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Pavlik dilemma for Calzaghe

by Ben Dirs - BBC Sport (U1657561) 09 June 2008

Gary Lockett was the Brit taking the blows at the weekend, but, as usual, it was Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton stealing the headlines.

Cwmbran’s Lockett, a compatriot and stable-mate of super-middleweight and light-heavyweight king Calzaghe, was outclassed and overpowered by American Kelly Pavlik in Atlantic City on Saturday.

And so clinical was Pavlik’s dismissal of Lockett - the Welshman’s corner threw in the towel in the third round following a third knockdown - talk immediately turned to a clash with Calzaghe this autumn.

Calzaghe’s promoter Frank Warren met Pavlik’s promoter Bob Arum last week, but also held talks with Don King, who represents four-weight world champion Roy Jones Jr.

“The fights are out there and can be made,” said Warren after watching Pavlik’s dismantling of Lockett. “Now it is really up to Joe.

“Gary didn’t perform against Pavlik and made him look brilliant, but it would be a different story against Joe.

“Pavlik fights in straight lines and is easy to hit and he wouldn’t look so good when Joe got inside, hit him with right hands and put him on the back foot. But either Pavlik or Jones would be a massive fight for Joe.”

Pavlik, a native of Youngstown, Ohio and a hero of America’s rust belt, certainly has more to gain from a match with Calzaghe than Calzaghe himself.

“They want me to fight Godzilla, then I’ll fight Godzilla,” said WBC and WBO middleweight champion Pavlik, aware that while two wins over Jermain Taylor may have cemented his claim as undisputed middleweight king, a stellar scalp like Calzaghe would ensure him superstar status.

Arum, who promoted middleweight legends Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon, publicly claims Pavlik is better than both, and the 26-year-old would probably represent a bigger risk for Calzaghe than the 39-year-old Jones, who has been on the slide now for four or five years.

Pavlik, while fairly easy to hit, punches hard and fights beautifully on the back foot. As an added incentive, a win over Calzaghe could make him the first man since Henry Armstrong in the 1930s to be a world champion at three different weights simultaneously.

In addition, beating a future Hall of Famer in Jones would probably do more for Calzaghe’s legacy than a win over the younger, hungrier Pavlik, as perverse as that may seem to some.

Warren has reportedly sealed a 15 November slot with American network HBO, but Arum would prefer any fight to take place on 18 October.

As for Hatton, Floyd Mayweather’s announcement that he is to hang up his gloves would appear to have kiboshed the Manchester fighter’s dreams of a rematch.

However, Mayweather has ‘retired’ twice before, most recently before his 10th-round stoppage of Hatton in Las Vegas last December, and few expect the 31-year-old to keep his promise.

Indeed, reports in the American media suggest Mayweather, who was due to have a rematch with Oscar de la Hoya in September, is simply stalling in an attempt to ratchet up interest in the fight and, subsequently, his pay.

It would surprise nobody if Mayweather, a man motivated almost entirely by money, were to retire after that fight, too, before returning to face Hatton at some point in 2009.

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comment by Spodocomodo (U9579169)

posted Jun 13, 2008

Does Calzaghe want to be seen as a travelling roadshow/ money making machine. Roy Jones JR? Who next, ThunderLips (see Rocky III)!!

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comment by telluwhat (U12352298)

posted Jun 15, 2008

As mentioned previously, I also believe that Calzaghe isn't ducking anyone and neither is Pavlik. The big money fight is Jones and Galzaghe is more than entitled to fill his boots with the cash he can gain from this fight.
However, when Calzaghe does retire, it will be interesting to see who does become the dominant middle to super middle boxer. A fight with Kessler and Pavlik would provide great entertainment, but it is unlikely to happen in the near future as it is doubtful and possibly a mistake if Pavlik goes up a weight.

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comment by observer123 (U11272921)

posted Jun 17, 2008

I fail to understand why someone said "Hopkins got a Beating" ...

It was a really Dull Fight. The only thing that DID happen was Calzaghe getting Floored in the 1st round...
Calzaghe was Wobbled several me times than Hopkins was.... The decision could have gone either way

Calzaghe won the Fight due to more Merit and More aggressive Boxing.
--
Also, Typical of a British Fighter and of British Fans. Calzaghe, who i feel is a Fantastic Fighter has wasted his talent by not fighting the best, and always fighting alphabet champions. He could have been a Legend, instead, like a typical British Fighter wasted his Talent fighting nobodies for Years.

Why would he avoid a Warrior like Pavlik and go for a washed up Champion like Roy Jones? Sure, if he wants the Money, then so be it. I would have gone for the Money too personally. But i would not Claim to be the "Best".

Face it. Hopkins showed even at 43 he could have beat Calzaghe on another Day,

If Calzaghe fought Roy Jones and Hopkins back in RJJ's, Hopkins AND CALZAGHE's Prime, they would have THEN been "Super-Fights".

Now their nothing but Clown-shows.
Once again, British sport is the laughing stock.

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comment by JobyJak (U5992775)

posted Jun 17, 2008

No disrepect Ben, but it is obvious that Boxing is not your favourite sport, and probably one of your less knowledgable ones.

Please don't take this as a personal insult, I think you are a great sports journalist but in my view when it comes to boxing, I feel that you are just saying whatever you have heard in your local pub. True boxing fans know that this is not your average Floyd reitrement and that Hatton's dream of a rematch with Mayweather is less likely than Hamed taking on Barerra in a rematch.

If only the BBC had a true boxing journalist and not an adapted sports journalist.

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comment by Ben Dirs - BBC Sport (U1657561)

posted Jun 17, 2008

No disrespect taken JobyJak - if you don't think I know what I'm talking about, then that's fair enough. But I have to disagree on a couple of points. If you read the American media's reaction to Mayweather's retirement, then you'd know that very few writers believe Mayweather will be true to his word. But maybe they're not true boxing fans either. Second, repeating what I heard down my local pub? When was the last time you heard anyone having an in-depth discussion about Floyd Mayweather down the pub?

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comment by Hobo - transitional champ (U7935097)

posted Jun 18, 2008

Not a regular poster on here but was enjoying the above Ding-dong.

I would be interested in Bens comments now that another thread has stated that the rematch has been announced! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A37413588)

Seconds out...round 2!

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comment by Hobo - transitional champ (U7935097)

posted Jun 18, 2008

forget my above post - I was fooled hook line and sinker by some numpty!

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comment by DaiMoggs81 (U10272306)

posted Jun 23, 2008

Calzaghe has nothing to prove and shouldn't feel like he has to fight Pavlik. He's been a champion for ten years! If it wasn't Pavlik it would be someone else and there will always be new fighters coming through.

If Joe's got one more fight he deserves to have the one he wants and thats Roy Jones Jr, probably in Cardiff.

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comment by powerslave (U7044255)

posted Jun 24, 2008

Why oh why does anyone think Pavlik could beat Calzaghe? The guy is just so slow. His punches send telegrams. Calzaghe would gain nothing by beating this very average fighter, plus nobody would be arsed about watching it apart from purist fight fans. No-one has heard of Pavlik. Hes a nobody.

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