By Jeff Day
14.08 - The career defining fight that Joe Calzaghe desperately wants and needs, appears no nearer coming to fruition. This Saturday night (17 August), at Cardiff Castle, Wales, the Welshman makes the 11th defence of the WBO super-middleweight title he won from Chris Eubank nearly five years ago.
The opponent, Miguel Jimenez from Las Vegas, is, with respect, a name far removed from Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins. With Jones meeting another Brit in Clinton Woods next month and then perhaps eyeing a move up to cruiserweight, there seems little chance Joe will get the opportunity to take on the World light-heavyweight king.
And in a double whammy, Frank Warren, Calzaghe's promoter, claims that World middleweight champion Hopkins accepted an offer of two million pounds (about 3.7 million dollars) to face the Welshman in Cardiff later this year. However, a matter of days later, Hopkins demanded twice as much, thereby effectively pricing himself out of the fight. It just seems that the talented champion is not destined to make his mark in a "Superfight".
So, for now Calzaghe has to make do with the 32-year-old unsung Mr Jimenez. This could prove to be a more difficult defence for Calzaghe than it may first appear when you consider: Calzaghe struggles to make the 168lb weight limit; he may feel de-motivated as he awaits a major fight and payday and that could well mean he will under-estimate his latest challenger.
The champion appears to be near or at his fighting peak, having under performed by his own standards during 1998 and 1999. It should be said that Calzaghe was hampered by hand injuries in disappointing encounters with Juan Carlos Gimenez, Robin Reid, Rick Thornberry and David Starie. The last three all lasting the full twelve round course.
However, since his scintillating five round win over Omar Sheika almost two years ago to the day, Joe has really found some form and activity. Former WBC champion Richie Woodhall was stopped in the tenth round in December 2000, number one contender and unbeaten (in 33 fights) German Mario Veit was destroyed in a round in April 2001.
In October 2001, overmatched Will McIntyre was despatched in four rounds on the Tyson-Nielsen undercard. Joe's last defence was thrilling 12 round war with former IBF king Charles Brewer. Calzaghe's victory over Brewer took his career tally to 33-0 with 27 wins inside schedule.
At 30, Joe knows the big fights and the paydays that go with them will remain a distant dream if he slips up Saturday. Jimenez comes into the fight as the WBO Latin American super-middleweight champion and boasts a record of 20-1 (10 inside schedule).
Calzaghe's stock, however, has never been higher and he would surely start a favourite on neutral ground against his rival champions at super-middleweight: Byron Mitchell (WBA), Eric Lucas (WBC) or Sven Ottke (IBF).
As for his latest challenger, there are not too many recognisable names on the record and although half of his victories have been achieved inside the distance, it would seem he is a respectable, rather than a devastating puncher. This though, is his great chance to make a real name for himself.
A professional since January 1993, Jimenez won all five contests he had that year, though inactivity crept in: 1994 two fights, two wins; 1995, one fight, a win; same again in1996; 1997 saw two fights, both victorious and the same applied to his 1998 campaign. In 1999, only one fight and again a win.
Ironically, his first and so far only defeat against Max Heyman in April 2000 seemed to kick-start his career! The defeat, on points over eight rounds in his native Las Vegas was the first of five bouts Jimenez would have that year.
He won the FECARBOX light-heavyweight championship with a fifth round knockout of Jesus Mayorga, two fights after the Heyman loss, in August 2000.
The most recognisable name on Miguel's record is surely Segundo Mercado. The man from Ecuador met Bernard Hopkins in two IBF middleweight title fights in 1994 and 1995, drawing the first on home soil, before being stopped by the "Executioner" in seven rounds in Landover, Maryland. Jimenez
stopped Mercado in the fifth round in Vegas in November 2000.
Wins over Armando Campas, Eduardo Gutierrez (when winning his Latin American bauble) and Vincent Moses in his last fight in February this year are unlikely to be causing the champion to reach for the panic button.
The challenger, then, appears to have a fair chin and decent power; but at what level? Although he has arrived in Britain and is talking a good fight (don't they all), this task will surely be too much for him. He is a come forward fighter without the power to trouble the rock chinned Welshman and he lacks top level experience. Added to which he has boxed at light-heavyweight, he may struggle to make the 168lbs required. It's got to be Calzaghe in five.
