by James Slater: No sooner do I write an article pondering what the future might have in store for Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins, do I read that a Calzaghe-Roy Jones Junior fight is in the works. According to an article in British newspaper The Sun, Jones Junior will face Calzaghe next, and in Cardiff, Wales, too.
According to the news article, shortly after the fight on Saturday night Jones met with Calzaghe and had the following to say to reporters.
“They’ve told me it [a fight with Calzaghe] will be November 15th, ” Jones Junior said. “They’ve got a date set aside for it. I’m ready for it and it doesn’t matter to me if it’s in Wales. I’ll go to Wales. With a name like Jones I’d be right at home there. This fight will happen if Joe Calzaghe wants it,” the multi-weight legend added.
Of course, Jones has talked this kind of talk in the past, with nothing ever being signed. But it does appear as though the 39 year old all-time great really wants a fight with Calzaghe now. He may well be somewhat difficult to deal with in terms of some demands he might make – the money issue in particular – but a Calzaghe-Jones fight would otherwise be pretty easy to make. Joe will certainly be in no fear of the 39 year old. However, it must be said that Jones has done well to even be in this position right now. Any talk of him even fighting again, let alone against a superb fighter like Joe Calzaghe immediately after his back-to-back KO losses to Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson, would have seemed utterly crazy. Jones looked a totally shot fighter back then. But he has, to a degree at least, proved he is still formidable.
Roy’s recent wins over Anthony Hanshaw and Felix Trinidad let us know that all talk of his burial was vastly premature. No, Jones didn’t exactly turn the clock back to his sparkling prime years with these victories, but at the same time he showed he still has a high skill level. Indeed, if it’s promoted right, a Calzaghe-Jones fight could be a huge occasion. With The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff being a likely venue, the bout would almost certainly sell out.
Of course, Joe would start a huge favourite. And after beating another legend in Bernard Hopkins on Saturday, Calzaghe could well turn into the “legend killer” he spoke of being moments after out pointing “The Executioner.” It’s not signed yet by any means, but a Jones challenge of Calzaghe appears the frontrunner for the next bout in the career of “The Pride Of Wales.”