Joe Calzaghe dominates Roy Jones Jr.
The first round of the Joe Calzaghe fight may very well be the last good round Roy Jones Jr. ever has in a boxing ring. For the second straight time fighting on U.S. soil, Calzaghe picked himself up from the canvas and defeated a future hall-of-famer. Saturday, Calzaghe dominated Jones Jr. at Madison Square Garden. He won by a score of 118-109 on all three scorecards.
Read Wally Matthews' excellent column on the fight in Newsday.
Click here to see photos of the fight.
Read TheSweetScience.com's coverage of the fight.
No man had ever showboated in such a manner against Roy and remained vertical. The fighting was crude at times but after 12 rounds the verdict was definitive.
Both men have hinted at retirement. Calzaghe moves to 46-0 for his career. Should Jones Jr. (52-5) retire now, he will do so off a humiliating defeat. Jones Jr. dropped Calzaghe late in the first round but never really did anything beyond that moment. He was cut badly over the left eye in the seventh round and generated very little offense for the remainder of the fight.
It's the second time the Welshman came to the U.S. and defeated an American ring legend -- albeit a pair of legends beyond their peak. In April, he decisioned Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas. He's now 24-0 in world title fights. That's a career some guys.
The most interesting quote after the fight came from Calzaghe when he said, "Everyone seems to have an off night against me."
The implication was that Jones or Hopkins suffered from bad nights, they lost the fight more than Joe had won them. Maybe it's time we in the States start acknowledging that Calzaghe had something to do with those bad nights.
For a look at all of the Neutral Corner's coverage of the Jones-Calzaghe fight, click here.
-- CASSIDY
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Comments (32)
JOE CALZAGHE IS NO DOUBT A WORLD CHAMPION. CULTIVATED BETTER THAN THE BEST PEARLS, JOE IS BY FAR ONE OF THE BEST EVER IN BOXING. IF HE COULD GO 50-0 HE WILL BE THE BEST ITALIAN BOXER OF ALL TIME.
If Calzaghe hits 50-0 he will be considered the greatest of all time!
I want to see him wipe the floor with Anthony Mundine. Mundine has run away from Joe before saying that the money was not enough. Mundine is fighting another nobody this week just so he can have good looking figures.
i agree i would definantly pay to see him smash Mundine. hopefully it would shut Mundine up.
I also agree i would definantly pay to see him smash Mundine. hopefully it would shut Mundine up.Im sick of Mundine fighting nobody's.
i have no respect calzaghe. he totally disrespected jones in the 12th round last night, and against hopkins after his narrow SPLIT decision. he acted as if he unified all the belts in every division. he's more arrogant than mayweather, and i hope he does continue boxing, because i want to see dawson knock him out, and a rematch with hopkins, so he can whipe the floor with him this time, like he did with pavlik.
Before you crown him the GOAT, please know the Calzaghe has never fought anybody in the states who was a champion in the prime of his career. Until he does that, beating up a past his prime Jones or a 42 year old Hopkins means nothing.
Wow, talk about sour grapes. I am not a huge fan of Calzaghe's fighting style; I find it boring, but you cannot discredit what he's done. I agree that Jones is washed up. I don't know that he was ever as great as he thinks he is. I swear to God, and you can check me on this, he fought a guy that was a dentist for his day job. That being said, Joe beat Hopkins. You can't say B'Hops is washed up after he just beat Pavlik. That guy is a stud, and he beat him pretty handily. Joe's good, like it or not. I need to accept it too.
Dude BHopkins is like 75 years old....Kelly Pal didnt stand a chance but Calzaghes a different story cause he big like Jones and strong like Jones and maybe even faster then Jones (NOW) with that said i would love to see him demolish Mundin jus not gona happen this guys will fight a couple more has beens back in his country to get to 50-0 then retire
p.s. Bernard Hopkins is a big bag a doush and i hope Calzaghe figghts him
Calzaghe showed me that he can beat two OLD legends. I'd like to see him fight some fighters in thier prime like he is.
O.K, who has he really fought yet?
Joe Calzaghe is a paper champion!
He beat a 41-year-old Hopkins and a 39-year-old Jones.
Next up: The No. 1 contender from Green Grove Senior Center!
I agree Joe hasn't really fought too many American greats till the end of their careers. But, every American he has faced: Lacy, Manfredo (hometown stoppage), Hopkins & Jones.. Whether old or young he's defeated. Do I think he's GOAT... Hell no, but he is 36 and Jones is 39.. only a 3 year diff.. It's not like he's a young guy. He throws punches like an amateur, but it does the job. All I gotta say is: DAWSON, DAWSON, DAWSON!!!!
P.S. the first comment said he'd be the best Italian ever.. isn't he from whales? lol
I pity the fool who left all those comments ... Paper champion? What's next, you gonna hit on his girlfriend?
joe is 46 -0 over a 16 year career and you clowns say he hasnt fought any1 or is a paper champion hahhha, quit hating , the guy is a hell of a fighter, and besides wins over jones who is no longer anywere near the op of his game and hopkins who is he beat a dam good opponent in mikkel kessler who entered the fight 39-0 with 29 kos, he is now 41-1 with 31kos with a loss in a very good effort to joe c, kessler is the best super middleweight in the world and will rule the division with an iron fist for years to come, joe will get more credit for that win 2 years from now that he will today but just another great recent win by arguably the 2nd best p4p ( behind pacman) fighter in the world, joe will fight again atleast 1 time in a farewell fight at home and knowing joe, he wont go out against a soft touch, he is 1 of the greats so except it
Will people stop banging on about how Joe took advantage of two aged boxers (in Hopkins and Jones Jr) well past their prime. Calzaghe has admitted HE'S past his prime. He's almost 37, not 27 for goodness sake! Both contests were on a level playing field. Joe came over to fight on their home turf. Both bouts were great, though very different fights. And both times Joe came out on top. That's a true champion. Deal with it.
calzaghe is welsh not italian,he has italian heritage,thats about as far as it goes.calzaghe holds the title and is unbeaten,till someone beats him think he deserves some credit
Just look at his record on boxrec and see who he has beaten
Jones Jnr Hopkins Kessler Eubank Lacy Etall, A class boxer
Let's call a spade a spade. Joe isn't the great fighter people make him out and yes Roy and B'Hop are not the fighters they once were (Roy even more so). I think I speak for everyone who has a brain that a prime Roy and B'Hop would undoubtly beat the wits out of Joe Calzaghe (again, Roy even more so). This should go without question. Joe is not the GOAT, that also is without question. As a matter of fact both Roy and B'Hop are way better boxers really. Joe to his credit is able to throw a bunch a punches from rounds 1 through 12, those punches however couldn't be thrown any sloppier by a three year old. Joe is overratted. IMO Roy is the p4p GOAT.
lets be honest pavlik dint work hopkins like calzaghe did!! thats why hopkins had to fake a low blow and roll around to catch his breath!! just face it calzaghe is world class how can people trash talk the guy when he has a record of 46-0? hate him or love him hes the best out there!!
You should know that Jones and Hopkins in their prime avoided this man for years. Get your facts straight. I have been watching this dude for many years, well since back when he was 20-0. He would have faught anyone. He has faught and beat everyone. If your a REAL boxing fan, you already know these things. In my book, and as much as I hate Mayweather, I put Calzaghe and Floyd as the 2 best in the world and maybe unbeatable. What I would give to see that fight!
Best? Probably so considering the lack of quality opponents in todays boxing world. I lost interest in the sport once people started just showing up to collect a paycheck.
Todays boxing sucks and in my opinion there are no bragging rights. I'll watch ultimate fighting before I'd waste money on boxing.
fight kelly pavlik then we would consider you the best and dawson 2 fights to go then you can consider yourself the best
fight kelly pavlik then we would consider you the best and dawson 2 fights to go then you can consider yourself the best
I"m a former spec ops operative who loves hand to hand combat and would love to get my hands on any of these so called fighters. That fight I saw did not impress me, calz or what ever , your undefeated so am I but my opponets are out of the game, anytime any place. Your style is sloppy your technique is crude and your speed is suspect. Also pain how do you handle it, I have fought for my life with broken arm. Only problem I see is we might be mismatched 6'3 240lbs.
DRANO what a numpty you are. Calzaghe is a professional fighter you are a dreamer, no contest, and at 240lbs youre just a macdonald munching wannabee
come on Joe you are the best of today. Step up to cruiserweight and ask David Haye to meet you there. show them that you are the real deal.
kevtwin numpty huh Why dont you come on down Fort Benning GA I'll show exactly what I'm talking about. He fights for sport I fight to stay alive( know the difference). Fort Benning Chump ask for Master SGT DRANO CQC combat training area (CHUMP). Hope to see you there.
OK, first of all guys, what the heck is a numpty? Second of all Drano, what kind of fighting are we talking about? Just boxing? Weapons? MMA? Isn't Fort Benning where the Army Combatives Program doctrine is devised and taught? Isn't that correct?
DRANO is a chump. Why don't you come down here so I can flush you down the toilet, DRANO. I went to Fort Benning and there is no Master SGT DRANO. What are you going to say next? That your real name is Frank Dux and you work for the CIA. What a McDonald Munching Wannabee.
DRANO is a chump. Why don't you come down here so I can flush you down the toilet, DRANO. I went to Fort Benning and there is no Master SGT DRANO. What are you going to say next? That your real name is Frank Dux and you work for the CIA. What a McDonald Munching Wannabee.
LIke the Klitchko brothers, Calzaghe success is a function of lucky timing. There are just no good fighters left in those classess, all are aging or just no goodno way Calzaghe would have taken a yougner JOnes, a Hagler, a Hamsho, or the Beast Mugabi, no way.
Joe didn't dominate Jones the way any top fighter would have.
Calzaghe has no punching power and did little but pitter patter
Roy's glass jaw into a victory. Roy would have been knocked out
by Hopkins or any other top lightheavy. How many years since
Roy has beaten a top fighter? To be a great fighter you have to be able
to punch at least moderately hard. Joe Calzaghe barely punches
harder then the average man his size I would surmise!
What a farce!