pavlik vs calzaghe "arum wants calzaghe"

[C-Lo]

It's hard to pick a winner, but no matter what the outcome (unless Joe C gets KO'd early - not likely) both people, winner and loser, come out of this looking good. If Pavlik loses and makes it close, a la Mikkel Kessler, his stock won't really drop much because Calzaghe is future hall of famer, a two division Ring champ, and I believe Pavlik would me mentally strong enough to handle the loss and pick come out just as strong. If Calzaghe wins, he cements his legacy by beating a young, undefeated lineal champ. That would look very nice on his resume to go with Kessler and Hopkins. If Joe looses, he goes out on his shield and he'll get credit for taking the riske late in his career. Some might use it to discredit Calzaghe, but those will the be people who don't know anything about boxing.

Great post!

[Deanrw]

Don't count your chickens everyone. In the only fight I can remember where Pavlik fought a southpaw (McKart), he only had like a 22% connect ratio and got tagged quite a bit. Now that was quite a while ago, but he has not faced a southy since.

McKart is crafty yes, but Joe is more so. There are a lot of intangibles in this fight. I would not write off Joe yet.

[El Gamo]

I said a while ago,I'd fancy Joe,and I still do. A number of reasons, th southpaw stance,the versatility,the angles he'll give Pavlik. I think it'll trouble Kelly, because he plants his feet so firmly when throwing his shots,he'll need to keep turning and won't be able to get set.

On the other hand,Kelly's jab may get to Joe and Kelley's power can change a fight.The jab would be the key,if he could land it enough early on,it could give him some rhythm for the fight.

Either way,this would be a trmendous fight and event. The unbeaten 160 pound unified champ v the true 168 and 175 champ! WOW!!

[NUCLEAR BULL]

it really all depens if calzaghe takes the fight.............. he said after the hopkins fight on a special interview for the bbc who repeated the fight with hopkins that he didn't take to light heavy to well and that super middle were he has to get down for the weight maybe suits him better................. if now he doesn't take the pavlik fight stating the weight is to hard then we'll know he doesn't fancy the fight

with calzaghe you have to wait and see, he says he wants fights but somehow in the past has talked himself or injured himself out of them............ it would be a good fight if it happened

[Fenster]

it really all depens if calzaghe takes the fight.............. he said after the hopkins fight on a special interview for the bbc who repeated the fight with hopkins that he didn't take to light heavy to well and that super middle were he has to get down for the weight maybe suits him better................. if now he doesn't take the pavlik fight stating the weight is to hard then we'll know he doesn't fancy the fight

with calzaghe you have to wait and see, he says he wants fights but somehow in the past has talked himself or injured himself out of them............ it would be a good fight if it happened

What ones did he talk himself out of?

[awdleyfuturehalloffamer]

I know hopkins is a counter puncher, what i'm saying he looked way less aggressive against calzaghe than most of the other great fighters he faced.

[donnydarkoIRL]

I know hopkins is a counter puncher, what i'm saying he looked way less aggressive against calzaghe than most of the other great fighters he faced.

Great fighters?

RJJ? That was what 15 years ago?

Hopkins is not an offensive fighter.

[WelshDevilRob]

This fight won't happen and here is the reason why - step forward Mr Frank Warren.


Kelly Pavlik "not ready" to fight Joe Calzaghe
By David Anderson 10/06/2008

Frank Warren has cooled talk of a showdown between Joe Calzaghe and Kelly Pavlik, claiming the middleweight king must prove himself first.

Despite being at ringside to see Pavlik destroy his man Gary Lockett inside three rounds in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, Warren is not convinced the American is in the same class as Calzaghe.

Warren has been speaking to Pavlik's promoter Bob Arum about a possible £10million showdown at super - middleweight between the undefeated champions, but claims talk of an October 18 fight in America is premature.

Roy Jones Junior says he's prepared to fight Calzaghe in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium at light-heavyweight in what could be his last fight and Warren claims the Welshman will decide his next opponent.


"It's Joe's decision, first of all," said Warren. "There are a couple of good opponents out there for Joe, but at the end of the day, Joe is the man - not Jones or Pavlik.

"A fight with Pavlik would have to be made at supermiddleweight.

But it remains to be seen how good Pavlik can be. I want to see what happenswhensomeone puts pressure on him."

Calzaghe has said he would prefer to fight Jones.

He feels beating the American could be the perfect ending to his glittering career.

[southakron314]

I know hopkins is a counter puncher, what i'm saying he looked way less aggressive against calzaghe than most of the other great fighters he faced.

Old people are generally less active.

[ICB]

Calzaghe is quite a bit past his prime watch his fight with Hopkins then watch some of his early fights, Calzaghe's jab or combinations were nowhere near as sharp or quick as they were few years ago. Plus he has no real punching power something that wasn't the case about 5 years ago. Calzaghe needs to retire otherwise the younger fresher Pavlik will end his unbeaten streak by TKO.

[awdleyfuturehalloffamer]

Joe had enough punching power to keep Hopkins on the defensive most of the fight.

[ICB]

Joe had enough punching power to keep Hopkins on the defensive most of the fight.

Hopkins is always on the defensive thats his style its nothing to do with Calzaghe's power, Hopkins hasn't used his old aggressive style for years.

[GAME]

Joe had enough punching power to keep Hopkins on the defensive most of the fight.

Hopkins is always on the defensive thats his style its nothing to do with Calzaghe's power, Hopkins hasn't used his old aggressive style for years.

Thats true . Maybe Hopkins should have takaen more chances to secure a victory if he knew he had nothing to fear.

As for Joe being passed it, Id say he has evolved more so than passed it . His hand trouble in later years has stopped him from scoring any big K.O wins. He looked bad vs Hopins but who doesnt . Joe basically beat a top 3 p4p fighter on a bad performance so thats pretty impressive .

Against a fighter who doesnt come to mess about, Joe will look his old self again . If he has to chase like he did vs Hop then it wil get ugly and messy again.

[southakron314]

Joe had enough punching power to keep Hopkins on the defensive most of the fight.

That is how Hopkins usally is. He is a denfsive counter puncher.

[LondonBB]

This is the fight everyone wants!

What a fight it would be!

An up coming great fighter who has real hitting power and is a great boxer, pavlik.

Against a current legend calzaghe. Although i think joe's form has started to dip a bit since the lacy fight which looks like it was his peak.

Either way if this happens it will be such a good fight, great for fans and great for boxing.

I want to see joe win because hes my fav fighter, BUT i also really like kelly pavlik, infact pavlik is my second fav fighter.

So...if anyone was to beat joe then i would prefer that person to be kelly pavlik.

Both fighters will gain out of this fight, apart from just money lol.

If calzaghe wins then he is probably the lbs4lbs number 1. No excuses. It ties up his legacy and he will have beaten yet another great american fighter in their own backyard (much to the haters bitterness and anger).

If pavlik wins then he instantly becomes the man who beat joe calzaghe, the man who ended calzaghes career. Of course there wont be any excuses made like 'oh but he was past it' etc like all the haters will say about roy jones when tarver and johson ko'd jones, but neither should there be...a fighter takes a fight because they have a chance at winning, neither calzage or pavlik strike me as the type of characters who would take a 'dive' for a payout, they both have too much to lose.

If pavlik beats joe then he is one special fighter. I think he could pretty much move upto light heavy and beat any of the guys at light heavy aswell, maybe even upto cruiser and the possibility is if his power can carry up, with his height and frame he could even go to heavyweight for a bout or two!

Kelly pavlik could become one of the greatest boxers of all time if he can beat calzaghe! It could be the stepping stone that would then launch him into the legendary leage...afterall a win against calzaghe could mean fighting tarver/dawson next, or the winner of tarver/dawson (imho i think tarver will win that one) which sets him up as being undisputed middle weight and light heavy champ...then he could do supermiddle against kessler (forget taylor and miranda as hes already comrehensively beaten them), can beat kessler for a decent money fight at super middle aswell. Hes only 26 so could keep boxing until hes 32, and keep beating everyone for another 6 years!

In my humble opinion i believe joe will win this fight though. Probably a unanimous decission, or depending on the flow of the fight a late stoppage. Kelly no doubt has the potential to hurt joe, but i think joe is too experienced. Kelly has never faced someone with the ring craft as joe calzaghe before and might not really know what to expect when in the ring with him (obviously he'll watch videos etc but wont know what its like to be against joe until hes in there on the night).

A lot of people put joe down, they try to make out 'hes not all that', they have bad things to say about him...by beating kelly and beating yet another top ranked american fighter (to go with hopkins, lacy and to a lesser extent what mitchell was) he secures himself as lbs4lbs number 1 imo.