still think it is 10 times better than the Beeb's presentation. At least it is live, at least we are getting two full fights and at least its not as bad as the Audley love ins we used to have with Woodhall and Bunce.

[split_decision]

If Calzaghe's hands are so Fragile then he obviously has to be careful as to how many fights he has in a period of time. Why then take on a pizza delivery guy 8 weeks before the so called "defining fight" of your career?

Calzaghe wants no part of Lacy, everyone knew what tonight was all about.

Even Seconds Out have pulled no punches in their report.
http://www.secondsout.com/UK/news.cfm?ccs=228&cs=17348

[states]

And the piece with Barry and Duke .....that was the worst bit of staged TV ever ...what was that all about? ....the camera over hearing their opinion...when it was obvious they waited for their lead in....just so cringe-worthy TV....I know McGuigan is paid by SN...but why make it so obvious:

Yes, that piece needs to be scrapped. I suppose they didn't have a presenter and an interviewer (obviously not confident in Gabriel Clarke's interviewing skills). I think they wanted to get the views of McGuigan and McKenzie without Jim having to move from the interview position to where Barry and Duke were standing. Its actually quite a difficult thing if you haven't got two seperate people.... Setanta did it by having Hunt, Francis and Lills right next to the boxer when giving their analysis... that must have been uncomfortable. It was a new thing that they tried out, perhaps it was a one off cause Matt Smith is busy with the Footie this week.

I actually enjoyed the show presentation apart from that "Fighting talk" bit. I thought the segment with Barry and Amir training was good, as was the other Video of Barry offering his view on Joe. The segment with Calzaghe was also good and fair play even Baz Carey had a few moments. Some of the VT stuff had a Sky feel to them, and I don't think it is a bad thing.

While I agree that Fighting talk bit was poorly done and the it was a love fest for Joe in the commentary, I still think it is 10 times better than the Beeb's presentation. At least it is live, at least we are getting two full fights and at least its not as bad as the Audley love ins we used to have with Woodhall and Bunce.

That said, and I agree with you for pretty much all of that, Stu, I'd like to see Bunce back. I know a lot of people don't like him, but I think he's a great frontman for boxing in the mainstream. I do think he knows his stuff, obviously, and you could see him developing himself as a TV personality, as opposed to the 'journalist brought in for an opinion' that he started out as.
I think 'Big Daddy' could 'front' the show better than Jim Rosenthal: He has the enthusiasm, the ability, and also the knowledge, if he's prepared to accept others doing the analysis rorle.

[stujones]

I didn't mind Bunce, really I didn't. I just didn't like the "Audley's great, Audley's sexy, Audley's lovely" towards the end of Audley's deal with the Beeb - something Bunce has admitted too in Boxing Monthly.

I wouldn't mind him as the second analysist with McGuigan when the questions comes to the fighters future - he is good at stuff like that. McGuigan is better at the actual fight analysis.

However, I wouldn't want to see him as the main presenter - he had a go at that once before, and look at the archive threads here at his attempt. Posters were shouting back for John Inverdale.

From the list of unemployed presenters the team I would look at as my ideal would be

Presenter : Rosenthal
Interviewer : Matt Smith
Studio Guest 1: McGuigan
Studio Guest 2: Bunce
Main Commentator : Rawling (or Dave Bremmer)
Co-Commentator - Interchanging between Woodhall and Steve Collins.

[mrbassie]

They should give McGuigan the co-commentators seat

[states]

I didn't mind Bunce, really I didn't. I just didn't like the "Audley's great, Audley's sexy, Audley's lovely" towards the end of Audley's deal with the Beeb - something Bunce has admitted too in Boxing Monthly.

I wouldn't mind him as the second analysist with McGuigan when the questions comes to the fighters future - he is good at stuff like that. McGuigan is better at the actual fight analysis.

However, I wouldn't want to see him as the main presenter - he had a go at that once before, and look at the archive threads here at his attempt. Posters were shouting back for John Inverdale.

From the list of unemployed presenters the team I would look at as my ideal would be

Presenter : Rosenthal
Interviewer : Matt Smith
Studio Guest 1: McGuigan
Studio Guest 2: Bunce
Main Commentator : Rawling (or Dave Bremmer)
Co-Commentator - Interchanging between Woodhall and Steve Collins.

I have to agree with that as well, actually (do us a favour Stu, and come up with something I don't agree with, I'm starting to look like a right syncophant here! ), . Maybe my calls for Bunce as presenter were too much, but I'd like to see him involved: I think he's great on the 5live radio show, he really has a passion for the sport.

I definately second the call for Dave Bremmer, I think he's excellent. Channel 5 showed Hamed's first 3 fights the other night, the Probox (or whatever it was) shows, with Bremmer commentating, and I was reminded of how good he is. He added some class to Bravo's coverage, that's for sure.

As for Matt Smith: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I think he's very good. I'd like to know if he's a fight fan or not, because I was very impressed with him on the first ITV shows.

[Owain]

I actually fell asleep during the 7th round of Calzaghe's fight and had to look up the result on the net.

[jomothepure]

I actually fell asleep during the 7th round of Calzaghe's fight and had to look up the result on the net.

I fell asleep during the 9th It was a bit 'ok, Calzaghe is fighting a bloated dwarf with one hand. Must be something else to do'

[tonyevs]

Re-read what I wrote

:

Your right I'd love to see 50-50 fights every fight out but we'd see allot of brain damaged fighters after 10 fights.

quote]

Of course I know how they build the prospects up, but that doesn`t mean I got to like it. :(
Just because its the norm in todays boxing does that make it OK?

So is it OK if the chosen opposition gets brain damage? if the fight was more balanced we wouldn`t get one boxer shipping all the punishment would we.

This is one aspect of the fight game thats really gets me

Baz Carey was beaten up last night and that is what he was brought in for full stop, what was the odds on him even going the distance?

[steve689]

Khan's body punchig looked good last night, Carey was brave but it did become painful to watch, i think there should have been a case for round 1 or 2 to be 10-8...if they weren't 10-8 rounds i don't know what is.

I noticed the Calzaghe "unfortunately" he just kept on saying the same thing over and over again "of course i love to give a knockout, but unfortunately i hurt my hand" repeat x10.

At the end i noticed Ashira was having right arm attended to by the corner, anyone else notice? Freiheit was telling me he has an injured shoulder in the fifth, it explains his lack of aggression in the final rounds when he should have put the pressure on. Ashira's main asset is his body punching and he just couldn't get close to land them.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Re-read what I wrote

:

Your right I'd love to see 50-50 fights every fight out but we'd see allot of brain damaged fighters after 10 fights.

quote]

Of course I know how they build the prospects up, but that doesn`t mean I got to like it. :(
Just because its the norm in todays boxing does that make it OK?

So is it OK if the chosen opposition gets brain damage? if the fight was more balanced we wouldn`t get one boxer shipping all the punishment would we.

This is one aspect of the fight game thats really gets me

Baz Carey was beaten up last night and that is what he was brought in for full stop, what was the odds on him even going the distance?

Boxing is about bullys, journeymen who take licks and heros that finally humiliate the bullys. Khan will be humiliated sooner or later. I do enjoy the golden boys been brought back down to earth with a heavy thud.

[mrbassie]

http://www.secondsout.com

Furious Shaw brands Calzaghe 'a disgrace'

By Ant Evans: IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff Lacy's promoter Gary Shaw didn't waste a microsecond in launching a savage attack on Joe Calzaghe following the WBO title-holder's withdrawal from a pencilled-in November 5 unification fight in London, England.

Calzaghe beat Evans Ashira in Cardiff, Wales, on an enormously wide points decision but fought the last eight rounds with only his southpaw right arm. Calzaghe, now unbeaten in 40 fights, said he was in agony from the third round on after connecting with an uppercut.

But Shaw plain doesn't buy it, saying that Calzaghe and his promoter allegedly are running scared from Lacy.

Speaking to SecondsOut, the American promoter spat: "Joe Calzaghe is a disgrace. I don't believe this injury is legit. He never, ever wanted to fight Jeff Lacy. There are some fighters who are willing to fight anyone, anytime - and there are fighters who just don't fit in that warrior category. Joe Calzaghe is one of the later. I just think this is criminal."

Lacy himself added: "I suspected all along that Calzaghe didn't want any of this. I kinda prepared myself for it but it is still disappointing."

And Shaw raged on: "I said all along that they'd get an injury excuse come September 11. That's why Calzaghe - in interviews - was saying the Lacy fight may not happen while Jeff and I were doing everything possible to make this fight happen. We agreed to come to the UK to fight, but still Joe Calzaghe pulls this.

"I never thought they'd fight us, I always suspected it was all a bluff. I'm disappointed and disgusted in Calzaghe and I'm sorry for the boxing fans of the UK.

"I'm so disappointed for the fans in the UK, I've been to Ricky Hatton fights and Calzaghe fights in the UK and the fans over there are tremendous and they've been let down by Calzaghe. They must feel so embarrassed by Joe Calzaghe and they deserve so much better.

"I never understood why Calzaghe and Warren took this fight with a 5ft 7inch middleweight (Ashira) eight weeks before they had a huge fight ahead of them. It was a meaningless fight and Calzaghe has now used it as a way of getting out of the fight."

When I pointed out that the long-reigning WBO champion has a well-documented history of hurting his hands and elbows in fights and that Calzaghe didn't use his left hand at all from rounds four to 12, well, Shaw was having none of it...

He said: "If Joe Calzaghe's bones are really that brittle then he has to quit boxing right now - tonight - because if these injuries are for real then he's got some sort of brittle bone (disorder) and he's gonna wind up as a paraplegic. For the sake of his life style for the rest of his life, he should quit boxing if he really is getting injured all the time like this."

Shaw added that, suspecting Calzaghe would 'twist a toenail' all along, he has another big name opponent already lined up for Lacy, who will now probably defend on the November 5 date in his hometown of St Petersburg, Florida, where he's a huge attraction.

Meanwhile Warren, who is having a miserable week what with Ricky Hatton signing a co-promotional deal with rival UK promoters Fight Academy, said immediately after the Calzaghe fight that he hoped the Lacy bout could be re-arranged for February.

Warren told ITV: "Joe is never going to be ready for that (November date) so we'll try to rearrange it for next year. It is frustrating for Joe but these things happen in boxing. It is a great shame. We'll do the fight early next year, maybe February."

Shaw retorted: "Tell allegedly that he and Joe Calzaghe don't rule 168lbs (12stone) anymore. Garry Shaw Promotions and Jeff Lacy rule the division and if he is actually serious about February then he should bring Calzaghe to the United States of America because that's the only way he'll ever see Jeff Lacy again. I have absolutely no interest in wasting my time with Joe Calzaghe once more."

[Smit]

Get ready for Calzaghe to start saying Lacy is ducking him
He is a complete disgrace .

[DK2112]

Shaw is totally right, Calzaghe is a disgrace. He kept saying 'the Lacy fight might not happen if I get injured' all along and surprise surprise here we are again. I hope Lacy gets his hands on him to give him a pasting but we all know it will never happen. Disgrace

[Shirow]

It occurred to me that Joe's fragile hands may be the reason for his lamentable career progression.

Rather than lacking heart or ambtion it could me that he is so injury prone that taking on opponents that he could beat one handed if necessary and staying champ is preferable to taking on the best, getting injured in the process and losing.

His matter of fact acceptance last night made me think that perhaps it's just a pragmatic way of continuing his career.

I never really believed the Lacey fight would take place and i can only see him taking a pasting if he did. As has been said i haven't seen him 'box' since that Mger M******* fight, he has been wildly flailing in every fight ever since i don't believe that sloppiness can be completly eradicated now.

Surely Frank will be putting the pressure on Joe now that the golden goose has flown (or is that waddled) away.
The Welsh crowd were very subdued then quietly filed out the moment it had finished, if he can't get them to accept his performances how are the casual itv viewets expected to

[tonyevs]

I thought I noticed the crowd thinning out before the end of the 12rnds.

All fairness to Calzaghe he needed a tune-up fight before facing Jeff Lacy, but it is just so common now for Joe to let down the boxing public...even if it is not his fault this time...the Johnson match has us excited and he gets a bad back...and how many times has he pulled out of a date before now?

Bad luck just follows Calzaghe, his peak yrs were spent with Sky, virtually hidden away.
The big fights get cancelled due to injurys.

And when he does get mass exposure on ITV, a one fight novice fighting a four-rounder steals his thunder.

[silkov]

And we thought that the BBC coverage was bad!.
Diabolical show yesterday!... well done fwrank!.... :x....you have almost singlehandedly reduced British boxing to the level of WWf Wreastling!!!..... :x :x :x :x :x :x

[J]

my brother went to this, highlight of the evening pissing against FW's roller parked outside.

i cant help it if my brother is thug frank. tells ya what he thought o the show tho

[jamesmcdonnell]

I don't think the fight will happen now. Calzaghe's hands will never hold up against a brute like Lacy, and Lacy is quick enough to hit and hurt him.

Lacy hasn't got fantastic power, but his physical strength is such that he can just bludgeon people to the canvas, Reid just couldn't keep his footing when Lacy hit him, only the last knockdown really hurt him badly.

I think Calzaghe would have to hit him hard and fast and try and get him out of there early, because Lacy is too busy to be beat by a one handed opponent.

[KO Artist]

I actually fell asleep during the 7th round of Calzaghe's fight and had to look up the result on the net.

Me too, round 5. Woke up in the 11th