Calzaghe calls for Kessler, Taylor.

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Rocky Balboa
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Calzaghe calls for Kessler, Taylor.

Post by Rocky Balboa »

April 26th, 2007.

WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe says he wants his 21st title defense to be against top targets Mikkel Kessler or Jermain Taylor. The 35-year-old Calzaghe made a milestone 20th title defense against Peter Manfredo last month and has ruled in the 168lb division since 1997. The unbeaten Welshman doesn't plan to retire any time soon. "I have proudly held the WBO title for nearly 10 years since my great win over Chris Eubank way back in 1997. I've made 20 defenses and I would love my 21st to be either against Kessler or Taylor," said Calzaghe. "Tiger Woods and Roger Federer have dominated their sports for the last few years but boxing is the hardest sport out there and to remain at the top for the last 10 years as a WBO world champion is an achievement I am very proud of. I'm in fantastic shape and I'm beating the younger lads in our gym when we are in training. I'm 35 but I feel like I'm 21 and I've still got a few good years ahead of me and I don't see why I can't carry on into my forties like Hopkins has done."


I still think there will be a long, hard & drawn-out process in respect of the negotiations for Calzaghe vs Taylor or Calzaghe vs Kessler.

What fight looks the more likely to happen?
fist
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Re: Calzaghe calls for Kessler, Taylor.

Post by fist »

Rocky Balboa wrote:
April 26th, 2007.

WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe says he wants his 21st title defense to be against top targets Mikkel Kessler or Jermain Taylor. The 35-year-old Calzaghe made a milestone 20th title defense against Peter Manfredo last month and has ruled in the 168lb division since 1997. The unbeaten Welshman doesn't plan to retire any time soon. "I have proudly held the WBO title for nearly 10 years since my great win over Chris Eubank way back in 1997. I've made 20 defenses and I would love my 21st to be either against Kessler or Taylor," said Calzaghe. "Tiger Woods and Roger Federer have dominated their sports for the last few years but boxing is the hardest sport out there and to remain at the top for the last 10 years as a WBO world champion is an achievement I am very proud of. I'm in fantastic shape and I'm beating the younger lads in our gym when we are in training. I'm 35 but I feel like I'm 21 and I've still got a few good years ahead of me and I don't see why I can't carry on into my forties like Hopkins has done."


I still think there will be a long, hard & drawn-out process in respect of the negotiations for Calzaghe vs Taylor or Calzaghe vs Kessler.

What fight looks the more likely to happen?
Kessler fight is more probable IMO. There is more hype for that match-up in Europe and over last six months HBO have been increasingly interested in Kessler. Plus there is the bonus of unifying three belts. In terms of negotiations, yes they will all be difficult and thats the politics, but Kessler is an easier negotiation than Taylor I think.
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Post by WildWaylon »

Have to agree Kessler is probably the easier fight to make, but no probs its a fight we all want to see - Joe would shut up a lot of his critics with a win over Kessler so lets hope the fight not only happens but happens that way - Joes hands are a bit of a worry though, he will need two good ones to get a win over Kessler - Joe talks about maybe three more fights and then says he feels good enough to remain in boxing past forty - He may have the fitness but will his hands force his retirement in which case three more fights may be the more realistic statement - Whatever happens he has had a great career and lets hope he can finish on top with wins over the best names around - Obviousy I, and lots of others would love to see Joe take on and thrash the arrogant Froch but with target names like Taylor, Hopkins and Kessler I dont really think Froch fits into the equasion - You never can tell though if Joe does stay on a while and Froch does get to true world class it could maybe happen - Lets hope so otherwise the Calzaghe v Froch arguement of who would win will go on for years to come - That all Brit decider would be another Eubank v Benn and British boxing needs another huge night like that - How about that as a top of the bill just before we go out to buy the seasonal turkey - Very unlikely, FW and MH in a joint promotion just to satisfy us lot and ITV who are pissed off with forgone conclusion fights.
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Post by Evander »

Expect Calzaghe to continue taking easy bouts.
That's what he does.

That is what he has almost been doing his entire career.

His record is padded ... just look at it.
Seriously it is shameful.

His promoter went on television and the internet and laid out a financial challenge to Kessler.
When Kesslers people almost doubled what he originally offered was when the silence began,now he starts talking his usual rubbish about fighting this guy and that guy.


It will be a miracle if Calzaghe were to accept.
I hope he does but his track record suggests he is full of it.
I'm eager to be proved wrong.

But when you see an almost 14 year pro acting this way it becomes embarrasing.
The British fans are screaming for Froch because they know Calzaghe won't fight anyone and will try to make a Froch fight seem bigger than what it really is.
Kind of like most Calzaghe fights.
fist
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Post by fist »

Evander wrote:Expect Calzaghe to continue taking easy bouts.
That's what he does.

That is what he has almost been doing his entire career.

His record is padded ... just look at it.
Seriously it is shameful.

His promoter went on television and the internet and laid out a financial challenge to Kessler.
When Kesslers people almost doubled what he originally offered was when the silence began,now he starts talking his usual rubbish about fighting this guy and that guy.


It will be a miracle if Calzaghe were to accept.
I hope he does but his track record suggests he is full of it.
I'm eager to be proved wrong.

But when you see an almost 14 year pro acting this way it becomes embarrasing.
The British fans are screaming for Froch because they know Calzaghe won't fight anyone and will try to make a Froch fight seem bigger than what it really is.
Kind of like most Calzaghe fights.
Totally disagree, Joe as a fighter with pride of course is not scared of anyone whether or not you think he is crap or whther or not you think his manager is non risk taker and simply a money maker. Joe himself is a champion who wants to secure a legacy. He has spoke much much more about Kessler for instance since Kessler started getting noticed by the wider public. To the point where his manager is in negotiations. Kessler wants to fight in September and now Joe is eyeing that date and specifically referencing a Kessler match-up. It truly hope it happens, would be a brilliant fight and of course one that is hard to call in the sense that it isnt a safe fight for Joe, as you mentioned. Silly to continue abusing Joe himself, when we have come to a point that a Kessler match up is being mentioned by Calzaghe almost every month.
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Post by Evander »

fist wrote:
Evander wrote:Expect Calzaghe to continue taking easy bouts.
That's what he does.

That is what he has almost been doing his entire career.

His record is padded ... just look at it.
Seriously it is shameful.

His promoter went on television and the internet and laid out a financial challenge to Kessler.
When Kesslers people almost doubled what he originally offered was when the silence began,now he starts talking his usual rubbish about fighting this guy and that guy.


It will be a miracle if Calzaghe were to accept.
I hope he does but his track record suggests he is full of it.
I'm eager to be proved wrong.

But when you see an almost 14 year pro acting this way it becomes embarrasing.
The British fans are screaming for Froch because they know Calzaghe won't fight anyone and will try to make a Froch fight seem bigger than what it really is.
Kind of like most Calzaghe fights.
Totally disagree, Joe as a fighter with pride of course is not scared of anyone whether or not you think he is crap or whther or not you think his manager is non risk taker and simply a money maker. Joe himself is a champion who wants to secure a legacy. He has spoke much much more about Kessler for instance since Kessler started getting noticed by the wider public. To the point where his manager is in negotiations. Kessler wants to fight in September and now Joe is eyeing that date and specifically referencing a Kessler match-up. It truly hope it happens, would be a brilliant fight and of course one that is hard to call in the sense that it isnt a safe fight for Joe, as you mentioned. Silly to continue abusing Joe himself, when we have come to a point that a Kessler match up is being mentioned by Calzaghe almost every month.

My problem is not with the style of Joe Calzaghe.
As a matter of fact I think he is a very good boxer.
Like yourself and probably the rest of the boxing community I also want to see the Kessler fight.
It is nothing personal against Joe Calzaghe the man outside the ropes either,he seems like a decent chap.

This is all about his level of competition.
I understand it is also a business,but this guy has been around a long time now.
I find it hard to look at his record to be honest.
How can you not look at that thing and not be critical of it.
I mean seriously now, all bullsh*tting aside it is not pretty to look at considering how good a fighter Joe is.
It's just not on.

All I can is if he continues doing this, rather than saying negative things about him I won't even talk about him as a serious top ten pound for pound boxer anymore.

As for Joe speaking of Kessler,well Joe says a lot of things.
He just doesn't follow through,his record is a perfect example of that.
Sorry if I come across as being harsh on the man.
But what else are we suppose to say. :-?
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Post by Autobarn »

The thing is, like before the Lacy fight we can say all this and that, but what if a Kessler fight is made and he trounces the guy?

Eubank, Brewer, Mitchell, Woodhall, Reid, Lacy is NOT shameful opposition. It's the dips in his opposition that are shameful. In that case the records of fighters like Hopkins are seriously padded.

This article doesn't acknowledge that Joe says he's ready to dump the WBO so as not to waste his brittle hands on the skilled mandatory Inkin, and face Kessler.

Latest news I heard was Warren ready to sit down with Palle (promoter of Kessler) with HBO as mediator. The situation now is a world apart to when Calzaghe was fighting a Will McIntyre type loser. He trounced the well regarded Lacy then got big #s for the Manfredo 'fight' = America are interested in him.
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Post by WildWaylon »

Lacy was a huge risk and an awfull lot of people said Joe wouldnt win - He did and it was a whitewash - Nobody could have predicted that result - OK the Manfredo fight was a forgone conclusion but a big money maker so Joe would have been a fool not to take that one, an easy big pay day for him - Joe has said time is running out and he wants the top names with the big purses so there cant be anymore easy fights - Kessler is the one, he wants it and so do we - This is a fight that is truly 50/50 on paper so a win for Joe (but a good win) would give him huge credibility and silence many of his critics - Joe is a good champion and I am pretty sure he will prove to all before he retires he is one of our best ever.
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Post by p4p1 »

Id like to see joe give anthony mundine a crack his last fight against sam soliman was awesome he could be a threatning force in the division his improvement since kessler is amazing
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Post by jamesmcdonnell »

Final Fight wrote:The thing is, like before the Lacy fight we can say all this and that, but what if a Kessler fight is made and he trounces the guy?

Eubank, Brewer, Mitchell, Woodhall, Reid, Lacy is NOT shameful opposition. It's the dips in his opposition that are shameful. In that case the records of fighters like Hopkins are seriously padded.

This article doesn't acknowledge that Joe says he's ready to dump the WBO so as not to waste his brittle hands on the skilled mandatory Inkin, and face Kessler.

Latest news I heard was Warren ready to sit down with Palle (promoter of Kessler) with HBO as mediator. The situation now is a world apart to when Calzaghe was fighting a Will McIntyre type loser. He trounced the well regarded Lacy then got big #s for the Manfredo 'fight' = America are interested in him.
If he trounces Kessler, then I think quite simply, Calzaghe becomes undisputedly the greatest super middleweight ever.

Of course there will always be those who will claim they knew Kessler was crap all along.
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Post by Loynesy »

James - certainly wouldn't say Kessler is crap but I think Joe would outpoint him handily.

I think the fight will happen. Not sure whether Freiheit is reading but my wife (Danish) tells me the press is reporting they are in serious negotiations.

We will see.
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Post by WildWaylon »

Loynesy wrote:James - certainly wouldn't say Kessler is crap but I think Joe would outpoint him handily.

I think the fight will happen. Not sure whether Freiheit is reading but my wife (Danish) tells me the press is reporting they are in serious negotiations.

We will see.
Thats good, lets hope so - Its going to be difficult for either side to back out IMO
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Post by Old bones Ian »

p4p1 wrote:Id like to see joe give anthony mundine a crack his last fight against sam soliman was awesome he could be a threatning force in the division his improvement since kessler is amazing
Id like to see Mundine get a shot as well, he can fight , and he would wind up everyone over here, he's got a mouth as big as his head.
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Post by Autobarn »

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
Final Fight wrote:The thing is, like before the Lacy fight we can say all this and that, but what if a Kessler fight is made and he trounces the guy?

Eubank, Brewer, Mitchell, Woodhall, Reid, Lacy is NOT shameful opposition. It's the dips in his opposition that are shameful. In that case the records of fighters like Hopkins are seriously padded.

This article doesn't acknowledge that Joe says he's ready to dump the WBO so as not to waste his brittle hands on the skilled mandatory Inkin, and face Kessler.

Latest news I heard was Warren ready to sit down with Palle (promoter of Kessler) with HBO as mediator. The situation now is a world apart to when Calzaghe was fighting a Will McIntyre type loser. He trounced the well regarded Lacy then got big #s for the Manfredo 'fight' = America are interested in him.
If he trounces Kessler, then I think quite simply, Calzaghe becomes undisputedly the greatest super middleweight ever.

Of course there will always be those who will claim they knew Kessler was crap all along.
There will be revisionist idiots who would come along in the case of a Kessler loss. But in their case there is no point watching the fights. (and given his consistency in world title fights his quality is hard to deny...) If you can suddenly declare AFTER that the other guy never had a chance. Boxing is such a NOW sport.
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Post by pundit »

Final Fight wrote:The thing is, like before the Lacy fight we can say all this and that, but what if a Kessler fight is made and he trounces the guy?
Then congrats to Joe.
Eubank, Brewer, Mitchell, Woodhall, Reid, Lacy is NOT shameful opposition.
Over a period of 10 years -- yes it is. Add in that many of these were way beyond their primes.
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Post by Grilling Machine »

Final Fight wrote:Eubank, Brewer, Mitchell, Woodhall, Reid...
It's when you try continuing the line of quality that you stumble. One big fight in the last five years is it?

All this talk of fighting to forty would suggest an easy road ahead. If Joe wants me to think of him as a man with superb boxing ability, fine, he's already done plenty to win my respect on that score.
But he won't be a great champion in my eyes unless he does whatever it takes financially to clean up the division.
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Post by Evander »

No one is taking anything away from Calzaghe.
He beat Lacy clean.
But ...

Let's put it this way.
What most fight fans really wanted to see was Joe Calzaghe fight ... someone decent.
Joe's performance against Lacy was superb,no one is arguing that.

If the British fans tell me that they honestly think that Joe's record is credible I will bow after a very hard fight.



Call me an idiot or a thick c*** like some people have.
That's ok.
But if you want to sell Joe Calzaghe's flea market and make it real then step up.
No messing around.



If you want to be play fair and be respectful which is where I'm coming from I welcome it.
A good debate is a good debate.
You know where I stand.
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