BoxRec

Geniune one more fight at Super Middle... or just a way to keep hold of the belt for a bit longer.

Calzaghe plans return to 168!
WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe has stated that his September 20 light heavyweight bout against Roy Jones Jr. will not be his last and that he plans to return to the super middleweight division following that fight. In a fax sent to WBO President Paco Valcarcel on British Boxing Board of Control letterhead dated July 16, 2008, and signed by Joe, the longtime 168lb champion wrote:

Dear Paco,

Further to our phone conversation of today's date I wish to remain as the WBO's Super Middleweight Champion. Following my proposed contest against Roy Jones Jnr. it is my intention to defend the WBO Super Middleweight Championship. I am proud to be a WBO Champion and thank you, as always, for the opportunities given to me in the past.

Kind regards,
JOE CALZAGHE CBE

My pick is: Just in case he feels good enough for another performance.

God you lot are naive.

He just doesn't want Froch to be able to have the option of the WBO...

Maelstrom wrote:God you lot are naive.

He just doesn't want Froch to be able to have the option of the WBO...

Why not?

Carl don't give a toss about the WBO.

I also hear Pavlik is gonna tell Joe to get lost now as well.

Why not? Is that a real question. Dont think that Warren still isn't involved with Joe.

And Carl may not give a toss, but it's an option if WBC keeps playing up...

Warren will want to shut all doors on him if he can...

I honestly think Team Calzaghe don't want to know about Pavlik. Not positive vibes coming from Daddy with his changing his mind all the time.

I think it could be well wait to see what happens with the WBC - if Froch wins then maybe, just, maybe a unification fight at the MS to finish his career.

But I think really Jones will be his last fight.

Although might be interesting to follow the ranking of Tito trinidad.

Maybe my 50-1 prediction of JC's final record will come true!

Interesting.

Does he want a backup plan in case he loses to Jones?

Does he want a Pavlik payday, one extra big earner, away from Warren?

Is he listening to his critics? Recognising his own hypocrisy ala Jones being a big challenge?

Or does he just want to enter the ring as a still 2-weight champ?

Let's see what happens. Joe changes his mind a lot. If he defends his light heavyweight title vs faded big name Jones, and then defends his super middleweight title vs p4p rated Pavlik, then that will be impressive. And he will be keeping himself in the running for the #1 p4p spot.

JC-Pavlik is the fight I want to see him in most (other than JC-Froch), so hopefully it'll come off. It's the best fight out there for JC in terms of getting worldwide recognition IMO.

I think if Joe leaves Pavlik til next year AND moves down a weight, he will be old enough, and weak enough at the weight to lose.

If he wins though (IF he even takes the fight), it will be hard to criticise him.

But then, he could interfere with Pavlik-Abraham. That would piss me off.

Autobarn wrote: But then, he could interfere with Pavlik-Abraham. That would piss me off.

Good point, I don't want anything interfering with that!!

I reckon Pavlik causes JC a shed load of trouble even if they fought now, let alone in 8-9 months time. It's a fantastic boxer/banger match-up (probably harsh classing Pavlik purely as a banger, because he's better than that, but you know what I mean)

Calzaghe's not Jermain Taylor, Pavlik's only had two world class fights, can't judge him as any threat to Joe yet.

Would perfer him to fight Pavlik though than Roy.

Pavlik would moider JC. It would be brutal and quick.

Praise the Lord, Pavlik v Calzaghe next year. Kelly has finally become "credible".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7511028.stm

I guess that extra month really helped Kelly's cause.

Maelstrom wrote:God you lot are naive.

He just doesn't want Froch to be able to have the option of the WBO...

Don't think so, the WBO had already lined up two fighters for the vacant title, and it wasn't Froch.
Joe obviously wants a title at SM that he can tempt a big name to come up for - Taylor or Pavlik.
He likely thinks that having one of those straps is better than nothing, and gives more weight to his "unidsputed" tag at 168.

Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:Praise the Lord, Pavlik v Calzaghe next year. Kelly has finally become "credible".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7511028.stm

I guess that extra month really helped Kelly's cause.

Ant Evans wrote:Smacks to me of Joe not wanting to deal with 3 months of questions about ducking Pavlik and fighting a man (Jones) he dismissed in his own book as "too old".

Nah, it's because he's listened to all his BoxRec's critics and wants to do it for the hardcore fans.

Hope it happens, might shut a few of the whingers up.

Wins over RJJ and Pavlik would see him into the HOF, but they won't be cut and dry. I can see him outworking RJJ but Pavlik..........that will be some fight.

Mark my words, Calzaghe's last fight will be against Jones JR. in November (provided that he wins).

Im sorry, Calazghe losing to Jones?

Sorry, this fight is not even competetive. Roy Jones is 39. Sure, that's a Prime Youth Beast compared to the passed it Hopkins that Joe beat, even then, RJJ is no where how Hopkins is.

RJJ should be retired now.

Asterix wrote:My pick is: Just in case he feels good enough for another performance.

Yes, but who will that be against? Calzaghe is a great fighter, but he should have fought Pavlik instead of Jones. One is in his prime, the other is shot.

Calzaghe-Pavlik could still happen, providing both win their next fight, but they should be facing each other in their next fight.

Pavlik wanted the fight, no doubt about that. From where I'm sitting, it seems Calzaghe was not as enthusiastic as Pavlik. That's not to say Calzaghe is ducking Pavlik because I understand its all about cashing in for Joe at this stage.

If he beats Jones and takes Pavlik and beats him too, I think he should stay on. He'd be 37 by this point most likely but only 4 away from breaking Joe Louis' record. It's not like he's taken many beatings in his time.

Beating Kessler/Hopkins/Jones/Pavlik in successive fights would cement his status. Breaking the Louis record would put him over and it would be easy to do it provided he didn't come unstuck against Pavlik or Jones.
After Pavlik he could take on the winner of the fight for the interim title which he would win with ease, then a hand picked voluntary, followed by another weak mandatory and another hand picked voluntary to break the record.

He could have this all done by 38 if he stays injury free and he'd potentially retire 51-0, 2 weight world champ, most defenses of a world title ever, undefeated. He'd be an all time P4P cert.