Source: The Guardian

This is a good one:

"Pavlik's got the world at his feet at middleweight and will want to build his unbeaten record. Me and Roy Jones wouldn't just be a fight, it would be a spectacular event. It'll be the fight of my life. Fighting the greatest fighter of the 1990s would be the perfect way for me to finish off my career. But he'll be fighting the greatest fighter of the millennium."

It's as if he's inviting criticism.

I'm going to say this, and maybe it sounds diplomatic or even overly so, and maybe you'll disagree: I don't blame Joe Calzaghe for not fighting Kelly Pavlik, and I don't really see it as a ducking. Yes, I'd have loved for that fight to happen and think it could've been absolutely huge, and far bigger than Calzaghe-Jones will be.

Pavlik's a middleweight. Joe is a super middleweight or light heavyweight. Plus, Joe wants to stay on the senior circuit for a little while longer. Whatever. I can live with it. This isn't the first questionable decision Joe and Frank Warren have made over the years. It's nothing new.

He's also right in that Jones is the greatest fighter of the 1990s. I suppose someone would make a case for Joe as greatest fighter of the millennium. But the 1990s...come on, Joe. You're begging for this.

The 1990s ended nearly a decade ago. Roy Jones, Jr., was a great fighter. Was. Was, was, was, was, was, was, was. If anyone thinks Jones tagging an old, overweight Tito Trinidad was a real sign of a rebirth, they're probably stepping a little too far. A prime Jones would've smoked Calzaghe, and I think Calzaghe's a really good fighter. Prime versus prime, though, it's no contest. Jones was obscenely fast and very strong, and he had a sensational killer instinct. Nothing about Calzaghe's style would've deterred him.

Now, Calzaghe will be the heavy favorite, and when he gives Roy fits, don't be surprised. A lot of people are buying into something or other about Jones, as if this isn't still the same guy that was unimpressive beating Anthony Hanshaw, who recently got destroyed by Andre Dirrell. I just can't see Roy landing a whole lot of clean, powerful punches, and that's what he'll need to do.

Calzaghe also says this'll be the last fight of his career. Believe it when he's gone for five years.

In Kelly Pavlik news, he's being called out by Mikkel Kessler, and he's also had inquiries from Richard Schaefer regarding Bernard Hopkins.

Kessler? I like him as a fighter. A lot, in fact. I thought he fought wonderfully against Calzaghe and just didn't win. No shame in that, as has been said a thousand times. But the way they ducked out of a fight with Edison Miranda was shameful, and even though many of Kessler's fans want to place the blame strictly at the doorstep of Mogens Palle and his promotional team, I don't think you can do that.

Kessler also took a lot of guff, don't forget, for being a no-show in promotiong his fight with Calzaghe. It was bush league stuff, and then the Miranda situation was even worse. If you want to live under a rock and pretend Mikkel Kessler didn't flat-out bail on a fight with Miranda that Showtime was excited to have on American TV, then good for you, but the rest of us will go ahead and wait for him to prove himself. He's currently scheduled to face Dmitri Sartison this Saturday in Copenhagen, which is not a bad fight for him. And I'd love to see Pavlik-Kessler at some point, because I think that'd be a hell of a fight. But Kessler acting like he's got any real sway is a little laughable. His fight with Calzaghe did horrible numbers on HBO, he has no marketability in the States, and Pavlik is by far the bigger star of the two. It's not even close.

As far as Pavlik-Hopkins goes, I'd like to take a pass. Hopkins makes everyone look bad and I'd genuinely rather see Pavlik fight Marco Antonio Rubio than fight Hopkins, simply because I know for a fact that Pavlik-Rubio will be a more enjoyable fight to watch. Hopkins holding and complaining for 12 rounds and then claiming victory at the end no matter what doesn't sound thrilling to me. B-Hop's a Hall of Famer, but he's in his mid-40s and from all we've ever heard, has saved his money and is very, very comfortable financially. I'd love to see him at Canastota in five years. Which means he needs to retire right about now. Bottom line, it's just not that intriguing of a fight.

And I thought Hopkins didn't want to fight young guys, anyway? He gassed against Calzaghe. I think Kelly would just wear him out and win a decision because he's got a lot more in his tank than Bernard does. But with someone as cagey and smart as Hopkins, you never know.