Calzaghe promises stunning show Joe Calzaghe (left) and Mikkel Kessler fight in November Welsh boxer Joe Calzaghe has vowed to produce a performance better than in his fight against Jeff Lacy when he takes on Mikkel Kessler in Cardiff. WBO super-middleweight champion Calzaghe faces WBC and WBA champion Kessler at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on 3 November. Both fighters are unbeaten and something has to give, with Calzaghe vowing to produce a stunning display. "The Jeff Lacy fight was great but this is going to surpass that," he said. Interview: British boxer Joe Calzaghe Calzaghe, 35, last fought in April, brushing aside American Peter Manfredo Jr at the Millennium Stadium inside three rounds. The better the opponent the better I perform Joe Calzaghe But his clash with the unbeaten Kessler promises to be an altogether tougher affair. In March 2006 he took on the lauded American Lacy and in a 12-round boxing master-class against beat the IBF champion. "The Jeff Lacy fight was great but this is going to surpass that performance," said Calzaghe. "My training for this fight against Kessler is on another level. "I am fighting a legitimate world champion and I need him as much as he needs me. "The better the opponent the better I perform." Thirty thousand tickets have already been sold for the fight, which is just under two months away. Calzaghe's promoter, Frank Warren, is hopeful the record indoor attendance of 63,500 who attended Muhammad Ali's rematch with Leon Spinks will be beaten. It would be a fitting reward for Calzaghe, who is unbeaten in 43 fights and who has defended his WBO title 20 times. Warren said: "We're looking to break the record for an indoor event. 606: DEBATE Is Joe Calzaghe the greatest British boxer of all time? Have your say "It is also going to be shown in excess of 70 countries and it is the two best fighters in the division coming up against each other." Despite the large number of Welshmen who are sure to show up and support their man, Kessler insists he will not overwhelmed by fighting in Calzaghe's backyard. The Dane said: "It's a shame it's not in my own country but I'm not worried about fighting in Wales. "I've got the utmost respect for Joe, who is a great champion, but all the pressure is going to be on him. "I've watched Joe plenty of times and I was ringside to watch him beat Jeff Lacy. "That was a great fight but this is one we have been talking about for a long time and it is a dream come true that it has happened." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/6987985.stm
The day a fighter taking on an elite opponent says "well, this fight will be kinda like every other one...I'm training ok, got a few aches and pains and not doing as much roadwork as I should be....our styles will probably not mesh well....honestly, I'm just looking to be defensive and not get hit and tie him up when he gets inside until the ref pulls us apart...." Is the day I cut off my left arm. ::
^^^ then again, we're talking about a fighter who once predicted he would suffer an injury in an upcoming bout that would cause the postponement of another. So Joe's not above being brutally honest every once in a while. but no doubt, I agree with you. It's like athletes holding out for multi-year, multi-gazillion dollar contracts, then coming back with "It's not about the money..." ::
dsimon writes: I seem to remember something along those lines when he fought Ashira for a tune up. You know the black guy from Denmark? One of only five black people that live in Denmark. It is not known if the other four are fans of his or not though Ahira is surely the best African boxer that ever came out of Denmark. :: At this time it appears that this distinction is not in any danger of being eclipsed and may stand along with Cy Young's record... the test of time.
For some reason I do have a hunch that Calzaghe will do exactly that and give another masterpiece here allthough Kessler is very good fighter and earlier I picked him. The Calzaghe-hype has gotten to me
yep that was the fight. Shaw and Lacy were looking to lock up the date w/ Calzaghe for the first Saturday in November (2005), only for Calzaghe to point out that he had a Sept. tuneup against Ashira and that "anything can happen - I can injure my hand and have to postpone."
OK Finnish, I knew it was something like that :: Ugo - how good is Finland compared to Norway and Sweden? Are you proud to be a "Fin"?
Haha there is another African fighting out of Denmark, his name is Lolenga Mock, he retired Charles Brewer, gave Mario Veit a very tough fight, knocked down David Haye at cruiserweight, and went the distance with Lucien Bute. He´s usually fighting at 168, so it´s not impossible they would fight, unfortunately you didn´t make some outrageous offer, what you´ll do, should Ashira be ecplised. :: ::
dsimon writes: !!!!!???:doh: :doh: :: From the mean streets of the Danish ghetto to pro boxing. Who woulda thought!!?
It's not like black people are rare around here you know - Anyway, the best danish based african boxer ever is Ayub Kalule, who lost the WBA title to Ray Leonard in 81.
Actually it was from the mean streets of Congo to a refugee camp in Kenya, Mock then fought as a underpayed journeyman across europe, getting screwed over plenty, before he got married in Denmark.
dsimon writes: Well despite the technicality that is still remarkable to me. I always wanted to visit Scandinavia and always imagined it to be a monochrome society because of the immigration policy. Are there in fact a lot of immigrants in Denmark? Like for example, here in San FRancisco we passed a corner on the way to get korean barbecue and passed a street where: on the first corner was a Russian restaurant, across the street from a Japanese restaurant which was caddy corner from a Chinese restaurant. And of course midblock was the standard Mexican restaurant.
