Enzo Calzaghe: "A Kelly Pavlik Fight Will Never Happen" - Boxing News
Enzo Calzaghe, father/trainer of Joe Calzaghe, said his son will never fight WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. He says Pavlik has not earned his right for a bout with Calzaghe and he feels Roy Jones Jr. will be a tougher fight for his son.
"At the end of the day it's never going to happen," Calzaghe told Setanta Sports. "Simply because I don't feel he deserves a shot yet at the big-time. On the back of one performance against a subdued, light fighter. There's a vast, vast difference between Gary and Joe Calzaghe. Gary would be the first to say that. It's chalk and cheese.
"I'm not interested in boosting the profile of a fight that aint going to happen. At the end of the day, you've got Carl Froch, you've got everybody coming up with some [fight]. We want the best available. Someone who I have always admired. Let's be honest about it. Do you think Pavlik deserves to be mentioned on that level? Pound-for-pound as the best fighter in the world?"
Calzaghe says fighting Jones will provide his son with more motivation. He doesn't think Pavlik has done anything special to be considered above the level of Jones.
"I look at it with a different perspective," Calzaghe added. "Motivation is about will. Will is about passion. Does he care about the public, Joe? No. So why scream about it. I want rewarded. Joe wants to be rewarded. Let this guy [Pavlik] win five/eight different belts. Come and talk to me face-to-face, pound-for-pound, somebody who can have a chance to jump the ship."
"Without a question of a doubt. Big Time. He beat Jermain Taylor so what? Joe would have wiped the floor with Jermain Taylor. A Light weight small puncher. So we should give a fight to everyone who wants one? 'It's my turn next'. Let him earn the right to go into the position. In Britain half the public don't know who Pavlik is, only the connoseurs of boxing. It's not bigger than Roy Jones-Calzaghe, its impossible.
"Without question it is the harder fight. But Joe said he wants to go out in flying colors. The best beats the best. He's got a right to that claim. He deserves it. Hypothetically, if the s*** hits the fan it happened with an all-time great."
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