I’ll start with "Super" Joe Calzaghe. I now refer to him as "Super" because of his growing penchant for delivering his best performances in his biggest fights – first against Jeff Lacy nearly two years ago, and now against Mikkel Kessler. Now that he has snared the Ring super middleweight championship with this win and entered the top-three on my pound-for-pound list, Calzaghe stated in his post-fight interview that he is primed for a move up in weight to the light heavyweight division. He’s clearly not yet ready for life after boxing
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In the wake of his recent victory, here are the best possible opponents for Calzaghe at 175 pounds (in order of likelihood):
#1 Bernard Hopkins
Sure, this fight would be several years too late, but better late than never, right? Hopkins brings the name and credibility that would make this fight the most lucrative fight in the division. Additionally, the pound-for-pound ranking implications of the fight would be enormous. However, I would not actually want to see the fight. What do you get when a savvy, busy puncher (Calzaghe) meets an even savvier, yet less busy puncher (Hopkins)? You get a boring fight.
#2 Antonio Tarver
Another potential "stinker" stylistically, but Tarver brings the name, but more importantly, the mouth to help sell this fight. I could see it now, Tarver playing the flashy Apollo Creed to Calzaghe’s determined Ivan Drago. If you don’t know what I am talking about, buy Rocky III. If you do, you also know who won that fictional matchup. The real outcome here would be no different, less the fatal ending of course.
#3 Glencoffe (Glen) Johnson
This man would probably provide the most difficult fight for Calzaghe due to his rugged, persistent fighting style, but is least likely to get the fight for that same reason. Also, outside of boxing die-hards and members of the Glen Johnson family, he wouldn’t even be recognized if he was in the crowd at many boxing events. These factors make this fight a serious long shot.
What’s next for Juan Manuel Marquez in the aftermath of his workmanlike unanimous decision over Rocky Juarez this past Saturday? I am not sure what is being planned but any fight that does not start with Manny and end in Pacquiao is a waste of time. It’s been over three years now since their first bout – to paraphrase legendary referee Mills Lane, "let’s get it on (already)!
