BoxRec

Interesting article over on Second Out:-

Hobson issues £100,000 side bet to lure Calzaghe

Place your money, Frank (pic Mr Will)

By Clive Bernath: Dennis Hobson, the promoter of IBF light-heavyweight king Clinton Woods, has offered a £100,000 side bet to rival promoter allegedly in an attempt to lure IBF/WBO super-middleweight king Joe Calzaghe into an all British world title fight.

Speaking to SecondsOut earlier today Fight Academy boss Dennis Hobson said he is willing to put his money where his mouth is in an attempt to provide British boxing fans with the biggest and most eagerly awaited domestic fight since the ferocious and bitter clashes between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank in the early 1990s.

"I fancy the fight, I know Clinton does and I believe both Joe and his father Enzo do as well so now its only up to allegedly to say yes," said a confident Dennis Hobson.

"This is a natural fight between two of the biggest names in British boxing and I'm willing to issue a side bet of £100,000. I'm willing to put the fight on or we'll do a joint promotion but there is no excuse for this fight not to happen.

"Calzaghe vs Woods would be a pay per view success. It would be like Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank all over again. This fight makes perfect sense and both Joe and Clinton would make a lot of money.

"I'm willing to put £100,000 on Clinton winning, and lets face it, with Joe looking so good in beating Jeff lacy, there's no reason why Frank should not take up the challenge."

Woods and Calzaghe were due to face each other after Woods dropped a unanimous decision to American Glen Johnson in 2004. Dennis Hobson said that he had signed a contract to fight Calzaghe on a allegedly promoted card but Calzaghe was instead steered towards defending his WBO super-middleweight crown.

Then when Woods won the vacant IBF light-heavyweight crown by stopping favored American Rico Hoye little over a year later Calzaghe again announced his desire to step up a division and challenge the new champion. Woods. though, having previously been snubbed was not in the mood to allow the undefeated Welshman to dictate terms to him, especially as he was the one with arguably the more prestigious title.

Following a couple of routine WBO title defences Calzaghe finally produced the goods with a highly impressive 12 round destruction of American powerhouse Jeff Lacy earlier this month to capture the prestigious IBF super-middleweight crown and swing the bargaining momentum back in his favour.

Woods vs Calzaghe would indeed be a fascinating pairing and one not only British fight fans would want to see but I'm not sure even the lure of a £100,000 side bet will be enough to make it happen.



Would be a great fight to have by the end of 2006

Wonder if they will except the challenge ???

Pay per view success? How exactly would it be PPV with Warren and his troops now over at ITV??

Do you think perhaps Hobson feels £100k is a small price to pay just to make the fight actually happen? I mean I'm not saying Woods wont win or anything, just that perhaps Hobson wont mind losing that money.

Woods TKO 6, Warren poor.

loose a penny find a pound - nice one dennis

Pay per view success? How exactly would it be PPV with Warren and his troops now over at ITV??

Exactly!

If they co promote it Warren will obviously have ITV showing any of his fighters!

Why do FA and the Hatton's think Pay per view is the way?

Woods after beating Hoye hoped he could have the Beeb or a terrestrial channel show his fights I think.

As slow as Williams Vs Harrison was it brought 8 million viewers which proves no one hardly wants PPV. Only a few hundred thousand buy it and thats poor compared to our big population.

jeej wrote:Do you think perhaps Hobson feels £100k is a small price to pay just to make the fight actually happen? I mean I'm not saying Woods wont win or anything, just that perhaps Hobson wont mind losing that money.

My thoughts exactly. Notice the quote: "I'm willing to put the fight on or we'll do a joint promotion" Would he really be losing money?

What a complete load of bollocks IMO. £100k for that. Calzaghe would murder him. Steptoe and Son would be better using their little Hatton windfall on actually getting poor old forgotten about Clinton Woods a fight of any kind. In fact, IMO Woods would get done by Jeff Lacy. They really need to do better id they are to survive in this higher league.

And, for the record, if Robert Waterman can get his hnads on that sort of money perhaps he should pay off all his creditors first before he make his debt even worse by making stupid bets he cannot pay.

"Please Frank, don't bankrupt me for five thousand pounds"

boxingchat wrote:What a complete load of bollocks IMO. £100k for that. Calzaghe would murder him. Steptoe and Son would be better using their little Hatton windfall on actually getting poor old forgotten about Clinton Woods a fight of any kind. In fact, IMO Woods would get done by Jeff Lacy. They really need to do better id they are to survive in this higher league.

And, for the record, if Robert Waterman can get his hnads on that sort of money perhaps he should pay off all his creditors first before he make his debt even worse by making stupid bets he cannot pay.

"Please Frank, don't bankrupt me for five thousand pounds"

You have got a nerve talking about creditors, Frank. Youve got over 70, yes 70, County Court Judgements against you.

boxingchat wrote: They really need to do better id they are to survive in this higher league.

I think FA are doing a sterling job with the Great Ricky Hatton (what a boxer he is )

I'd much prefer to see Calzaghe-Woods than Calzaghe-RJJ. I don't see the fight happening though due to the rival TV companies, IMO there is no way that ITV will let Calzaghe fight on Sky Box Office.

Why would it need to go on Sky PPV when it could go on ITV. Woods has no TV Deal and nor do fight academy on any excluisve basis.

Doesn't Sports Network have an exclusive contract with ITV? Or is it only exclusive with regard to Sports Network and not the other way around?

boxingchat wrote:Why would it need to go on Sky PPV when it could go on ITV. Woods has no TV Deal and nor do fight academy on any excluisve basis.

I was just going on what Dennis hobson said

"Calzaghe vs Woods would be a pay per view success. "

I'd be happier (and wealthier) if ITV were to show it. I wonder how the financials would work for that one though.
Would US TV want to fork out for a battle of Britain?
Could the fight be made without PPV sales and/or US TV money? i.e. would it generate enough wonga to keep both parties happy

With the recent successful events shown on ITV maybe they'd be willing to dig deep for this one, especially if it continues to be built up with comparisons to Benn-Eubank

This is the same Denis Hobson who after Woods beat Hoye as good as told Calzaghe to F Off on ITV. I seem to recall words like "We don't need Joe Calzaghe...tell him to get lost"

If I were JC I'd tell Hobson where to get off to.... or take the fight, give woods a good thrashing and take Hobson's £100k.

J

Well, while its a good fight its nowhere near as big as Benn v Eubank lets be honest.

boxingchat wrote:What a complete load of bollocks IMO. £100k for that. Calzaghe would murder him.

So what do you base this assessment on?

After all, Woods went 24 rounds with a fighter Calzaghe ducked.

Calzaghe would obviously start as a BIG favourite

Joe didn't duck GJ he got injured, but feel free to pretend to yourself

Chambers2 wrote:Calzaghe would obviously start as a BIG favourite

Joe didn't duck GJ he got injured, but feel free to pretend to yourself

Glecnoffe seems to have had a different view on this.

pundit wrote:

Chambers2 wrote:Calzaghe would obviously start as a BIG favourite

Joe didn't duck GJ he got injured, but feel free to pretend to yourself

Glecnoffe seems to have had a different view on this.

Joe must have ducked him then

john2345 wrote:This is the same Denis Hobson who after Woods beat Hoye as good as told Calzaghe to F Off on ITV. I seem to recall words like "We don't need Joe Calzaghe...tell him to get lost"

If I were JC I'd tell Hobson where to get off to.... or take the fight, give woods a good thrashing and take Hobson's £100k.

J

Hang on a minute mate, didn't Calzaghe twice pull out of fights with woods? Once was when he found out that their fight would no longer be for an eliminator for a title shot at LH...

Can't really blame Hobson and co for being pissed off at that.

I'd like to see the two of them fight. Make Calzaghe favourite based on his handspeed and movement, but might have a tougher time with Clinton than Lacy, Woods wouldn't just capitulate meekly like Lacy did.

i don't think Johnson was anything to be frightened of. His fights with a weak looking, no energy Woods barely seemed championship calibre (of course they both look so much better these days) and not forgetting GJ was nearly out of it at the end of Woods I. Calzaghe seemed to disrespect Johnson, his attitude being like 'so what if the fight's off, he's only a journeyman' (my paraphrase)

What are you about 'nearly out of it?' are you implying he was almost stopped, because if you are, then you're talking bollocks. I was at ringside for the 1st one and I saw no point where Johnson looked like he was going down.

Woods has looked better of late, but to call Glen Johnson a journeyman is showing your ignorance mate. Would a journeyman have beaten Tarver and lost a close one in a rematch? Johnson has a patchy record because he fought most of his career as the opponent in his adversaries home turf, and had a lot of tight/dubious decisions against him. He also wasn't well backed and was done no favours.

Glen's style also gave Woods a lot of problems, as Johnson has a good rolling defence and is excellent on the inside, and was good at closing the gap on Woods and keeping him under pressure.

Prior to losing to Hopkins, Glen was considered a very hot ticket indeed, and was being backed for future world title success, but was dropped by his backers after losing to Hopkins.

Glen might not be flashy, but he's effective at what he does, and has a good repetoire of boxing skills.

To say Calzaghe would have done this or that is one thing, but bottom line is, Calzaghe pulled out twice and never faced him, so it's all conjecture. Glen was prepared to come and defend his title on Joe's home turf and never got the chance.

Does anyone really give Clinton Woods a chance with JC, surely not?
How, why and what with? Please enlighten me because quite simply I cannot see it being any more a fight than Tocker Pudwell.

Hobson may just have opened his mouth one time too many and Warren and JC may call his bluff. £100k bets is that all he can afford to lose?

Well, I'd like to see the fight happen. I'm not sure how good I think Clinton's chances are, but I'd rather see it decided in the ring than here on a forum.

jamesmcdonnell wrote: I'd like to see the two of them fight. Make Calzaghe favourite based on his handspeed and movement, but might have a tougher time with Clinton than Lacy, Woods wouldn't just capitulate meekly like Lacy did.

I think its fair to say that any fight Joe has will be tougher than the Lacy one.

I want to see this fight, the new improved Clinton will give Joe a run for his money, but I can't see him winning it (I've been wrong on numerous occasions though)