Calzaghe vacates WBO 168-pound title after 21 defenses

by SC on Sep 26, 2008 4:57 PM EDT Comment 3 comments

Joe Calzaghe has decided to officially vacate the WBO super middleweight title, following a ten-year run and 21 title defenses.

No matter what you might say about this defense or that, about fights that coulda been but weren't, Calzaghe's run with this belt was superb. I am fairly confident in saying that the WBO will never have another super middleweight titlist like Calzaghe.

Denis Inkin and Fulgencio Zuniga will fight for the strap tomorrow in Hamburg.

Calzaghe won the vacant title in a fight with English legend Chris Eubank. He unified it with Jeff Lacy's IBF title in 2006, which he defended once before vacating. He later unified the WBO title with Mikkel Kessler's WBC and WBA titles.

Here's a quick look back at Calzaghe's title reign, from the win over Eubank to the defeat of Kessler, with thanks to BoxRec.com.

Date	Opponent	Result
10-11-97	Chris Eubank	UD-12
01-24-98	Branko Sobot	TKO-3
04-25-98	Juan Carlos Gimenez	TKO-10
02-13-99	Robin Reid	SD-12
06-05-99	Rick Thornberry	UD-12
01-29-00	David Starie	UD-12
08-12-00	Omar Sheika	TKO-5
12-16-00	Richie Woodhall	TKO-10
04-28-01	Mario Veit	TKO-1
10-13-01	Will McIntyre	TKO-4
04-20-02	Charles Brewer	UD-12
08-17-02	Miguel Jimenez	UD-12
12-14-02	Tocker Pudwill	TKO-2
06-28-03	Byron Mitchell	TKO-2
02-21-04	Mger Mkrtchian	TKO-7
10-22-04	Kabary Salem	UD-12
05-07-05	Mario Veit	TKO-6
09-10-05	Evans Ashira	UD-12
03-04-06	Jeff Lacy	UD-12
10-14-06	Sakio Bika	UD-12
04-07-07	Peter Manfredo Jr.	TKO-3
11-03-07	Mikkel Kessler	UD-12

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Ugh - wasted years

08-17-02 Miguel Jimenez UD-12
12-14-02 Tocker Pudwill TKO-2
06-28-03 Byron Mitchell TKO-2
02-21-04 Mger Mkrtchian TKO-7
10-22-04 Kabary Salem UD-12
05-07-05 Mario Veit TKO-6
09-10-05 Evans Ashira UD-12

Go Zuniga, in any case. I like him as a fighter, and Inkin has all the marks of someone who would hijack the belt if he wins it.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Sep 27, 2008 12:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oops

Missed half the list

08-12-00 Omar Sheika TKO-5
12-16-00 Richie Woodhall TKO-10
04-28-01 Mario Veit TKO-1
10-13-01 Will McIntyre TKO-4
04-20-02 Charles Brewer UD-12
08-17-02 Miguel Jimenez UD-12
12-14-02 Tocker Pudwill TKO-2
06-28-03 Byron Mitchell TKO-2
02-21-04 Mger Mkrtchian TKO-7
10-22-04 Kabary Salem UD-12
05-07-05 Mario Veit TKO-6
09-10-05 Evans Ashira UD-12

Five years, two decent opponents, both of whom were near the end of their ropes..

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Sep 27, 2008 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs