Kelly Pavlik vs. Joe Calzaghe? Will it even happen?

Question

All great fighters eventually take a fight that's a big gamble. Ali stepped in the ring against Foreman, Leonard against Hearns, Holyfield against Tyson. Not so great fighters like Ricky Hatton took the big gamble and failed. Does anyone think Calzaghe will reach for the mantle of greatness or continue to avoid the big dogs of boxing by fighting old guys or fighting within the confines of his home turf?

I see no Calz fans, or even Calz himself, showing interest in Kelly Pavlik or even Jermain Taylor, which to me, seems the most obvious matchups. And the biggest challenges.

Answer 1

I think this is a bad match For Joe C.  I think he could beat a lot of guys (Dawson, Tarver etc.)   but stylistically I think Pavlik is too much. If he comes forward against Pavlik he will get stopped.  

Calzaghe is a rhythm fighter and that won't work against Pavlik because he is always punching.  You can't get into your rhythm when a guy is that busy.

Answer 2

i hope it does and i think that is the one we all want to see.  if Joe retires after one more fight and that fight is Roy Jones his legacy will be incomplete in the eyes of the fans for at lest a few years to come , becuz with a big dog like Pavlik out there in his weight range and if Pavlik keeps getting a bigger and bigger name the fans will be always questioning what would have happened with Calzaghe and Pavlik.  

but i must disagree about Calzaghe avoiding the big dogs of boxing.   Hopkins is one of the biggest around its a fight he had to take.  if he didn't people would be putting him down for not.   he fought Kessler and he fought Lacy when Lacy was a very very big name in boxing and most people thought he would smash Calzaghe.  Calzaghe deserves a hole heap of credit.  but he dose need to fight Pavlik if Pavlik keeps undefeated to complete his legacy.

Answer 3

It would be an interesting match-up for sure.  The catch right now is that Kelly's handlers(Top Rank) are going to want him to have a few title defenses at middle-weight first.  He has Gary Lockett in June and then hopefully will fight Arthur Abraham after that.  After watching Joe saturday, I can't help but think Kelly would knock him into next year.

Answer 4

Styles dictate matchups, and this would be a bad one, for boxing and for Joe.

I mentioned in a earlier string that if Joe squared up his shoulders to try to flurry against Nard, he would get dropped. It happened, he survived it, but it happened.

He wouldnt be so lucky against Pavlik. A knockout punch from Pavlik is just that. Joe showed his chin isnt so "granite" and that he is very human. Pavliks punches are much more effective than Joes, who has a very amateur style of "pitty pattying for points"...Nard didnt have a mark and was never in any danger during the fight.

It took someone as strong, and fast, as Taylor to sit Pavlik down...and even after that he kept walking towards Taylor. Joe could dance and run all he wanted, but the moment he squared his shoulders, or did his little cute "Im dropping my hands, hit me"...the fight would end abruptly.

I dont think I just said anything that either Joe or Enzo dont know either...and likely there wont be any phone calls towards Kelly and crew. Let Joe have his glory and go out nicely...the only chance that RJJ wins against Joe is if he brings his A game, which hasnt been around for awhile.

Personally, I want to see Nard get retired, meaning knocked out. You want a matchup? Put Bernard against Pavlik....then the lights will finally go out in Philadelphia.

Answer 5

It could happen but it's not as likely as you might think.   Fighters aren't interested in defending their titles anymore unless the opponent is some big name.   IOW,  if someone holds a welterweight title he would always be welcome to give De La Hoya a shot.  The moment a fighter wins a title he goes right where the money is.  In a way I can't blame him.  As a fan I wish it were not always so.

Who else is there in the middleweight division for Pavlik to fight?  He could fight Winky Wright.  He's one of the few within the division who isn't afraid of Wright.  Taylor 3?  What's the point?  

Calzaghe doesn't need to fight Pavlik.  It would be an awesome fight but Joe has other options at 175 and little else to prove if he never fights at all.   Pavlik is the new guy and people like him because he's just an average working class guy.  He's young so his options are open as well, just not in the middleweight division.  Pavlik does not HAVE to move up.  He can if he wants to make money.

No one 160 or below can beat Pavlik.  His toughest challenges will come from above.  No one at 175 can beat Calzaghe but he still has other options what are as attractive as Pavlik.  People want to see Joe vs Roy.  I really don't want a rematch with Hopkins.   As much as I love boxing, and I can live with the boasting,  I really hate the many race debates that accompanied the Hopkins-Calzaghe fight.

People will continue to say it's Bernard's fault for making that stupid statement.  However, they don't make matters any better by keeping the hate alive.  Im really surprised he would say such a thing because I never took him as racist.    Im sure he regrets it for many reasons besides the fact that he lost.    

Bernard's not a dumb guy but sometimes he speaks before he thinks.  Unfortunately we have more juveniles than level headed people so they keep it feuled because they're too shallow to do anything else.

There would be a little US vs UK with Calzaghe--Pavlik but I hope people can keep it within sporting sense and not go too personal.  I always thought the UK were our allies so I never saw the fight in that way.  I see BOXER A vs BOXER B.

Answer 6

pavlik is alot younger has a great jab and hits hard as h%ll.calzaghe is good but i dont think he could beat pavlik.i once watched pavlik knock someone off there feet.they actually lifted up.

Answer 7

why do all the americans keep slagging off joe calzaghe because he has fought for most of his career in cardiff and elsewhere in britain? he has fought there because for most of his career, because HE has been the world champion, and he has never turned down a rightful challenger to face him, he HAS taken on all comers, kelly pavlik isnt even in his weight division, and doesnt even WANT to fight him. if you are the world champion YOU decide where you fight and the contenders to your crown have to go along with it, thats just the way the world works. how many american fighters have fought out outside of THEIR home turf - few to none, therefore if a fighter has to fight outside his own turf all the time or often to be great, then american has, and never has had any great fighters whatsoevever, the world is an awful awful lot bigger than just america, yanks. you are all unbeleivably arrogant

Answer 8

Mikkel Kessler is a better fighter than Kelly Pavlik. Calzaghe would beat Pavlik easy, Pavlik has no footwork and comes straight forward... Calzaghe would be turning all night and would stop Pavlik

Answer 9

I think Calzaghe is a first ballot hall of famer and he did beat the younger and very dangerous Kessler. I think he is up to the challenge but I think Pavlik will want to stay at 160 and add a few defenses before he moves up in weight. The fight will not happen this year, but if Joe wants to great he has to fight a young beast like Pavlik and not an old, washed up Roy Jones Jr.

Answer 10

It will happen when Joe is well into his forties, and the Pavlik will not get the credit due him for KOing Calzaghe because everyone will say age slowed Joe and that they should have fought in Joe's prime.  Pavlik is a tall middleweight, he will eventually grow out of the 160 lb. weight.  The question is will Calzaghe still be active when Pavlik moves up in weight.

I agree with the majority on this on, Joe would be out gunned and Pavlik would eventually nail Joe coming in.

Answer 11

Yeah, Calzaghe seems just as determined to keep his "0" as Mayweather is. What ever happened to the good ol' days when fighters took on all comers? I'd rather see Calzaghe fight Edison Miranda or Allan Green than old Roy Jones. You can bet he won't fight Pavlik or Taylor.

Answer 12

I was glad to see Calzaghe fight Hopkins and it was a decent fight for him and I will give him credit as he is undefeated with obvious skills particularly with handspeed and boxing ability.  Pavlik is a tall fighter with a good jab and tremendous power so this would make for a big matchup and in my opinion, even bigger than this last one.  I agree that if Calzaghe really wants to be recognized as a great fighter, he needs to keep fighting the tough competition regardless if it's overseas or in the USA.  This is a matchup I'm sure that most boxing fans would love to see.  Good question sir.

Answer 13

calzaghe knows a cash out when he sees one, jeff lacy was inexperienced, kessler was to mechanical, and hopkins is 43, no matter how good of athlete he is, unless you have george foremans crippling power, your not going to make it much past 40 in this business, calzaghe is going to fight roy jones next, who is 36 and has been knocked out twice, and might win, but after that he is probably going to fight a nobody for a farewell fight and call it quits, so basically, he wont because pavlik and taylor are to young and talented and he is scared of both of them

Answer 14

The fight could happen if Calzaghe comes back down to super middleweight and Pavlik goes up. But I think Calzaghe is more interested in the Roy Jones fight. He says his next fight will be his last. Maybe he wants Jones so that he could retire undefeated.

Answer 15

it may happen but not right now, calzaghe vs Roy jones jr is almost a done deal already. And for all you Roy jones haters I have news for you'll Roy is going to win that fight

Answer 16

i think your find its pavlik who is now choosing to figh bums and would probley bottle it if offered the fight with joe. even if he did take it calzaghe would outclass him . id like to see taylor vs kesseler wich i beliveve kesseler would win and hopefully shut up the idiots

Answer 17

I asked this question a while back and I agree with you completely, I think that if he fight s a prime tough opponent his legacy will be sealed however I will be honest with you,his victory over Hopkins did very little to impress me, Hopkins who was 43 still managed to give Calzaghe a tough time and that makes you wonder what would have been the results had Calzaghe fought Hopkins years ago,  I think he should face the current top names in the light heavy division,the super middle weight division is practically cleared and pavlik is dominating the middleweight ranks, Taylor is recovering from his loss to pavlik and i doubt he would want to fight calzaghe right away, I think Calzaghe should fight Chad Dawson, i am not convinced that Calzaghe is the best light heavy weight there is and thus a fight with dawson seems to me to be the most logical choice if he wants to put all doubt to rest, Dawson is considered by many boxing insiders to be the best light heavy weight around and thus I think that if Calzaghe can beat him his legacy would be untouchable, a fight with Pavlik would be interesting to watch but I am not completely sure that pavlik is ready to make the jump to super middle weight, I seriously doubt that Calzaghe could beat either dawson or pavlik, dawson is extremely fast and could match Calzaghe's high work rate, and Pavlik is a relentless fighter who could very well knock Calzaghe out, I would love to see him face a tough young opponent and only then will I be able to respect him.