08.06.04 – JOE CALZAGHE has promised to give IBF World Light-Heavyweight Champion GLEN JOHNSON a good licking when they meet on the re-scheduled date of Saturday 24 July at the Cardiff International Arena in Wales. The unbeaten Welshman is fuming at Johnson’s comments labelling him a ‘pussy ’ and a ‘punk’ for his withdrawal from the original date of the fight — this Saturday (5 June) at the M.E.N Arena — due to a serious back injury.
The normally mild-mannered star is now desperate to resume training once he gets the all clear from sports injury specialists and batter the loudmouth. “Pussy, I will show him who’s a pussy. He’s going to get licked – big style,” stormed the hard-hitting undefeated WBO World Super-Middleweight champion.
“I had respect for him but all of that has gone out of the window. He was mister nice guy on a recent conference call saying I was a good fighter and what tough fight it was going to be but he’s made me mad and I’m going to smash him up,”
Calzaghe believes that Johnson should be grateful to him for getting him a big payday.
“By fighting me, Johnson is getting the payday of a lifetime which will set him up for retirement. He’s never seen that kind of money or likely to see it again by fighting anyone else. Instead of insulting me he should be puckering up and kissing my hand and thanking me at every opportunity. I’m going to punch him into retirement and at least he will have the money to do it,”
Johnson also questioned the validity of Calzaghe’s back injury.
“If he doesn’t believe it then I’m more than happy for him to check with the British Boxing Board of Control who have a medical certificate. I’m angry more than anyone about this injury. I wanted the title as soon as possible so I could get to fight the big names of the division like Antonio Tarver. Johnson has to realise that he is just a stepping-stone for me towards these fighters. No one will give a damn about Johnson after this fight. In America he’s not an attraction and he doesn’t draw flies to a dump,”
To add further to Calzaghe’s fury, his purse has been reduced to get Johnson to come and fight him in Cardiff.
“What’s angered me even more is that I’ve had to take a pay cut to get him to come to Wales. The way I see it is he’s stealing money from me but in the end it will be Johnson who pays for it.”
Calzaghe finished by saying, “Omar Shieka was the last American to come over hear shouting his mouth off and disrespecting me. That really wound me up and I gave him a real battering and he hasn’t been the same since. Johnson’ s the same, all talk, on July 24 he will realise just how much he has pissed me off.”
Further show details will be announced shortly.