Joe Calzaghe In A Quest for Glory

By Chris Curry

05.08 - The official number one Super Middleweight in the world today is Joe Calzaghe. Never mind the world championship belts, pound for pound as mystical as it may be, at one hundred and sixty eight pounds, Joe has the fire to smoke the rest.

Calzaghe is at the stage in his career of badly needing a defining fight. A super fight. Joe's thrilling thirteenth defence of his WBO world championship against Bryon Mitchell stamped authority across the division that he is number one. Sven Ottke boxed a different fight to Joe against Byron Mitchell and in a close fought chess match Ottke won a split decision. Calzaghe went to war.

Back to back Mitchell fought Sven Ottke then Joe Calzaghe. Many boxing observers were split as who was number one between Calzaghe and Ottke. Each side of the debate promoted different opinion's. Calzaghe set out to prove himself against Mitchell and so he did displaying a champions heart.

Calzaghe knew he could do nothing less than impress. Big fights are where you see the Welshman breath fire the most and this time Joe came out blazing.

In a barn storm of a fight Calzaghe had Mitchell in serious trouble from round one as he plummeted Mitchell with high volume, fast accurate punches. Mitchell looked on the verge of being out in the first and the war continued into the second. To add flames to the fire, Calzaghe tasted the canvas for the first time in his career as Mitchell connected flush with the champion. Now Joe was in trouble. This is how a champion is measured and he spat defiance as he rose to his feet. Calzaghe was the champion many people thought him to be and also what many people had hoped him to be. In a retaliation attack, Mitchell found himself on the loosing side of a vicious barrage. Calzaghe gritted his teeth and dug deep inside his soul and threw punches with bad intentions. Mitchell paid the price and was sent to the floor in return. Still hurt, Mitchell climbed to his feet and was jumped on right away by Joe Calzaghe and referee Dave Parris called a halt to a thrilling contest that is now potentially the British fight of the year.

Although Byron Mitchell was being clearly beat and in trouble, some felt that the fight could have gone into the third round and that it was stopped prematurely. There could have be a valid case for this, but I would have been very surprised if Mitchell had lasted. It was the win of Joe Calzaghe's career and Dave Parris has to look out for the beaten fighters interest.

Germany certainly has a sound Super Middleweight in Sven Ottke. The unified WBA and IBF Super Middleweight World Champion. Sven is a likeable person, although his fighting style may not spark the adrenalin of many fight fans in terms of high octane knockout performances the way Calzaghe has displayed in his career. Ottke certainly has ring ability. Byron Mitchell puts it best. "Ottke has a way of charming his opponents".

I like the way Ottke has been keeping busy from he became Champion, although some of the fighters he fought in his eighteen defences may not have lived up to championship quality but this is something most champions are guilty of. If you want to keep busy you have to face who is put in front of you at the time. Like Calzaghe, finding quality fighters in defences all the time in the one hundred and sixty eight pound weight class is proving a challenge itself.

A fight between Calzaghe and Ottke is the best fight in the division, they are the two longest established champions. A Calzaghe Vs Ottke fight is a fight I see as being tailor made for Joe and Ottke does not carry the power to cause Calzaghe serious worry. Calzaghe's pressure style I feel would unsettle Ottkes rhythm and Joe's performance against Byron Mitchell must have struck a cord in Ottke's mind. This fight I see Calzaghe winning by knockout.

In terms of the other titles and the holders, Markus Beyer regained the WBC title controversially against Eric Lucas recently. This is something I really dislike. The WBA's handling of the championship after a unification fight. The term "Super" Champion for the unified holder and the WBA title being contested again between contenders to be named another world champion. In the Super Middleweights in a postponed match, WBA number one, Antwun Echol's will face WBA number 2, Anthony Mundine now on September 3rd. The winner of this fight serves no purpose in boosting Joe Calzaghe's status and other than Ottke, Joe has to look elsewhere.

Markus Beyer would be in Ottke's interest, rather than Calzaghe's. His WBC title being the final piece of the sanctioning bodies recognised undisputed championship could be made if they were to fight. That's the rules of the alphabet soup of boxing and it may not be the case of the holder being the division's best. Realistically the chance of Calzaghe facing Ottke is low. There is more too it than what is in either fighters willingness to face one another. The biggest factor in stopping this bout taking place is the terms and conditions to be agreed on before a glove is laced.

Like so many fighters in the past and of present day, they find themselves searching for that make or break test in other established champions from separate weights. This is looking like the scenario for Joe Calzaghe. The undisputed middleweight champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins is a fight that could boost Calzaghes status further within the sport. To be fully recognised as a great fighter the American boxing public and observers have to be convinced and a win over Hopkins would help create the type of legacy which he desires. Hopkins is the fight the Calzaghe camp are aiming towards and strenuous talks going on between Frank Warren and Don King are uncertain in a demanding effort to make the ideal match up.

Hopkins is a rough ready fighter with a solid reputation, his accomplishments speak for itself. I see this as Calzaghes best opponent in which to gain maxim recognition and if this fight can be made, I believe the timing is correct for Joe to defeat the Executioner from Philadelphia. Size, strength and age are all on Calzaghes side. As cagey and as well schooled in boxing as Hopkins is, nobody knows when the time is up like an Executioner and with Bernard Hopkins it is ticking away.

Does Bernard Hopkins really want it? Hopkins can talk the talk and give every writer a story. It looked all set he'd face the IBF cruiserweight champion James "Lights Out" Toney, and that fell apart. Then it was a chat with the now WBA heavyweight champion, Roy Jones Jr for a rematch in 2004 between one hundred and seventy five and one hundred and eight pounds. With Hopkins you can never tell, now its reported he'll take less money to face William Joppy. Bernard's now in the twilight years of his career. So the risk and the money involved may not lure him into the ring against Calzaghe. Joe must decide on how much of his life he can give to the Executioner or is it a move to the light heavyweight's.

You never know, maybe Joe Calzaghe in his quest for glory in a "Mystical" match up will try and put James Toney's "Lights Out".

Questions or Comments to chris_esboxing@hotmail.com