Calzaghe back Oct 14th

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 07 Aug 2006, 17:22

Sports Network Promoter allegedly confirmed to Fightnews.com this evening that WBO/IBF Super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe will return to action at the MEN Arena in Manchester on October 14th. He stated, "Joe will return to the 20,000 MEN Arena in Manchester where he had his crowning night to beat Jeff Lacy in March for the unification of the WBO and IBF titles. We hope to announce the details of the opponent on Wednesday once the contract is signed. The bout will be at 168 pounds and part of a triple world title bill on October 14th. If Joe is successful in this bout and Glen Johnson defeats Clinton Woods on September 2nd in the UK then they will both fight for the IBF Light-heavyweight title early in 2007. That deal has been agreed in principle for the winners of both fights coming up and represents a great incentive to both of them." Sports Network hope to announce opponent details tommorrow

.............

From fightnews, obviously.

Interesting the Johnson bit. No "if Woods defeats Johnson" line. hmm.

Also - triple world title bill - does that mean there will be another 2 world title fights, or one other (if the "triple" means titles and not fights.)

E · Post by E » 07 Aug 2006, 17:25

Any guesses at who the opponent might be? What about Peter Manfredo?

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 07 Aug 2006, 17:35

Perhaps just a "run of the mill" fight, sort of vaguely mandatory. Markussen is wbo#1 and ibf#3, and Stieglitz has had an ibf eliminator and has been waiting around for his shot.

Otherwise the options look very limited

E · Post by E » 07 Aug 2006, 17:40

jomothepure wrote:Perhaps just a "run of the mill" fight, sort of vaguely mandatory. Markussen is wbo#1 and ibf#3, and Stieglitz has had an ibf eliminator and has been waiting around for his shot.

Otherwise the options look very limited

Lord - let's hope not..... Calzaghe needs only big fights now...maybe 2 or 3 then retirement.

Razor · Post by **Razor** » 07 Aug 2006, 17:42

Sergio Mora spring to mind, just a feeling.

Horse · Post by **Horse** » 07 Aug 2006, 17:56

Does anyone actually consider Calzaghe Vs Johnson a big fight?

Shirow · Post by **Shirow** » 07 Aug 2006, 20:17

Razor wrote:Sergio Mora spring to mind, just a feeling.

I believe Mora's being fed to Jermaine Taylor for his homecoming. Assuming Taylor turns up for his one.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 08 Aug 2006, 02:50

Horse wrote:Does anyone actually consider Calzaghe Vs Johnson a big fight?

absolutely yes. one - Johnson is actually better than anyone Calzaghe faced. two -Johnson is as good as ppl believed Jeff lacy was. three - Johnson has an excellent track record in oversees fights (barely losing to Ottke, stopping Owoh, KOing Ulrich, drawing and beating Woods). four - Johnson has looked better than ever in his last 2 fights. five - Johnson is an elite fighter, having been regarded as 2004's fighter of the year.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 08 Aug 2006, 02:54

all this talk of 'if Johnson wins' is disconcerting. what if he doesn't win, will Calzaghe ever get another big fight? with stakes as high as these, i worry that the whole promotion will be one of those hideously lop-sided ones that may influence the result.

Warren obviously wants to get a good relationship with Warrior's Boxing. Maybe that's a good thing. There could be a fruitful cross continent relationship. We may get more of their fighters against more of our fighters, both in the Uk and in America. Enzo Macca v O Neil Bell? Calzaghe-Johnson? Already there's been Ben Rabah-Urango, in America, so maybe this has been simmering for a while.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 08 Aug 2006, 04:31

Mora has a fight scheduled at the end of August, if he wins that he will be fighting Taylor in December.

As for Johnson, I don't really think its as big a fight as everyone else seems to. Johnson has come good towards the tail end of his career, but a 41 year old Hopkins showed how bad Tarver was/is and Johnson split a pair of fights with him. He beat Jones but he was as good as fighting a punching bag that night. Johnson is a good opponent but its hardly the 'superfight' Warren has been promising.

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 08 Aug 2006, 06:05

Light Heavyweight in 2007? So no winner of Beyer and Kessler to beat on then!

Guess he can;t wait around if the winner gets injured while having to fight Andrande.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 08 Aug 2006, 06:22

Max Molyneux wrote:Light Heavyweight in 2007? So no winner of Beyer and Kessler to beat on then!

Guess he can;t wait around if the winner gets injured while having to fight Andrande.

Is the Beyer vs Kessler fight happening, cause team Calzaghe or anyone affiliated with Joe have yet to acknowledge it. It is a massive fight in the Super Middleweight devision.... but hasn't been mentioned by Calzaghe et al. - I find it quite frustrating.

Smit · Post by **Smit** » 08 Aug 2006, 06:31

stujones wrote:
Max Molyneux wrote:Light Heavyweight in 2007? So no winner of Beyer and Kessler to beat on then!

Guess he can;t wait around if the winner gets injured while having to fight Andrande.
Is the Beyer vs Kessler fight happening, cause team Calzaghe or anyone affiliated with Joe have yet to acknowledge it. It is a massive fight in the Super Middleweight devision.... but hasn't been mentioned by Calzaghe et al. - I find it quite frustrating.

It is happening but Warren&Joe want no part of the winner

When I think the boxing fans would prefer Calzaghe to fight Kessler rather than move up and fight Johnson

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 08 Aug 2006, 06:37

I really don't want to be cynical and negative just for the sake of it. Calzaghe is currently the best fighter in Britain, imo, and deserves plaudits.

However, given the numerous "easy" fights - or fights not matching Calzaghe's calibur - taken in the past, which has left many of his fans frustrated, I can't help but let a few negative thoughts run through my mind.

1) As you say Stu, no mention of Kessler and/or Bayer. This fight may not be set in stone, but neither is it off. So it's probably 95% that neither will be fighting JC in October. The press release above makes it appear clear, that should JC and Johnson win their next fights, then the two will fight at 175. So should we then assume that there is little possibility of Calzaghe finishing the job at SM? Yes, the titles are meaningless, but nevertheless Calzaghe has been #1 pending at SM for some years, and really I'd have liked to have seen him tie up the loose ends. Of course, getting the Kessler et al fights is all about politics - which works both ways - but it seems the door has now shut on a full unification, which personally I'd have liked to have seen more than JC moving up.

2) Then the move up, which, by the way it's worded in the release, seems pretty assurred. Yet we are told JC will fight Johnson if he beats Woods, not Woods if he beats Johnson? Why? Is Johnson wins, is he LHW #1, but if Woods wins, he (Woods) isn't? Or is this politics again ie. Woods hasn't taken up any alledged long-term contract with SN, so will therefore not be "allowed" fights with any SN fighters in the future? I've no doubt SN have the resources to make sure any fight involving Woods-JC for example, would be on an SN card.

RJJ is the other option, I guess, should Johnson lose. He doesn't have a title though, but maybe his name is enough not to warrent one.

Anyway, all hypothetical, guessing etc. Apologies to those who'd rather we simply deal in the facts, but us mere mortals can do little else than work on what we're given

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 08 Aug 2006, 06:43

Kessler-Beyer most definitely IS on.

I suppose, thinking about it, it doesn't really matter if Calzaghe unifies super middle OR goes up to fight a successful vs Woods III Johnson - so long as he fights an elite fighter for a championship belt.

dumdane · Post by **dumdane** » 08 Aug 2006, 08:30

stujones wrote:
Max Molyneux wrote:Light Heavyweight in 2007? So no winner of Beyer and Kessler to beat on then!

Guess he can;t wait around if the winner gets injured while having to fight Andrande.
Is the Beyer vs Kessler fight happening, cause team Calzaghe or anyone affiliated with Joe have yet to acknowledge it. It is a massive fight in the Super Middleweight devision.... but hasn't been mentioned by Calzaghe et al. - I find it quite frustrating.

Yes, Kessler - Beyer is happening in Copenhagen on the very same date - October 14th. Deal been signed and tickets on sale.

Funny thing is when Calzaghe was negotiating with Beyer, the only thing that kept the deal from being done was Calzaghe insisting on an early september date. Beyer couldn't do it as his cuts from previous fight needed more time to heal. So instead Beyer turned to Kessler - and they agreed on the 14. october date.
But NOW Calzaghe ends up fighting at the same date he couldn't wait for earlier. Funny stuff.

Makes you really wonder wtf is wrong with mr. Warren.
I mean with Calzaghes fame and all, why is it, with the exception of the Lacy fight, that Warren has succeded in getting NO meaningful fight for Calzaghe for such a long time?

Anyway not surpricing that Calzaghe never mentions Kessler or Beyer. I remember in connection with the Lacy fight, a journalist asked Calzaghe about "the other two champs" (Beyer and Kessler). Joe's reply was: "Noone cares about the other champs!". I gues that's how he feels and he's gonna stick to it.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 08 Aug 2006, 09:35

I was being sarcastic with my questioning. Just did expect some kind of press release from Joe... even if it was an opinion on who he thought would win.

shot · Post by **shot** » 08 Aug 2006, 10:16

dumdane wrote:
stujones wrote:
Max Molyneux wrote:Light Heavyweight in 2007? So no winner of Beyer and Kessler to beat on then!

Guess he can;t wait around if the winner gets injured while having to fight Andrande.
Is the Beyer vs Kessler fight happening, cause team Calzaghe or anyone affiliated with Joe have yet to acknowledge it. It is a massive fight in the Super Middleweight devision.... but hasn't been mentioned by Calzaghe et al. - I find it quite frustrating.
Yes, Kessler - Beyer is happening in Copenhagen on the very same date - October 14th. Deal been signed and tickets on sale.

Funny thing is when Calzaghe was negotiating with Beyer, the only thing that kept the deal from being done was Calzaghe insisting on an early september date. Beyer couldn't do it as his cuts from previous fight needed more time to heal. So instead Beyer turned to Kessler - and they agreed on the 14. october date.
But NOW Calzaghe ends up fighting at the same date he couldn't wait for earlier. Funny stuff.

Makes you really wonder wtf is wrong with mr. Warren.
I mean with Calzaghes fame and all, why is it, with the exception of the Lacy fight, that Warren has succeded in getting NO meaningful fight for Calzaghe for such a long time?

Anyway not surpricing that Calzaghe never mentions Kessler or Beyer. I remember in connection with the Lacy fight, a journalist asked Calzaghe about "the other two champs" (Beyer and Kessler). Joe's reply was: "Noone cares about the other champs!". I gues that's how he feels and he's gonna stick to it.

Yes i also thought it was funny Calzaghe's fight would be on the same day. But i doubt Calzaghe would be able to find a sufficiently big named opponent to make people forget about the Kessler Beyer fight.

pundit · Post by **pundit** » 08 Aug 2006, 17:27

E wrote:Any guesses at who the opponent might be? What about Peter Manfredo?

They found a drunkard underneaht a cardiff bridge how they're currenlty building up as the next great challenge.

pundit · Post by **pundit** » 08 Aug 2006, 17:29

dumdane wrote: Funny thing is when Calzaghe was negotiating with Beyer, the only thing that kept the deal from being done was Calzaghe insisting on an early september date.

Says it all, doesn't it?

Calzaghe duckduckduckducked Beyer. Too unpleasant style for him.

E · Post by E » 08 Aug 2006, 18:41

pundit wrote:
E wrote:Any guesses at who the opponent might be? What about Peter Manfredo?
They found a drunkard underneaht a cardiff bridge how they're currenlty building up as the next great challenge.

Oh good! So he'll be better than Tocker Pudwill at least......

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 08 Aug 2006, 19:43

Prove he ducked anyone. Your going off word and opinion like Warren's article to Ian on BNN except Warren was the one making the deals.

Deram · Post by **Deram** » 09 Aug 2006, 00:02

These fights would imo be the best for Calzaghe considering legacy:

VERY GOOD FIGHTS:
1. Hopkins (with Hopkins beating of Tarver this would be a great win for Calzaghe)
2. Beyer/Kessler (would make Calzaghe start linearity at SMW again)
3. Taylor (if at MW he would be considered linear there)

ACCEPTABLE
4. Winner Johnson/Woods (ABC belt at LH - looses chance to be linear at SMW, but the american hype behind Johnson and the local issue with Woods adds a little)
5. Winky (no belt, but Winky is still a good fighter although size difference will of course diminish the legacy effect)
6. Erdei (ABC belt and a recognized champ at LH)
7. Adamek (ABC belt at LH - Good and bad for Calzaghe, he looses the opportunity to be the Man at SMW, but gets a abs in LH in return)
8. Mundine (an opportunity to once and for all lay to rest the speculations that have been following Joe - that he only picks on strong, but slowish fighters - Mundine will be the first ever fighter he has meet that can top his own speed)

Everyone else Green, Mora, Manfredo, Markussen, Stieglitz etc. etc. must be considered at least one level down in terms of opposition.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 09 Aug 2006, 03:39

Mundine is a great option, offer him what he is worth for this October date and he might just do it. Last time they offered him £50k with 3 options!

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 09 Aug 2006, 04:28

Great stuff, planning to gun for Johnson almost 3 years after they orginally wimped out! AND Johnson was knocking on a bit then!