Calzaghe vs. Manfredo??

[Makijs]

Calzaghe in talks over Manfredo


http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42295000/jpg/_42295670_petermanfredo_get203.jpg
Manfredo is well known to the US television audience

Promoter Frank Warren has denied reports from Peter Manfredo Jr's camp that a deal has been signed for their man to fight Joe Calzaghe.
Manfredo's trainer Freddie Roach says the fight is on in Britain in March.
Warren - who manages IBF and WBO super middleweight champion Calzaghe - says talks are ongoing between the camps. "We would welcome a fight between Joe and Manfredo and I'm happy about the interest, but to say a deal is done is wrong and harmful to talks," he said.
"There is no signed deal and nothing to sign at this point. We hope to work it out, we are in talks with Manfredo's representatives as well as television networks in the UK and the US."
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Manfredo's main claim to fame is a runners-up spot in the first series of TV series "The Contender". Warren has been looking for a US fighter who is well-known to the American audience to take on Calzaghe in a planned show in Cardiff in March. If the Welshman wins, Warren says a "mega fight" will follow in the summer, perhaps against Jermain Taylor in the USA.
Rhode Islander Manfredo, 25, has a record of 26-3 (12 KOs) to pit against 34-year-old Calzaghe's 42-0 (31 KOs) resumé.

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Calzaghe would be a strong favourite against Manfredo


He lost a five-round decision to Alfonso Gomez in the heat stages of the $1m Sugar Ray Leonard-backed Contender series, but got the chance to score a revenge win when another competitor pulled out due to illness.
Manfredo, known as "The Pride of Providence", was outpointed by Sergio Mora in the final of the hit show, a result that was repeated in a rematch in October last year.
But since then he has scored a third-round win over super middleweight stalwart Scott Pemberton and a 10th-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Joey Spina.
Calzaghe would be a hot favourite to win a potential bout with Manfredo, and an impressive showing on US TV would boost his hopes of securing a planned mega-fight.
But Roach says he is confident of an upset. "Peter's going to shock a lot of people by out-boxing Calzaghe," said the trainer. "Who's Calzaghe fought apart from Jeff Lacy? Peter's far better than Lacy."

[mossad]

Zou jammer zijn. Ik zie Calzaghe liever echt grote gevechten aannemen tegen bijvoorbeeld Tarver of Taylor.

[borat]

Ben ik het zeker mee eens. Manfredo maakt naar mijn idee ook geen schijn van kans. Calzaghe is mischien een iets vreemd in zijn stijl maar wel een grote in zijn gewichts klasse.

[Makijs]

Ik zie ook liever Calzaghe tegen Taylor, Tarver of Hopkins. Waarschijnlijk is de naam van Calzaghe nog niet bekend genoeg in de VS en willen ze op deze manier meer belangstelling kweken.

[Ronald]

Manfredo heeft z'n naam uiteraard mee. Verder lijkt het mij ook niet zo'n geweldige partij. Ik vermoed ook dat Calzaghe een maatje te groot is.

[Marco]

Calzaghe moet nu toch eindelijk eens tegen Tarver, Taylor of Wright vindt ik.
Laat Manfredo nog maar ff in de wachtkamer.

[The Maniac]

Calzaghe by ease zie hem liever tegen Kessler, Tarver, Glencoffe of Woods

[sportfan]

Manfredo is in de computerrankings bij de supermidden-gewichten geplaatst als nummer 5. Dus redelijke match-up..

http://www.boxrec.com/ratings.php?nationality=&sex=M&division=Super+Middleweight&status=A&SUBMIT=Go

[Makijs]

Calzaghe relinquishes IBF title

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Calzaghe won the IBF belt from Jeff Lacy in March

WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe has given up his IBF title to fight Peter Manfredo in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Saturday 3 March.
The Welshman, 34, has chosen to meet US TV boxing reality show star Manfredo, 26, rather than IBF mandatory challenger Robert Stieglitz.
"It's disappointing to give up the IBF but Stieglitz doesn't mean anything outside of Germany," said Calzaghe.
The Manfredo bout, Calzaghe's 20th WBO defence, could be his last in Wales.
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'American broadcasters had no appetite for the Stieglitz fight, that's how the belts get fragmented' Promoter Frank Warren

An impressive win on American TV could lead to a summer "mega-fight" with middleweight king Jermain Taylor in the USA. "We've been in discussions with Taylor and that's a fight we would like, but first Joe has to come through this one," said promoter Frank Warren. "American broadcasters HBO had no appetite for the Stieglitz fight, that's how the belts get fragmented." German-based Russian Stieglitz, 25, has an unbeaten record of 29-0 (19 KOs), but there are no major names on his record.

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'I want to thank Joe Calzaghe for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. But it's time for a change. I'll be going over there hungry' Peter Manfredo Jnr

Manfredo finished as runner-up on US TV series 'The Contender' and holds a record of 26-3 (12 KOs), but has not met anyone in Calzaghe's class.
"Calzaghe has defended his title 19 times, but he's got to lose at some point and he's going to lose this time," said Manfredo. He now holds career-high world rankings of number seven by the World Boxing Organization and eight by the World Boxing Council. The Rhode Islander describes himself as a boxer who "likes to bang and mix it up" and believes his hunger for a world title will prove decisive. "The only Calzaghe fight I've seen is the one where he beat up Jeff Lacy," said Manfredo. "He looked like the champion he is. I didn't see his last fight [a scrappy points win over Sakio Bika in October], but everybody has good and bad fights. But I'll be coming over to win. I feel good about the fight and I feel good about myself."

"I want to thank Joe Calzaghe for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. But it's time for a change. I'll be going over there hungry. If people want to make some money on the fight, they better put their money on me because I'm going to win."

Calzaghe is unfazed by Manfredo's threat that he will be the one to end the Welshman's long WBO reign. "He's well known in America and a tough kid, but this is my ninth year as champion, and he is not going to spoil that," said Calzaghe, who hopes to equal the 20 world title defences of former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes and Bernard Hopkins, the ex-middleweight title holder. "There is a world of difference between being a reality TV star and a world champion boxer. He has only seen the glitz and glamour of the sport - now he is in for the real thing."

Calzaghe is also moving closer to the record 25 title defences made by Joe Louis. "Equalling Holmes and Hopkins means a lot to me and it's a great incentive to train hard for this fight," said the Newbridge man. "But let's forget about Louis. I don't know if I want to take his record, he's a legend."

[Makijs]

Calzaghe gives up Title; Joe Calzaghe vs Jermain Taylor being Discussed
http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Media/arrow.gif By DHB Report (Nov 27, 2006)
http://www.doghouseboxing.com/media/Resize_Calzaghe1b.jpg
According to published reports, Joe Calzaghe has relinquished the IBF title. Calzaghe has given up the title he claimed when he defeated Jeff Lacy in March because he would rather face Peter Manfredo Jr, rather than face the IBF mandatory challenger, Robert Stieglitz.

Quoted in the media, Calzaghe was dissappointed, but made it clear that Stieglitz isn't worth much outside of Germany.

"It's disappointing to give up the IBF but Stieglitz doesn't mean anything out of Germany," said Calzaghe.

Promoter Frank Warren put the proper spin and things into perspective, saying about Manfredo Jr.: "He's trained by Freddie Roach and Sugar Ray Leonard is also involved with him and they don't work with people who can't fight." Warren isn't too worried about Manfredo however, adding: "But Joe Calzaghe is one of the best ever British fighters and one of the best pound-for-pound in the world today."

Warren added: "We've been in discussions with Taylor and that's a fight we would like, but first he has to come through this one."

[Ronald]

Er valt voor zowel Calzaghe als Manfredo in ieder geval echt wat te winnen. Wat dat betreft misschien toch niet zo'n gekke match.
Een partij tussen Calzaghe en Taylor lijkt me echter nog veel mooier :)

[appelsap]

Ach, die neus van Manfredo kan niet veel schever meer, dus hij heeft weinig te verliezen...........

[Marco]

Ach, die neus van Manfredo kan niet veel schever meer, dus hij heeft weinig te verliezen...........

idd, hij kan er alleen maar knapper op worden....;)

[Ralph]

Lijkt mij een vrij gemakkelijke overwinning voor Calzaghe, maar je weet maar nooit. Ik geef hem echter groot gelijk dit gevecht aan te nemen; zo krijgt hij wat meer bekendheid in de VS en zit een gevecht met Taylor wel in het verschiet.

[Biiyen]

Die arme Manfredo gaat dat niet trekken... Calzaghe sloop de beste man. imo is Calzaghe op dit moment Nr.1

[mossad]

Het grote gevaar vind ik dat bij Calzaghe ineens het verval zijn intrede doet zoals bij iedereen gebeurt en dan heeft hij dat grote mega gevecht in Amerika gemist. Dan zal er in Amerika worden gezegd dat er weer zo'n gehypte Europeaan door het ijs is gezakt. Hij wordt er nl. niet jonger op(volgens mij 34/35). Ook heeft hij steeds gebroken handen, dus hij kan beter wat haast maken. Nu is het wel zo dat hij niet iedere drie maanden vecht en ook vaak redelijk makkelijk heeft gewonnen. Ook spart hij weinig(voor zijn laatste gevecht zelfs helemaal niet!) dus zijn lichaam kan wellicht nog een tijdje mee.

Ik ga er in ieder geval van uit dat hij Manfredo binnen 10 ronden definitief tegen het canvas werkt.

[Marco]

Calzaghe heeft nooit veel klappen gehad volgens de kenners dus dat scheelt ook natuurlijk, verder is ie altijd zo fit als een hoentje op zijn broze handen na idd... Manfredo gaat er ook aan en daarna hopelijk tegen Wright of Taylor.

[Makijs]

Calzaghe 'an unknown' - Manfredo

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42295000/jpg/_42295670_petermanfredo_get203.jpg
Manfredo is well known to the US television audience

Peter Manfredo Jr says Joe Calzaghe is still a virtual unknown in the United States despite his stunning demolition of American Jeff Lacy last March. Calzaghe will defend his WBO title against Manfredo in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 7 April.

"Back in America they ask me who I'm fighting and I say 'Joe Calzaghe for the title' and they say 'who, is he good?'," said Manfredo. "Not many people know who Joe is outside boxing, I'm not surprised."
Manfredo finished as runner-up on US reality TV series The Contender and holds a record of 26-3 (12 KOs). The 26-year-old admits the British public might not rate him either as a boxer, but warned that it would be a mistake to underestimate him.

"Not many people know me as an American boxer because I was an up-and-comer, I wasn't a star like a Jeff Lacy," Manfredo added. "But it's all about promotion, who's got the best promoter, who's on tv more. But The Contender has helped me out big-time." The bill, which promises to be a 30,000 sell-out, has been put back a month from 3 March to protect the pitch at the Millennium Stadium venue, with the Wales v England Six Nations rugby game there on 17 March. Calzaghe, who will be 35 by the time he fights Manfredo, is defending his WBO super middleweight title for the 20th time. "I'm fighting the best guy in the world but I'm ready for this level and I'm ready to become a star," Manfredo said. "My last two fights were spectacular and got me to this point. I pay Joe high tribute, he's the world champion, he's the best in the world right now. But he knows he's got a tough fight on his hands, he knows I'm no walk in the park. He's got his 20th title defence, he wants to fight bigger and better names in America, so he knows he needs to get past me to do that - but it won't be an easy task."

Calzaghe hopes that beating Manfredo will allow him to get back on the path to cracking the big American fights. The Lacy victory seemed set to do that, but a lacklustre fight against a timid Sakio Bika in October saw Calzaghe's stock fall back. "Peter Manfredo is not like a Sakio Bika, he's not going to come just to survive," Calzaghe said. "This guy is going to come to win, he's going to come to fight and it's going to be a toe-to-toe war. Although, believe me, I'm going to smash this guy up and defend my title like always."

Should things go to plan, then Calzaghe again confirmed the clash at the Millennium Stadium could be his last on home soil as he looks to finish his career across the Atlantic. "It could be my last fight in Wales, but we'll have to wait and see," Calzaghe added. "Maybe three or four more fights and I'm going to retire so it could well be my last fight here." Enzo Maccarinelli will defend his WBO cruiserweight title on the undercard and Amir Khan will feature on a bill that promoter Frank Warren promises will be the biggest ever staged in Wales.