BoxRec

WBO Super-Middleweight cpmments on sharing his next bill with Olympic silver medalist and amateur star Amir Khan.

From icWales.

"I know that Amir will attract a lot of punters but you must remember he's just an amateur and he won't be able to fill the venue. They need a big world title fight to shift tickets and that's where I come in.

"No disrespect to Amir but no one will pay £30-odd just to see a four-round amateur fight, they want pro boxers to give them value for money and the potential of a good 12-rounder.

"I've got some great, loyal fans and I'm sure that they'll follow me up to Manchester and give me their full support. Maybe they'll make a weekend of it and hopefully some of North Wales' boxing fans might come across. That'll be great."

Jeez, calm down Joe.

KOJOE90 wrote:the potential of a good 12-rounder.

Potential is damn right because Calzaghe has barely been in a good 12 rounder lately if ever.

Who is Joe fighting anyway?

It pisses me off that every time he’s had a real interesting fight he takes it outside Wales.
There’s loyalty to his fans, even the Johnson fight was scheduled away.

But he is correct about Khan selling a show.
I`ve said before, having amateurs with the pro shows is bullshit.
How come Warren wasn`t making a big deal before Khan made headlines, and what happens without Khan.
If I want to watch amateurs I`ll go to a club show, £5 ticket couple of pints.
I won`t pay £30+ for 3pro fights and half a dozen amateur.

Riddick Blowe wrote:i imagine the general public are far more interested in amir khan than calzaghe.

To read about him is one thing, to fork out money and go and see him is another thing, and now he is doing it on SportsNetwork he will soon be forgotten about, tucked away an Sky out of the publics view.
perhaps thats Warren being sharp, less people know him, sponsers dry up, money will follow then when he needs the money who does he turn to??

Right now Calzaghe would find it hard to draw flies to a turd.

007 wrote:Right now Calzaghe would find it hard to draw flies to a turd.

unfortunately the retarded general public are under the illusion that calzaghe is the best fighter who fights the best and kos them. They generally think he is the best. The longest running champion in boxing according to sky. This bullshit is whats killing boxing.

He is peaking realisticly. Would any of your guys pay £30 for a 4 round amature fight? Sorry but im with jow on this one.

I think as soon as Calzaghe says "They need a big world title fight...and that's where I come in", all credibility is lost.

Razor wrote:He is peaking realisticly. Would any of your guys pay £30 for a 4 round amature fight? Sorry but im with jow on this one.

No, I would not pay £25/$30 for one amatuer fight, but I may for a big Amateur bill, ABA's Worlds etc.

What bugged me about Calzaghes comments was that he almost seems threatened by sharing the limelight with Khan, which is a shame.

However I feel at this moment in time Khan may be better known to the general public that Calzaghe is. It will be interesting to see who gets the biggest cheer on the night.

My money is on Khan.

And apart from Khan,what amateur will get the punters from the bar to watch them fight in the first place?

Khan is big news now because his fights were watched by a large audience and generated big front page news in the tabloids, what other amateur even gets mentioned in the tabloids?

I'd rather see Kahn fight than any of Joe's recent fights.

I think his comments are uncharitable, and it does smack of a bit of professional jealousy, that an amateur is going to receive star billing on the card when Calzaghe is already a seasoned professional.

Could be wrong, but that's how it looks.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:I think his comments are uncharitable, and it does smack of a bit of professional jealousy, that an amateur is going to receive star billing on the card when Calzaghe is already a seasoned professional.

Could be wrong, but that's how it looks.

Agree with the J fella.

He should be thankfull that Khan is making some noise and getting boxing noticed again. His 'comfort zone' title defences against the likes of Pudwill, McIntyre, Jimenez (need I go on?) have all but ruined the sport in this country. I cant wait to see Calzaghe stretched out.

He does sound rather ungracious but maybe its the case that he knows that Khan has something which he hasn't got countrywide recogntion something which Joe has not casual sports fans don't know who he is because he fights on a pay to view channel. Millions watched Khan win his medal and he is recognised because of it. That's why I think boxing has become a minority sport because its world champions are not houshold names, for example during sports personality of the year Hatton was not mentioned or Calzaghe or Scott Harrison they are big in the own towns but not nation wide and I can't see it changing.

Yes, I think you've possibly hit the nail on the head.

If Khan and Calzaghe walked down Oxford Street only one of them would be recognised by the public.

I think that despite Calzaghe's claims of being a bona-fide world champion and being a bit noise in Wales, it must piss him off that he's never going to go down in history as a great champion. I am sure most fighters of Joe's undoubted ability want to go down as one of the great ones.

Calzaghe talks about his Manchester fans after his last performance there agaunst Starie they will hardly be banging down the doors

Chris the fighter wrote:He does sound rather ungracious but maybe its the case that he knows that Khan has something which he hasn't got countrywide recogntion something which Joe has not casual sports fans don't know who he is because he fights on a pay to view channel. Millions watched Khan win his medal and he is recognised because of it. That's why I think boxing has become a minority sport because its world champions are not houshold names, for example during sports personality of the year Hatton was not mentioned or Calzaghe or Scott Harrison they are big in the own towns but not nation wide and I can't see it changing.

Very true.

After the Olympics and his recent fight, people at work who know nothing about Boxing were coming up to me (as the office Boxing nut!) and talking to me about Amir.

That has NEVER happened to me after a Calzaghe fight.

Chris the fighter wrote:He does sound rather ungracious but maybe its the case that he knows that Khan has something which he hasn't got countrywide recogntion something which Joe has not casual sports fans don't know who he is because he fights on a pay to view channel. Millions watched Khan win his medal and he is recognised because of it. That's why I think boxing has become a minority sport because its world champions are not houshold names, for example during sports personality of the year Hatton was not mentioned or Calzaghe or Scott Harrison they are big in the own towns but not nation wide and I can't see it changing.

True but its not just the fact he isnt on terrestrial TV. If he'd gone to the states and fought the likes of Hopkins and Jones that would have been big news over here - instead he's been happy earning a few quid fighting at home.

KOJOE90 wrote:

Chris the fighter wrote:He does sound rather ungracious but maybe its the case that he knows that Khan has something which he hasn't got countrywide recogntion something which Joe has not casual sports fans don't know who he is because he fights on a pay to view channel. Millions watched Khan win his medal and he is recognised because of it. That's why I think boxing has become a minority sport because its world champions are not houshold names, for example during sports personality of the year Hatton was not mentioned or Calzaghe or Scott Harrison they are big in the own towns but not nation wide and I can't see it changing.

Very true.

After the Olympics and his recent fight, people at work who know nothing about Boxing were coming up to me (as the office Boxing nut!) and talking to me about Amir.

That has NEVER happened to me after a Calzaghe fight.

ditto