BoxRec

I think you mean 'Damned if you do, damned if you don't.'

If Joe beats Tarver, nobody will say Tarver was over the hill. Personally i don't think Joe has any interest in fighting Tarver, he preferred Johnson as Johnson is by far the smaller man and started at middleweight.

Tarver does have a habit of going to sleep, and Calzaghe has a better workrate, but Tarver would have a big size advantage as well as weight and reach.

It won't matter as the fight will never ever happen.

Warren says he has no problems making the fight but prefers Lacy

I think one of the two will happen. But I am also in the minority who believes that Ottke ducked Joe and that he was actually injured for johson and Lacy.

He has to take one of the Lacy or Tarver options for the sake of his career and bank balance, and I dont think either would worry him, he is still an excellent fighter.

I don't think Ottke ducked Calzaghe, nobody even talked about Calzaghe-Ottke from what i can remember until Calzaghe saw Ottke's legs go versus Mitchell and started calling him out.

I think Tarver has to KO Joe to win this, Joes workrate and stamina is excellent and will consistently win him the rounds IMO and nobody has managed to stop Joe yet, albeit against lesser opposition.


I think Ottke ducked Joe. Joes style was all wrong for Ottke IMO, Joe would have been all over him like a rash and theres no way Sven would have stopped Calzaghe

The talk at the time was Ottke turning down $1m for a fight in Germany. How true it was I dont know, but I can believe it, there is now way that a few years ago Ottke could have gone 12 with joe.

bugs wrote:The talk at the time was Ottke turning down $1m for a fight in Germany. How true it was I dont know, but I can believe it, there is now way that a few years ago Ottke could have gone 12 with joe.

Surely Ottke was getting more than $1m a fight anyway? That fight never came anywhere near being made, neither of them were that desperate to force the issue.

Tarver has better skill and is sharper. look at all the names he faced in the last five years, that level of opposition keeps you sharp. Calzaghe hasn't experienced this in 17 defenses over 8 years! no way JC can rise to his level. Tarver anyhow can just keep him at a distance & pick him off, although he seems nowadays to hate pressure. I'd rather see Tarver v Adamek, Briggs and Woods. These are quality matchups

bugs wrote:The talk at the time was Ottke turning down $1m for a fight in Germany. How true it was I dont know, but I can believe it, there is now way that a few years ago Ottke could have gone 12 with joe.

Ottke knew his rigged scorecards couldn't save him from a Calzaghe beating and Ko!

People forget that it was DK who offered Winky too not Calzaghe calling him out and Tarver's promotor offering it.

Calzaghe by UD.

Ottke is the one fight I don't blame Calzaghe for not happening. Sven wanted no part of that fight, he knew he'd never see the scorecards with his lack of power and pop, and if he did stand and trade he would have gotten obliterated.