Boxing: Calzaghe set to hit the jackpot

Nov 2 2007 by Phil Blanche, Western Mail

JOE CALZAGHE has been told he will conquer America if he beats Great Dane Mikkel Kessler in their Millennium Stadium super-fight.

The promise came from top US television executive Kery Davis as he revealed the widespread interest in the super-middleweight unification showdown back in the States.

The fight – with Calzaghe’s IBF title and Kessler’s WBA and WBC belts on the line – will be shown live prime time across the Atlantic as the two boxers step into the ring in Cardiff at 1.30am on Sunday.

It is a move that Davis – whose HBO network is screening the fight in America – believes will launch the winner towards super-stardom and riches previously beyond the imagination of the two combatants.

“I believe that the winner will go onto another level, someone is going to emerge as a star in America,” smiled HBO vice-president Davis.

“The winner has a number of huge fights in America – Bernard Hopkins, the winner of Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor, ‘Winky’ Wright.

“There are lots of opportunities for the winner and you’d know that if you were in America and seeing all the promotion we’re doing for this fight.

“Those fights are also going to be very enriching, opening the door for the winner to the biggest pay-day of his career.”

Davis was in Wales last April to see Calzaghe stop Peter Manfredo in three rounds and triumph before 35,000 home fans at the Millennium Stadium.

Seven months on his enthusiasm for Calzaghe’s appeal in America remains undiminished, especially as he believes sports fans there will be more receptive to tuning in given the broadcast time and the quality of opponent.

“We thought the move to prime time was an ingenious move by Frank (Warren, Calzaghe’s promoter),” said Davis.

“We didn’t insist on it because we told him we were so interested in this fight that we would buy it and do it at 5pm.

“But we also said that if you want to capture the sports fan in America then put the fight on at prime time, and we had a unique opportunity to do that with the four-hour time difference.

“Boxing fans in America are really up for this fight because they know these two men are among the best fighters in the sport.

“They are both undefeated and bringing everything to the table, they also know they can fight and it will probably be very exciting in that ring. To the boxing fan, it is must-see appointment television.

“But I also believe that the general sports fan – the guy who doesn’t know too much about boxing, but has heard two of the best fighters in the world are fighting in front of 50,000 people – will want to watch it.

“They will want to tune in and see what all the commotion is about.

“It’s like when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal meet up in a tennis match.

“I’m not a big tennis fan, but I love to see those guys playing each other.

“People do love watching the best compete and American sports fans are no different.”

Davis said Calzaghe’s standing in the States had gone through the roof since his systematic destruction of Jeff Lacy, the American then widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, in March 2006.

He predicted that the ratings for the Calzaghe-Kessler fight would comfortably exceed those figures.

“The Lacy fight was on another network but we’re hoping to beat that,” said Davis.

“We’re expecting a very good audience.

“The American boxing public have realised that Joe Calzaghe is a very good fighter.

“Up until the Lacy fight I don’t think people – myself included – realised how good he was, but they do now. He has captured our attention.”

However, Warren believes that Calzaghe – even if makes a successful 21st defence of his title against Kessler – does not have to follow Ricky Hatton’s route to the United States.

“Go there and you’re fighting in a venue that holds 15,000 people and the rest are going to watch it on TV,” said Warren dismissively.

“Here, over 50,000 people are going to watch it, so the atmosphere’s going to be four times better, and the Americans are still watching it live.

“I don’t understand this American thing, the Americans are here.

“They’ve acknowledged what we do we do well.

“When’s the last time any British press guys got on the plane to see an American heavyweight fight?

“But the American writers are here and we’re generating as much income as if we did it in Vegas.

“You’ve also got partisans here, thousands coming from Denmark, while the Welsh fans are ready to get behind their hero.”

Warren also believes that Calzaghe will cement his place as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world at present if he beats Kessler, lifting him above the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“This is two unbeaten guys fighting each other at the top of their game, so the winner has got be regarded as one of, if not the best fighter in the world today,” he said.

“There’s no catch-weight involved, no-one’s stepping up a weight.

“Kessler looks in great shape, but he hasn’t fought the guys Joe has and he has got to go into the lions’ den.

“He went to fight Anthony Mundine in Australia in front of 15,000 people but he is not Joe Calzaghe.

“He’ll find there’s a vast difference to 15,000 Aussies – half of whom don’t like Mundine anyway – than what’s going to happen here in the early hours of Sunday morning.”