Calzaghe's Future And Fame

[Maple Leaf]

An open letter from Joe Calzaghe published on many sites around the web:




MERRY Christmas and a happy New Year to all the readers of this column, I hope you've enjoyed the festivities. I certainly have!

Plenty of food has been consumed in the Calzaghe household and a few drinks as well. We've had a proper Christmas, I don't have a fight to train for in January or February and I've been able to really take advantage of that.

I've eaten a lot over the festive period, I haven't worried about training and it's been a real joy.

Although I will have to get back to the grind of training sooner rather than later, I've really enjoyed not watching my weight and eating like a normal person.

I've had lots of Christmas pudding and sweet stuff and a few drinks as well, so I don't think I will be fighting in the first three months of 2008!

I am more like a cruiserweight at the moment; I need some time before I step back into the ring.

It looks increasingly likely that I will be fighting Bernard Hopkins in 2008, although plans do seem to be changing a little bit.

Initially I was expecting a summer fight in New York, maybe in Madison Square Garden or at Yankee Stadium.

However, it now seems that Las Vegas is more likely and we could be looking at April (I have heard the 12th mentioned for the date of the fight.

Interest in a fight between us definitely picked up in the States after I beat Mikkel Kessler and also because of how much Hopkins talked when we went face to face in Vegas before the Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather fight.

We got in each other's faces, he said he'd never be beaten by a white boy' and the crowd got quite into our little confrontation.

I think Hopkins is going to try and market a real USA v Great Britain angle to our fight - Americans are patriotic but the support for our fighters is something else.

Ricky Hatton had about 10,000 fans following him over to Vegas and I would like to think similar numbers would want to be part of it if I went over there.

I don't think it's proving to be as hard to agree terms as both promoters maybe feared it would be and my promoter Frank Warren has promised an announcement soon.

Until then I will just have to play the waiting game.

I was pretty surprised to read in various newspapers and websites that Hopkins would be my last fight.

NOT TRUE!

As ever this is the place to read what is really going on and I am happy to have the chance to set the record straight.

While I have clearly stated I am now only interested in the very biggest fights going, I have not said my next fight will be my last.

It was always my intention to fight twice in 2008, enjoy two big wins against the biggest name fighters out there.

In 2007 I achieved everything I had dreamed of, I unified the super middleweight division and received a level of recognition from the British public I never thought possible.

Now I want to go out on a high and that means at least two huge fights in 2008, more than likely my last year in boxing.

I don't know who will be next on the agenda after I beat old man Hopkins, but I am sure I will have another great performance in me.

I want to retire undefeated and have people say I always fought the best opponents out there.

I don't see which big name can beat me in 2008 and I am looking Edited by: Maple Leaf

 

[Maple Leaf]

At the end of all of this Calzaghe will become the measure of a super-middleweight for which all others will always be weighed. His name will become iconic like that of Stanley Ketchel, Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson, Marvin Hagler, and Joe Calzaghe.

 

[pt.guard2]

Let's hope so....he is an extremely talented fighter who is only just now getting his due from the U.S. press.

Hopkins is still a good fighter despite his age and is crafty enough to cause Calzaghe problems but I think that Joe's speed and punch output should carry the day provided he gets a fair shake from the judges. The fact that the fight may be in Las Vegas is not good news for Joe C.

 

[Charles Martel]

The fact that the fight may be in Las Vegas is not good news for Joe C.

That's what worries me. Hopkins is a dirty fighter, who excels in delivering sneaky head butts, and no doubt the referee will be letting him get away with everything. And I wouldn't be surprised if Joe is robbed by the judges.

 

[mrjohnnynofear]

It's Golden Boy Productions and trust me, if they see any advantage, they will go for it. As I was told, Hatton didn't get any real say in the choice of the refs, gloves or judges. If he was still with Frank Wareen, it would have been more equal. Although the fight can (and most likely should) have been made in Britian, Joe has to come over to America this time. I think even Frank Warren knows to get Joe's name out in the public mainstream that it needed to happen in America. With that though comes the Golden Boy sneaky tacits. Frank Warren is one of the best promoters on Earth and he will have his hands full trying to make sure that everything is fair and square. Money, weight, ticket allocation, fight time, gloves, judges and refs will be all things to consider. I am hoping everything will be fair to both fighters but I know better

.Edited by: mrjohnnynofear

 

[JD074]

I love Calzaghe, but I must confess that he can be inconsistent and sloppy at times. Which Calzaghe will show up? The Calzaghe in the first half of the Kessler fight, who lunged forward and opened himself up to nasty right counters... or the Calzaghe in the second half of the fight, with good footwork, patience, and excellent combinations? Hopkins has a good right hand and is excellent against southpaws, so perhaps the sloppy Calzaghe is tailor made for him. But I doubt if anyone from 160 to 175 can beat Joe when he's at his best. In his fight against Hopkins, I hope he's at his best from start to finish, because against Hopkins, it may be a necessity.

Calzaghe has never faced a fighter like Hopkins, and Hopkins has never faced a fighter like Calzaghe. That adds another element of suspense- and danger- to this fight. This will be a totally different fight than Calzaghe/ Kessler or Calzaghe/ Lacy. But at the end of the day, Calzaghe has the speed edge, and speed is quite often the difference maker.

Edited by: JD074