Calzaghe speaks,he does not want RJJ but is interested in Manfredo?!

http://www.fightnews.com/1131.htm

As speculation continues to mount surrounding the selection of "Super" Joe Calzaghe's next opponent, the Welsh Wizard goes into his scheduled July 8 outing at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium still riding high from the utter domination of Jeff Lacy less than two months ago. "Against Lacy, I think that I fought the best I ever have and also I think that maybe he took the fight for granted," said Calzaghe. "I had Lacy on my mind morning, noon and night for a few months. I had never been so psyched up and so focused on any fight. It was a dangerous contest and I knew I had to perform. I set myself a standard in the last fight and now people will be expecting that kind of performance from me all of the time."

It's still not clear who WBO/IBF Super Middleweight Champion Calzaghe, 41-0 (31), will face on the 8th of July but the sharply skilled southpaw comments on recent reports that American fighter Peter Manfredo, who received widespread notoriety on both side of the Atlantic for appearing on NBC's "The Contender" TV program, is being considered. "Peter Manfredo is just one of the fighters that we've taken a look at on the list of who was available to fight," said Joe. "For obvious reasons, we'd prefer to fight an American. If you asked me about Manfredo six months ago, I probably would have laughed, but at the end of the day he's stepped up and had a good win over Pemberton and got himself ranked, so he's a possibility."

One fighter that Calzaghe is not particularly interested in facing is Roy Jones, Jr., despite the fact that the former pound for pound king of the sport was at the top of the Welshman's hitlist for years. "Jones has been knocked out in two of his last three fights, so of course I'm not looking to fight him the way I used to," said Calzaghe. "I don't think that fight is going to happen because my promoter Frank Warren was speaking to Jones' people the other day and I think Jones has just basically priced himself out, asking for too much money. He's been knocked out a couple of times now and if I knock him out then people will say 'big deal, he's an old man'. Or, if all of a sudden Roy Jones has a good fight then I'm gonna get slagged off for that. I'd rather fight a good fighter in his prime rather than a good fighter that's on the slide."

Calzaghe is fully aware that the bout on July 8 is the most dangerous of his career given the enormous potential opportunities that will go down the drain should he lose. "I'm looking forward to getting an opponent that I can focus on and getting back into training and fighting in the ring," he said. "Obviously, more people are going to take notice of me next time I fight, so I want to give a real performance again and make a good impression. Against Lacy, I showed what I could do as a boxer.

"For 12 entire rounds, every single minute of every single round, I put on a masterclass. So, whatever I do in the future now, I want to go onto bigger and better things but I do feel a big, massive relief as far as my boxing career goes. I finally silenced the doubters and people who said that I had never fought anybody. Although I'd been a champion for eight years, I was never really given recognition because people said I was a protected European fighter who avoided all the top Americans. Right now I'm basically getting 100% recognition all around and that's great."

To be honest i have heard a few people say Manfredo, i thik that is genuinley his best opponent available, i hink he will take him places he has never been, i honestly think it will be embarrising for Manfredo.

Seems whomever beats Pemberton he wants to fight.

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Originally Posted by P.G.H Angel Eyes

Seems whomever beats Pemberton he wants to fight.

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Seriously though, who is available for Joe to fight??? I cant think of anyone of any kop.

yeah but JC speaks as if beating Manfredo is a good achievement or something! I think he should hound out Kessler,I'm sure that guy does not see as big paydays as what he would recieve if he were to fight Joe. I honestly don't think the Manfredo fight is that big a deal..... :-\

Calzaghe was talking about fighting Glen Johnson wasn't he? Why hasn't he yet?

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Originally Posted by skel1983

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Originally Posted by P.G.H Angel Eyes

Seems whomever beats Pemberton he wants to fight.

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Seriously though, who is available for Joe to fight??? I cant think of anyone of any kop.

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um. Kessler, Glen Johnson, Tarver, Beyer, CLinton WOods.. If Calzaghe fights Manfredo, that sucks. It just does, will be a pointless one sided affair. I mean come on, people LAUGHED when they heard Manfredo was moving up to 168, even against Pemberton. Now because he beat the tomato can, he has a chance against Calzaghe?

No offense to Manfredo and his fans (I like the guy), but he just is not even close to being in the same class as Joe. Joe has to keep up the opposition in this next fight. After his bout with Lacy everybody is going to be expecting a similar performance. Which could be the reason he is looking at Manfredo, because he could still look good without having to actually be as great as he was against Lacy. After the Lacy fight to drop back down in opposition like this is horrible. Joe doesnt gain a thing with a bout against Manfredo

JOE HAS TO PULL A QUALITY FIGHTER FOR HIS NEXT BOUT!!! Anything less is just disappointing and sad.

Come on Joe, step it up!!

Completely agree man. I mean sure Lacy was SUPPOSED to be a tough opponent, but as it turned out he wasn't. Calzaghe put on a great performance and beat him easily, so why take an easy fight now?? It's not liek he needs the rest, he should use that win to launch himself even further not as an excuse to go back to doing what he has for years.

It kills me to hear people talking like there's noone left at SMW.

BEYER AND KESSLER FOR F#CKSAKE!

Unification is all that makes sense.

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Originally Posted by FLH2o

It kills me to hear people talking like there's noone left at SMW.

BEYER AND KESSLER FOR F#CKSAKE!

Unification is all that makes sense.

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Beyer wanted £1 million to fight Calzaghe is this guy for real!!!!

We are talking about guys who really want to fight Joe, that's why you have to respect Jeff Lacy because him agreeing to come to the UK has now done wonders for Calzaghe's exposure, but as we saw with Beyer no one really wants to fight Calzaghe in his own country unless they get shit loads of cash.

Like Beyer who knows he is more than likely will loose against Calzaghe so he wants to make it worth his while, he aint worth £100,000 never mind a million cheeky bastard.

I dont want to speculate without knowing to much but i cant see Kessler wanting Calzaghe at this time if his career, maybe im wrong but going off the fact he was supposed to be fighting William Joppy a few weeks ago, now the differnce in level between them to is so far apart its unreal.

This fights are just not possible, especially with the US Networks now looking at Joe as a big player who i would guess are pudsing for the Manfredo fight rather than Beyer ( Who?? many Americans would say)

OK, Beyer can f#ck off (I didn't hear the $1,000,000 figure), but there's no reason he can't fight Kessler. Kessler has 37 pro fights, is in his prime and claimed to want to fight Joe. Trouble is I don't think any of these guys actually want to fight each other.

who is Kessler fighting ??? William Joppy ???

Last I heard Kessler was trying to land a fight with Robin Reid.

Yes he & Beyer did price themselves out after seeing the beatdown dealt to Lacy.

so he went from calling out old man jones (being a pussy) to calling out the game show winner (being a complete pussy assed rube) :D :D :D