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woods path is wrong for calzaghe
Barry Mcguigan
FULL marks to Dennis Hobson and Frank Warren, the respective promoters of IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods and WBO and IBF super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe.
The pair returned to the playground this week to trade insults and lay odds on the respective chances of their fighters should a date be agreed this summer.
And more importantly, to drum up interest, not in the UK, but America.
Allow me to introduce some clarity into the debate. The fight is a bigger deal for Woods than Calzaghe.
After his victory over Jeff Lacy, Calzaghe is a name respected on both sides of the pond, a bona fide world beater.
For Woods, unfortunately, it is still a matter of Clinton who? Oh, the Limey who lost to Roy Jones Jnr and Glen Johnson. Harsh but true across the Atlantic.
While it makes obvious sense for Woods to pursue the Welsh superstar, Calzaghe would be far better off chasing a showdown with Jones, whose name retains some of the kudos from his halcyon days.
Failing that Antonio Tarver, the linear champion and a fighter regarded as the best light-heavyweight in the world, would better enhance Calzaghe's CV.
Or what about Bernard Hopkins? It is a fight Warren has tried to make for Joe in the past.
Despite the narrow defeats to Jermaine Taylor at middleweight, there is enough left in the Hopkins legend to merit a clash. And he would not have to fry himself to make the middleweight limit. Hopkins, Jones, Tarver and Calzaghe all have what Woods does not, stardust in the eyes of American broadcasters.
There is another reason why Calzaghe would be advised to give Woods a wide berth. It's a hard fight. Tougher than Jones, certainly.
Clinton has campaigned at the weight for some time now. For Calzaghe it would be a step up into the unknown.
I'd fancy him to win it, but it probably would not be pretty and worse still, of little interest to viewers in the United States.
I can see why Warren is pursuing this route. He thinks the best way to snare the golden geese of the light-heavyweight division is with a title. Woods' IBF version to be exact. I think Calzaghe has done enough already.
A £120,000 fine and a year's ban was bang on for Roger Mayweather, trainer and uncle of Floyd, for his part in the Las Vegas melee last week
Whatever the wrong perpetrated by the outgunned Zab Judah, who in desperation hit Mayweather low then followed that up with a rabbit punch, uncle Roger was not justified in crossing the ropes in pursuit of retribution.
A week on the episode has acquired a comic tone, but in the heat of battle it could not have been more serious.
Had Roger injured Judah when he had him by the throat, there would have been no way back for him.
There have been many similar cameos in recent years. My all-time favourite is the thrashing handed out by Tony Wilson's mother Milna, who got stuck into his opponent Steve McCarthy with her shoe because her boy was taking a beating.
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Originally Posted by miles
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