BoxRec

So Bunce said that Calzaghe was 6 lbs over the limit only "hours before the weigh in". Joe ended up weighing in at 174.5.

Anyway, is this just bollocks to add intrigue for those who think Jones is too old?
Has promoting the fight taken its toll and messed up JC's preparation?
Is Jones going to actually win?

if Bunce told me the sky was blue I'd have a look up to check for myself

Probably a bit of a hype job from Bunce, but I do rekon there's probably some truth in it... Maybe its just me, but I get the impression with Calzaghe that he looks at moving up a weight as an opportunity to slack off a bit. Didn't actually see the weigh in myself... I'd have thought if he was struggling that much though he would've come in bang on the limit rather than 1/2lb inside.

Do you really think the Calzaghe camp would publicize that there fighter was 6lbs over the limit just before the weigh-in?

Utter nonsense

CheckHook wrote:Maybe its just me, but I get the impression with Calzaghe that he looks at moving up a weight as an opportunity to slack off a bit. .

sometimes that happens. eubank an example that comes to mind

CheckHook wrote:Probably a bit of a hype job from Bunce, but I do rekon there's probably some truth in it... Maybe its just me, but I get the impression with Calzaghe that he looks at moving up a weight as an opportunity to slack off a bit. Didn't actually see the weigh in myself... I'd have thought if he was struggling that much though he would've come in bang on the limit rather than 1/2lb inside.

I think I agree. Joe looked softer and slower vs Hopkins, after promising being a light heavy would make him "faster, more powerful, it'll be scary". Seems to have lost some edge. As with the last fight, the Yanks have dressed it all up, but there is no sense of scale or excitement or buzz in the build up (whereas with Lacy & Kessler there was real anticipation). If (and I mean if) this is another sloppy and slow fight, it will just cement the notion that these are nothing but cash ins.

I hope he's razor sharp tonight though. Apparently Calzaghe wants to improve on his last showing, make a better impression as he was critical of his own performance last time.

It could be a ruse so we think Joe might even lose the fight. But if anything, it lowers my expectations.

Pat Barrett said in a recent interview that moving up in weight just took the edge off his performances when he went from lightwelter to welter during his own career, he didn't have the same focus because he wasn't killing himself to make weight, it made him lose something mentally.

could be a factor for some, look at the recent performance of Pavlik against Hopkins. There just seemed something missing. Maybe losing that few extra pounds really focuses a boxer better.
When they don't have to do that , then the edge is gone.

He looked flabby on 24/7 this morning, even fatter than the Hopkins fight


I dont think the Calzaghe camp have been filling him out with Protein shakes, Spaghetti carbonara, looks more likely

Joe has always crashed on the last week or so before fights. I remember that I heard a rumour before the second Veit fight that he was weighing 180 only a week ahead of weigh in.

In theory, going up in weight should help Calzaghe, because he is a big guy and has always struggled at 168. However, to really benefit from that, they'd need to take a more scientific appraoch to nutrition and weight training -- something like the Haye camp does, or Kerry Kayes -- which they patently don't. Enzo's camp is really old fashioned in it's approach, concentrating on running and calorie reduction and no weight training.

That means that hewill look softer going up in weight.

And all that said, six pounds on the day of the weigh in is a joke, if true. Completely unprofessional.

When this fight was first made, I thought that it was a clear win for Joe, but the closer it gets the more I start leaning toward Jones. I'm not sure if it's the hype subliminally making the fight closer in my head, or becoming more aware of Calzaghe's weaknesses, but I definately have it closer now, and this weight thing rings true to me.

Calzaghe should win UD. This is pretty much Hype to make and help make Calzaghe fit into Marciano's Legacy.

I doubt Calzaghe has any weight problems what so ever

Yeah that could well be it. Hope so.

Anyway, as per other thrads, I can understand why Joe took this fight - given the way boxing is run - even if it's not to everyone's liking and far from the best fight out there. However, am I the only one who is more pumped up for Inkin-Balzsay and Francis-Erdei? Or I am I just disappearing up my hardcore boxing fan's hole...?

Autobarn wrote:Inkin-Balzsay and Francis-Erdei? Or I am I just disappearing up my hardcore boxing fan's hole...?

Ask yourself are you really looking forward to either of these fights more than Calzaghe - Jones?

Welsh great Joe Calzaghe continues his all-too-recent travels against former American great Roy Jones Junior (Senior, these days) at Madison Square Garden tonight, scheduled for 12 rounds.
Calzaghe outscored Philadelphia's Bernard Hopkins in a close, scrambling, disappointing 12-rounder back in April in Las Vegas, his first fight at light-heavyweight and his first ever in the States. It looked a poor performance - from both men - but Calzaghe turned out to be a helluva lot better than Kelly Pavlik, and the 43-year-old Hopkins, after picking off Pavlik for 12 rounds last month in Atlantic City, is demanding a Calzaghe rematch, and who would have thought that seven months ago.
A young Jones, it should also be pointed out, looked poor himself against the canny Hopkins.
I didn't see Calzaghe-Hopkins but I read about it and I saw pictures of Joe at the final bell. He was celebrating but celebrating in a hollow way. One could sense the fight had been a stinker; one could sense Calzaghe wasn't satisfied with his performance. This (hopefully) gives Joe the impetus to get stuck into the near-40-year-old Jones, who comes off a decent 12-round decision over Puerto Rican puncher Felix Trinidad in The Garden in January - but fighting a faded Trinidad is a far cry from fighting Calzaghe.
Jones has actually won three in a row since he lost three in a row in an horrendous 18-month stint which threatened to send him back to his fighting dogs for good. The Pensacola man used to be a superbly coordinated boxer but lack of personality and charm meant one never particularly warmed to him. Referee Richie Davies told me he once saw Jones refuse an autograph for a young boy at ringside (Jones was in his prime, and would probably sign today). Jones refused to accept a disqualification after he set himself and hit a worthy opponent twice on the floor with clean, hard shots. He refused to travel after they jobbed him in the 1988 Olympic light-middleweight final in Korea against a Korean. Jones has never fought outside the United States in 19 years as a pro.
Nonetheless, he was undeniably the best fighter of the the 1990s.
Calzaghe is a 'home boy' himself, of course, but wins here over the previously unbeaten pair of Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler raised his profile to such a level, America proved inevitable, especially with Ricky Hatton already cashing in over there. Enter Hopkins, enter Jones, although this is something of a pension fight for both Jones and Calzaghe and has failed to capture the imagination of boxing fans on either side of the pond. Calzaghe is now 36, he's apparently struggled to make the light-heavyweight limit, which is quite shocking after all his years at super-middleweight - the two fighters appear plain bored in plain boring TV trailers. Calzaghe has pressing and expensive legal problems as well, but I won't go there, except to say that this fight is promoted by Jones himself.
Leave the fighting to McGuigan.
Can Jones roll back the years? The man was always a better boxer than he is a promoter and it enabled him to move up to heavyweight from light-heavyweight and befuddle John Ruiz for 12 rounds for a version of the world heavyweight title, but who is Ruiz? Foolishly, Jones dropped right back down (some say because he didn't fancy fighting someone by the name of Jirov at cruiserweight, and Jones has really always been his own promoter) and the strain on his body took its toll against Florida rival Antonio Tarver, who licked him twice, a quick, heavy handed southpaw like Calzaghe. The spring in Roy's step is gone, the ability to play basketball on the day of a fight is a distant, unimpressive memory.
Jones looks more than bored in those TV trailers, he looks old.
Yes, then, Calzaghe looks the favourite, still fresh enough to pump put those famous bunches of punches, still unbeaten (in 45 pro fights) - he hasn't lost since a Romanian turned the trick in the amateurs in 1990. It speaks for itself. Calzaghe also has a history of beating 'name' opponents past their best and (usually) beating them in style and, after the Hopkins snoozefest last time out, is due an impressive Stateside display and will know that more than anyone. Jones is there, there for the taking. History, the Marciano record, big, big money beckons if Joe does take him.
He must take him.

Terry D wrote:

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote:

Autobarn wrote:Inkin-Balzsay and Francis-Erdei? Or I am I just disappearing up my hardcore boxing fan's hole...?

Ask yourself are you really looking forward to either of these fights more than Calzaghe - Jones?

I am looking forward to the second one more KG, and I am not in washer woman mode.

Calzaghe-Jones will probably see Joe take a lead with more shots. Jones skate about landing the odd bowling right hand. A mid-rounds hotdogging contest (steady on). Followed by a points win that is close enough to warrant a money spinning rematch.

They're on the same card as well, Erdei-Francis and Inkin-Balzsay. So that show gets my vote. I think Balzsay will win a good fight and go on to be a solid champ.

Calzaghe-Jones is more a celeb thing, where many of us will watch for the big reputations on the line or ehck on fightnews the next day. If it's a good fight, fair enough. Will it be a good fight, or are we just watching a lucrative marriage of convenience?

There doesn't seem to be a very big buzz in America. Buncey has been adding a bit of intrigue in case we're not hooked, Joe in last min weight loss shocker.

Terry D wrote:

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote:

Autobarn wrote:Inkin-Balzsay and Francis-Erdei? Or I am I just disappearing up my hardcore boxing fan's hole...?

Ask yourself are you really looking forward to either of these fights more than Calzaghe - Jones?

I am looking forward to the second one more KG, and I am not in washer woman mode.

Calzaghe-Jones will probably see Joe take a lead with more shots. Jones skate about landing the odd bowling right hand. A mid-rounds hotdogging contest (steady on). Followed by a points win that is close enough to warrant a money spinning rematch.

You are really. honestly looking forward to seeing a fat Hungarian, the man who was lucky to get away with an SD against Tito Mendoza (yes, the Tito Mendoza....) fight a one armed Super Middleweight who's best win is probably against Tony "the berk" Oakey? than watch Roy Jones Jr, the only man in 100 years to win the Middleweight and Heavyweight title fight Joe Calzaghe????


ok then, i hope you have fun on Jan 10th

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote:

You are really. honestly looking forward to seeing a fat Hungarian, the man who was lucky to get away with an SD against Tito Mendoza (yes, the Tito Mendoza....) fight a one armed Super Middleweight who's best win is probably against Tony "the berk" Oakey? than watch Roy Jones Jr, the only man in 100 years to win the Middleweight and Heavyweight title fight Joe Calzaghe????


ok then, i hope you have fun on Jan 10th

It's a funny old game, Saint.

Buncey is probably hyping the fight a bit too much about the weight loss bit - I think Calzaghe has probably done things exactly as normal.

With that said - I genuinally think people are understimating the so called "shot" RJJ - really dangerous to do that.

I honestly give RJJ a big chance in the fight.

Mind you - everytime I have predicted a "big fight" - I have got it widely wrong - might as well have another go!!

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote: Ask yourself are you really looking forward to either of these fights more than Calzaghe - Jones?

I am looking forward to the second one more KG, and I am not in washer woman mode.

Calzaghe-Jones will probably see Joe take a lead with more shots. Jones skate about landing the odd bowling right hand. A mid-rounds hotdogging contest (steady on). Followed by a points win that is close enough to warrant a money spinning rematch.[/quote]

You are really. honestly looking forward to seeing a fat Hungarian, the man who was lucky to get away with an SD against Tito Mendoza (yes, the Tito Mendoza....) fight a one armed Super Middleweight who's best win is probably against Tony "the berk" Oakey? than watch Roy Jones Jr, the only man in 100 years to win the Middleweight and Heavyweight title fight Joe Calzaghe????

ok then, i hope you have fun on Jan 10th[/quote]

Was Erdei lucky to get decision against Mendoza too? Had him losing to Garay twice

I'm defo more up for Joe-Roy but I think as fans we can ignore the less glamorous fights which can be very exciting.

Do you think it will be a better more exciting fight than say Mitchell-Johansen? I don't

I would take anything Buncey said with a big bag of salt BUT 6lbs isnt that much, goto sleep, drop 2lbs, fast for the morning, get up go into the sauna for a few hours drop the last few pounds, workout a little to sweat the rest off. If your not at weight, take some diuretics to make you piss away a few pounds of water. Get weighed in, have a hearty meal. I was 6lbs over my normal morning weight last night too and I dont even do any of that to comfortably drop 6lbs

Re Inkin-Balzsay - Balzsay looks like he's potentially something special. I can't wait to see him steadily break down Inkin, the guy who delayed Froch's title chance. Balzsay looks like a real pro, a solid southpaw who hits correctly, doesn't let foes off the hook and finished with genuine one punch power...He doesn't forget how to punch properly either & Inkin will give him some good resistence over the first 6 rds.

Hopefully Sky broadcast the card, due to the Francis fight.

I prefer the fights over the names - i.e. Vazquez-Marquez over DLH-Mayweather (which I found unimpressive). I think Joe v Jones is more convenient for the fighters than the fans. Will the fight please both? This, I think, will have a bearing on the $$ available for future old name v old name bouts.

If Calzaghe and Jones put on a bad spectacle, and considering boxing on Telefutura and ESPN have been cancelled - a good place for prospects and contenders - we might start seeing the fresh fighters get built toward good events on HBO and Showtime. Everything will be healthier all over then. There's going to be a paradigm shift soon. Will JC and RJJ justify further relic fights, or will everyone have had more than enough?

This is probably why I'm stopping up tonight,

Autobarn wrote:Re Inkin-Balzsay - Balzsay looks like he's potentially something special. I can't wait to see him steadily break down Inkin, the guy who delayed Froch's title chance. Balzsay looks like a real pro, a solid southpaw who hits correctly, doesn't let foes off the hook and finished with genuine one punch power...He doesn't forget how to punch properly either & Inkin will give him some good resistence over the first 6 rds.

Are you saying that you expect Balzsay to win? I haven't seen him fight yet.

I think this fight was made for Balzsay. Inkin got the title, Balzsay positioned to take it straight away. Inkin's flagging badly, while Balzsay is fresh and has it all ahead of him.

He's looked very good. Had some of the usual suspects as opponents - Clavero, Dos Santos, Acosta - but broke 2 of 'em down and finished them with brutal right hooks. He seems to have something about him.

Already Andre Dirrell's promoter has distanced himself from this title, despite Dirrell-Oganov being for some kind of WBO top contender spot.

Thanks Autobarn. I'm definitely going to make an effort to see Inkin vs Balzsay. I'm sure it'll be worth it.

Who knows, Sky might pick it up with it being on the Erdei-Francis show.

Autobarn wrote:Who knows, Sky might pick it up with it being on the Erdei-Francis show.

Maybe Santa will show it as a late Christmas present.