Debate about the substance of Joe Calzaghe’s career will enthrall boxing fans for decades to come, his standing will ebb and flow with the passage of time and in all likelihood forever divide opinion thus – he was an all-time great who dominated his division for 10 years or, alternatively, he was a great fighter with a weak resume who ‘cherry-picked’ his way to retirement. When I look back on his career as Donald McRae in-depth interview with Calzaghe for Boxing News encouraged me to this morning, I don’t point to the Lacy fight, the Kessler war or the Hopkins victory as the night or nights which define Joe the fighter, nor do they provide helpful synopsis of his career. I think for so many reasons his brawl with Cameroon-born Australian hard man Sakio Bika epitomised his career more than any other single fight. Read the rest of this entry »
Posts Tagged ‘Super-Middleweight’
Boxing: Sakio Bika, a ghost from Calzaghe’s past returns to the fore
In Boxing, Contender Series, Fight Previews, Sports on July 29, 2010 at 1:50 pmSmith v Quigley as it happens: Live
In Boxing, British Boxing, Contender Series, Fight Reports, Sports on October 30, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Genuine electricity in the air as fellow Liverpudlians clash for the British Super Middleweight title, thankfully officiated by Richie Davies – the most respected referee in the country. Each time these two have met in the build up to this fight, sparks have flown. It could be about who holds their composure in the red-hot arena of the Echo arena. If it does, Smith holds the greater experience. Read the rest of this entry »
Froch and Kessler tower over Abraham
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on July 14, 2009 at 8:55 am
Pictures of the press conference, media tour and photoshoot for Showtime’s forthcoming Super-Middleweight tournament left me aghast. Six headline fighters, in their respective primes from multiple promotional houses, numerous countries and varied sanctioning bodies coming together for a single organised format, spread out across two years. Its logical, coherent, understandable and exciting – in fact, it just isn’t boxing. Without wishing to become too lavish in my appreciation ahead of the first bell, it is the most welcome development I can remember. And the first pictures are already getting fans talking. Read the rest of this entry »
Froch rolling with the big guns
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on July 10, 2009 at 9:13 am
Originally, the news Carl Froch was to feature in a six man round robin over two years on American network Showtime was met with little more than pithy sarcasm at BoxingWriter towers but now, two days later, it seems the proposed Froch, Taylor, Kessler, Abraham, Dirrell and Ward tournament is genuine and will begin with Froch v Dirrell in October – a twin venue double bill with Abraham v Taylor live from Germany. Read the rest of this entry »
“Deep water and hope he can swim”. Yada, yada, yada; Jermain Taylor leans on cliche
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on March 24, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I’m excited about the WBC Super-Middleweight contest between Nottingham’s Carl Froch and Arkansas’ Jermain Taylor, it pitches two fighters together who are in their respective primes. It doesn’t rely on nostalgia, nor does it feature a network favourite and a cherry picked opponent. It isn’t quite the choice Froch has framed it to be, pursuing Taylor is noble given the posturing of preceding champions in the selection of foes, but Taylor, lest we forget, is Froch’s mandatory as he won a vacant title and Taylor beat Lacy in a final eliminator. However, for all the glass half full gloss it still beats Taylor’s reliance on an age old cliche to promote the fight. Read the rest of this entry »
Calzaghe and Warren doth protest too much; the Stockholm syndrome
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on September 30, 2008 at 10:32 am
There isn’t a facet of Joe Calzaghe and former promoter Frank Warren’s current activity which couldn’t be labelled, ‘old ground’. Firstly, Calzaghe next tackles faded superstar Roy Jones, 39, in a bout so out of date, so out of fashion, its almost coming back in style. Secondly, Calzaghe’s split from Warren at the peak of his earning-power and ensuing court cases and law suits has echoes of Ricky Hatton’s 2005 departure. Thirdly, the use of media columns to launch critiques of the ethics and morals of the other party is all to familiar too. None of those stir me from a long yawn, but a fourth strand to their disagreement does. Read the rest of this entry »
Froch LIVE on ITV1! Loyalty prevails
In Boxing on September 19, 2008 at 7:24 am
Bright news from the much mocked Hennessy Sport today, as the stable of Froch, Witter and Barker signs up with terrestrial broadcaster ITV. News of a television deal has been doing the rounds all summer, but many observers suspected satellite newcomer Setanta was most likely to add them to their roster following the ill-tempered departure of Frank Warren’s Sports Network stable of fighters. A move Setanta continue to contest. Today’s news means the ever loyal, ever patient Carl Froch will fight Jean Pascal for the vacant WBC Super-Middleweight title on prime-time mainstream television. As a fan of Froch, I’m thrilled to bits.
“Verbal contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re written on”
In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 25, 2008 at 9:48 am
Voicing an opinion without concrete foundation on a legal case involving Frank Warren is rather like smothering your tongue in honey, sticking your head in a bees nest and trying to sing “Are you lonesome tonight”, bottom line is, you’re going to get stung. With that reality in mind, I’ll tip-toe through the news he has brought a case against departed superstar Joe Calzaghe for Breach of Contract.
Hope grows for Froch v Pascal
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on July 24, 2008 at 2:13 pm
A quick note to connect up the stories and theories currently swirling around the Super-Middleweight division. Interesting to record Jean Pascal has withdrawn from the purse process for his proposed fight with Karoly Balzsay for the Interim WBO title – the belt Calzaghe is porbably keenest to remain custodian of. As mentioned in conversation on Steve Bunce’s boxing hour on Setanta, Pascal is the next most likely opponent for Carl Froch if the much maligned preference of Lou DiBella and HBO to match Jermain Taylor with Jeff Lacy comes to pass. Read the rest of this entry »
Broken men; Froch and Lacy
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on July 24, 2008 at 8:33 amAs children, we all pushed our noses to the shop windows, whether it be sweets, a BMX or a Scalectrix set. 
We’ve all steamed up the glass to try and get closer to our dream. Poor old Carl Froch must still feel like the child on the wrong side of the glass watching the rich kids tucking into mountains of Fruit Salads, Gobstoppers and Coconut mushrooms. Despite a long unbeaten record, status as the WBC number one contender and victories over peripheral players like Brian Magee, Robin Reid, Henry Porras and Matthew Barney he remains sweet less, friendless and excluded in the Super-Middleweight scene. The news Jeff Lacy laboured to another points victory last night will not have cheered the spirits of the confident puncher. Read the rest of this entry »
Standing room only; the Calzaghe bandwagon
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on November 5, 2007 at 11:11 am
The only thing quicker than Joe Calzaghe’s fists on Saturday night, aside from how quickly one could predict the outcome of the entire under card, was the alacrity post-fight pundits demonstrated hoisting the Welshmen from ‘over-protected’, ‘unfulfilled veteran’ to ‘all-time great’. I cannot extract myself entirely from the criticism of such unsavoury haste having maligned Calzaghe more than once for the injuries and timid matchmaking that wasted much of his youth. I was never guilty of saying he couldn’t fight though. Read the rest of this entry »
Calzaghe Hungrier Than Ever
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on November 2, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Doubts about Calzaghe’s hunger for competition as he approaches his 36th birthday were at least partially dispelled today as he weighed in over a pound under the 168 pound limit. A limit the WBO and Ring champion has spent seven years complaining is very hard for him to squeeze his six foot frame into. Kessler, need to strip naked – save the tattoos – to make the limit having originally weighed 2 ounces over. Read the rest of this entry »
Slowly, slowly catchy monkey; Froch still wants Calzaghe
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on November 2, 2007 at 12:24 pmIt would be hard to conjure an argument against Carl Froch’s merits as a fighter. Hard-hitting, good selection of shots, fit, brave with quick hands. On the evidence this far, he’s a rounded contender and a stand-out challenger for the winner of Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler’s clash tomorrow night. But I can’t help thinking I’ve been hearing how good Froch is for an awfully long time.
Final Step For Calzaghe?
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on November 2, 2007 at 11:55 amOne of the finest fighters of his generation and certainly, one of the most unflinchingly dedicated professionals boxing has ever produced, Joe Calzaghe enters the ring on Saturday to complete the final step in his decade long journey to unify the Super-Middleweight division. It has been a long time coming for the 35 year old. Read the rest of this entry »
Best of Big Fight Live: Michael Watson, the forgotten gem
In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on May 5, 2007 at 8:35 am
A rare treat on ITV4 last night, Jim Rosenthal and Barry McGuigan hosted a wander down memory lane. Using footage from ITV’s impressive archives, action from Hagler v Hearns, Mark Kaylor, Benn, Eubank, Tyson and Hamed were inter-spersed with ‘talking head’ contributions from Colin Hart, John Rawling, Duke McKenzie, a very nervous Ron Lewis from the Times and most treasured of all, Reg Gutteridge. I miss Reg’s wisdom on the mic. However, for me, the biggest thrill was being reminded of Michael Watson’s excellence. Read the rest of this entry »
