ATE: De La Hoya-Forbes, Calzaghe’s WBO Title Reign, More On Calzaghe-Hopkins, Froch, Erdei And More

In today’s edition of Ask The Editor (ATE), we review Oscar De La Hoya’s performance against Steve Forbes, look closer at Joe Calzaghe’s WBO world title reign and further review the Welshman’s win over Bernard Hopkins from all angles. We answer questions about the future for Carl Froch and Zsolt Erdei, look at a possible Amir Khan-Yuri Romanov fight and much more.

Name : Luca Biason
Country : China
Your Question :
I watched De La Hoya-Forbes via CCTV5. I say this because watching a fight on a small window of your laptop may quite change the perception you have of the fight itself. Having said that, my feeling is that if what we saw is the best DLH can offer these days (only he knows that) then I believe he will hardly trouble PBF. Unless he also used this match to tune-up a few things for the September fight, namely his jab, DLH seemed a tad predictable and less powerful than expected. Forbes was a good test but is not nearly in Floyd Mayweather Jr’s class. I noticed that DLH’s defence wasn’t that tight and by round 5 there were already a few marks on his face. PBF has already shared the ring with DLH and probably won’t be as careful as he was during their first match. He knows he can beat him and he knows he can hurt him. Also, DLH was slowish in the last three rounds and I am sure PBF will keep a higher rhythm throughout. Again, maybe this is part of a bigger plan and I should watch DLH’s fight on a big screen once again before sharing my opinions, but...anyway, we’ll see!

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Luca, you were not too far off in my opinion. I was never happy with Oscar vs. Steve Forbes. I said in the prediction that Oscar would be too heavy, strong and experienced for Forbes and I was right. Personally, I do not want to see Mayweather vs. De La Hoya 2, but I can understand why it will be made. It’s a pointless fight for me, but of course it is still a massive fight as far as a PPV event is concerned.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Luca, the only way anything will be different in the Mayweather-De La Hoya rematch is if De La Hoya takes more chances when and if he manages to get Mayweather pinned on the ropes. Of course, Mayweather isn’t much easier to hit no matter what part of the ring he’s in, but it’s De La Hoya’s only hope.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Give me the Oscar De La Hoya who fought desperately and with passion in his fight with Ike Quartey and first fight with Shane Mosley. That’s the type of ODH who will upset Floyd Mayweather Jr. He can’t box with Mayweather. He has to really fight him hard and hurt him.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: Luca, I thought De La Hoya looked pretty impressive against Forbes. His stamina, jab and overall technique have improved and, remember, Steve Forbes is a tricky little fighter. Whether or not Oscar can trouble Mayweather in September remains to be seen, but he gave him problems the last time so, why not in the rematch?

Name : Greg Murphy
Country : USA
Your Question :
Sorry, but I didn’t see anything from Oscar De La Hoya against Steve Forbes that tells me he can win a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: As I said above its a pointless fight. I’d much rather see Mayweather vs. Cotto.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Greg, De La Hoya needs to be willing to open up and risk getting stopped in order to have any chance in the rematch. I don’t care if it’s Sugar Ray Robinson in his peak at 147; ‘safety first’ isn’t going to get it done against Mayweather.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Oscar has to risk defeat in striving for victory. He needs to smash the jab into Mayweather’s face for twelve rounds and follow with his combinations off of it.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: He needs to tighten up his defense, but Oscar got twelve much needed rounds in against a difficult fighter and used his jab beautifully throughout. He did not abandon that punch down the stretch like he did against Mayweather last year and his energy level remained at a decent level. If De La Hoya can fight and, more importantly, stay sharp for 12 rounds against Floyd in September then he has a chance, but he certainly needs to stay on his left jab throughout the contest.

Name : Davey Hayes
Country : United Kingdom
Your Question :
Just a response to Paul Upham’s comments in the recent ATE regarding why Joe Calzaghe hid his talents for so long. In defence of Joe, I honestly think the reason Joe didn’t get a career defining fight earlier in his reign was because the super middleweight division was not a particularly strong one. Calzaghe won the title at the end of a glory era for the weight class and it took a few years before the division picked up. I 100% agree with Paul that there are many names on Joe’s record that hardly inspire, but when you look at the other champions in the division over the last ten years there’s not much to get excited about there either. With the exception of Roy Jones, can you name a fighter from that period who Joe didn’t fight who could have given us a clue about how good Joe really was? RJJ was a fight that was unlikely to ever happen (although I think that was more down to Roy than Joe) so that leaves names like Sven Ottke, Markus Beyer, Dingaan Thobela, Dave Hilton and Eric Lucas. Would beating any of these guys have cemented Joe’s legacy? Other champions from around that time such as Richie Woodhall (WBC), Byron Mitchell (WBA), Charles Brewer (IBF) and Robin Reid (WBC) all fought and lost to Joe, although they didn’t hold the title at the time the fight happened. The sad fact is up until the emergence of Lacy, Kessler etc, there was no one in the division willing to fight Joe who could really extend his skills. I remember Hopkins’ name being mentioned years ago but like Roy Jones was a none starter. The guys padding out Joe’s record may not be great, but guys like Mario Veit, Omar Sheika and Kabary Salem were the number one contenders for Joes title at the time. In the absence of a big name for Joe to fight he had to mark time against his mandatories. The only names I can think of who have openly called Joe out who he hasn’t fought are Carl Froch and Freeman Barr. It’s a real shame Joe wasn’t around a few years earlier to be thrown into the mix against Benn, Collins, Eubank etc when they were nearer there primes.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Opening up my copy of The Ring magazine from October 1996, I note the then super middleweight top ten as follows: 1.Roy Jones Jr, 2.Frank Liles, 3.Steve Collins, 4.Vinny Pazienza, 5.Nigel Benn, 6.Vincenzo Nardiello, 7.Henry Wharton, 8.Michael Nunn, 9.Sugar Boy Malinga, 10.Joe Calzaghe. That was exactly one year before Calzaghe won the vacant WBO belt against Chris Eubank. I note that Calzaghe would not go on to face any of the nine boxers rated above him. Fast forward five years to September 2001 and The Ring ratings at super middleweight were: 1.Sven Ottke, 2.Joe Calzaghe, 3.Byron Mitchell, 4.Antwun Echols, 5.Eric Lucas, 6.Charles Brewer, 7.Thomas Tate, 8.Dingaan Thobela, 9.Mads Larsen, 10.James Butler. Calzaghe would go on to beat Mitchell and Brewer. While it is clear that the super middleweight division wasn’t that strong at times during his reign, there were important fights Calzaghe could have made. After winning the WBO strap in October 1997, he did not win another world title until beating Jeff Lacy for the IBF belt in March 2006. That’s almost ten years where he could have become a multiple belt champion and shown the talent he really did possess. Full credit to Calzaghe for what he has achieved. He proved what a talent he is in his wins over Kessler and Hopkins. I am still maintain however that he could have taken other fights much earlier which would have shown the boxing world his talent before he turned 33. The key for me is that even if he couldn’t secure a fight with a big name in the USA, he needed to unify and win at least one of the other three main world titles. Sticking only with the WBO belt for so long when it now seems he could have achieved so much more.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Davey, you’re right…it was pretty slim pickings at 168 during Calzaghe’s rise to prominence. Maybe a fight against Ottke might have been marginally interesting and I think Joe would have won.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: Davey, I’ve argued with people about this before but I find it difficult to believe that Calzaghe couldn’t have gotten Hopkins or Jones into the ring if he had made his intentions clear that he would come to the US years ago. Victories then over Jones and Hopkins would have taught US fans what everyone in Great Britain already knew. Joe Calzaghe is one of the top lb for lb fighters of his era. I can only imagine the remarkable 168lb golden era with Calzaghe joining Collins, Benn and Eubank.

Name : Chris Bianchini
Country : Netherlands
Your Question :
In the aftermath of the Calzaghe fight, a lot has been said about Hopkins age and the close nature of the fight, with questions being asked about how the fight would have resulted if Hopkins had been younger and had more stamina. I personally didn’t score the fight as closely as the judges - I had Calzaghe a clear winner. But what is obvious from watching Calzaghe in recent fights is that his left hand is still clearly a problem since the injuries he suffered to it. He no longer throws the fast swinging left hand that knocked out so many of his opponents in the past (he won 7 of his first 8 in the 1st round! People forget that he’s taken out some solid chins in the past. He’s adapted his style since and still he manages to see off opponents while protecting his hands. Even Hopkins mentioned before the bout that Joe no longer has his power punches, which I think helped him formulate his game plan for the fight. I don’t think Calzaghe gets enough credit for continuing to win without being able to use the power he once had. I can’t think of many other fighters who could remain unbeaten without their most potent weapon and adapt their style as he has. Maybe Calzaghe should have more reason to wish the fight had come a few years earlier?

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Chris, yeah maybe Calzaghe might have beaten Hopkins in a more sensational fashion a few years ago, but he would have also been fighting a younger Hopkins, so there’s no guarantee. No point in considering a rewrite of Calzaghe’s career now…it’s all turned out quite well!

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Calzaghe got the win, but it was against a 43 year-old Hopkins. Maybe Joe would have been better a few years ago with stronger tools, but so would Hopkins.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: I still think that Calzaghe has decent power when he wants to, Chris. He left a bloodied and swollen Jeff Lacy in no doubt of that and hurt Kessler severely to the body in November of last year. He racks up points, however, with his tornadic hand speed and, if he has a willing target not called Bernard Hopkins, the damage adds up. That’s how he gets his stoppages. His punches are like tracer fire from a machine gun - maybe one or two punches from a combination are visibly impressive and land forcefully, but they get the job done.

Name : Barnaby Chesterman
Country : Italy
Your Question :
Two questions. Firstly, do you think Calzaghe will fight more than once more? I think he should fight Jones and Tarver at least, it would make for a great way to finish his career just being involved in super fights and win or lose it would be better for him to have faced all the top light-heavies out there. Johnson’s lost too many times to be worth fighting, Woods clearly isn’t in the same league and Dawson might be too much trouble given his age, plus he’s not high enough profile. My second question is on Zsolt Erdei. Shouldn’t he be getting in the light-heavy mix and taking on some of these guys we’re talking about. He’s made nine defences of his title, when’s he gonna step in with the big boys and take a risk?

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Joe has said that he will most likely fight once more but was not 100% certain. Personally, I’d like to see Joe face both Jones and Tarver to take his record to 47-0. One thing no one has mentioned is the fact that Joe only needs to fight and win four more times to equal Rocky Marciano’s record. My theory on Erdei is that he will not fight outside of Germany because he gets paid too well.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Barnaby, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Calzaghe fight Jones and Tarver before it’s over, but that’s not to say that either fight is the right fight for Joe. Erdei probably won’t ‘step up’ until the reward versus risk is at its most optimal…champions can make a lot of money in Europe while staying on a ‘safe’ path.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Calzaghe will take the Roy Jones Jr fight now at home in Wales because it is the biggest money fight available for least risk.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: The first part of your question is difficult to answer, Barnaby. Calzaghe says he wants one more, big money fight and then that’s it. Where have we heard that before??? It’s not just fighters, top athletes in any sport are fierce competitors and some just cannot stay away. If I had to wager, I believe he will retire after his next fight. He seems comfortable in what he has achieved and doesn’t want to jeopardize his standing in the sport. As far as Erdei goes, I agree with you, he needs to make his move now.

Name : Maximiliano Herrera
Country : Costa Rica
Your Question :
What s next for Calzaghe? Although interesting, I think a fight against Roy Jones Jr wouldn’t be so meaningful at this point of his career. I think Calzaghe should face the winner of Tarver-Dawson fight in Las Vegas and if he wins I would love to see his career ending match in UK against David Haye trying to capture the cruiser belt. That would be enough to regard him as the best European fighter ever? As for Hopkins, I would love to see a final match against Roy Jones, he deserves the revenge he has been looking for over 10 years. Hopkins-Jones 2 would be a showdown and a farewell of two of the greatest champions of the past 20 years.

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: You know Maximiliano, I like your thinking. All those match ups you mention look good to me and I’d like to see them. The other one I’d like to see would be Calzaghe vs. Glen Johnson.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Maximiliano, I agree with some of what you’re saying. Meaningful or not, I’m not sure if Jones is a good style match-up for Calzaghe, and I think Haye is too big for Joe. I can’t say for sure what fight is best for Calzaghe next…maybe none at all and that’s no poke at his career. Jones-Hopkins II is still a very real possibility.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Yeah, wins over Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr on his resume will look great for Joe Calzaghe in future years, but right now we know that Hopkins was 43 years-old at the time of losing and if the fight with Roy does happen, there is no disputing that he is already way past his best. I’m giving Calzaghe great credit for his wins over Kessler and Hopkins. He is a genuine pound for pound elite boxer today, but I still don’t think it puts him up there with Robinson, Ali and Louis.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: I think its one and done for the Welshman. Should and will are two different things when all you are seeking is one final big payday. Is Roy Jones Jr the most dangerous and meaningful opponent out there for Calzaghe? No. But he’ll fill a soccer stadium and earn Calzaghe a tremendous amount to money to ensure that his family will be secured for life. An easy enough decision.

Name : Geraint Gronow
Country : South Africa
Your Question :
Job Done Joe! Tedious stuff indeed but it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I had the impression Hopkins’ punch could do serious damage if he could land clean again, maybe B-Hop is carrying more punch power at light heavyweight as he had Tarver wobbling, Joe on the seat of his pants and hurt a few times. I thought he should of pounced on Joe in that first round as he was in quite a bit of trouble, the colour drained from Joe’s face and he looked very shocked. That said, like in the Jermain Taylor fights, he just does not do enough to warrant the win in my books, his work is very skilled if not pretty (did you ever see a pretty B-Hop fight?), but there is just not enough of it. I had Joe winning 115-113 and sweeping the middle rounds and taking the last. I think he did the best he could with a very savvy awkward opponent, did you think Joe has lost some of his speed? Also a little more flat-footed and no head movement? Hopkins can retire now moaning all the way to ‘Golden Goose’ (I mean ‘Golden Boy’) Promotions and leave it to the young-uns. For Joe, a big payday in Cardiff against RJJ, although I think Jones may fancy his chances with some heavy pots shots, your thoughts on that one?

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Geraint, you may be surprised to hear this but I think Roy Jones could have the beating of Calzaghe. Yes he’s past his best but Jones still has some cute moves and can still punch a bit.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Geraint, your observations on the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight are spot on. I don’t think Calzaghe should fight Jones. I think RJJ might outpoint Joe.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Seems to me that Clive and Greg are off in fairy land. Roy Jones Jr is not going to beat Joe Calzaghe. Not only will Jones not win the fight, he won’t even win a round. And all of you who have gone out of your way to slag off my man Joe for so many years, don’t even think about trying to jump aboard the Calzaghe victory express train now!

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: Geraint, Bernard Hopkins is definitely carrying more power at light heavyweight. The right hand that he sent Calzaghe to the deck with certainly stunned the Welshman, but B-Hop, at this age needs to conserve as much energy as he possibly can and unsuccessfully going for broke against Calzaghe in that opening round could have been unwise down the stretch. Jones definitely fancies his chances, but Calzaghe will be able to fight more fluently and comfortably against Jones – I predict a convincing points win for the Welshman.

Name : Michael Parsons
Country : United Kingdom
Your Question :
I would just like to know your opinion on the way the referee Joe Cortez, handled the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight and why it was so different to the way he controlled the Hatton-Mayweather bout?

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Good question, Michael. Thinking back to both fights I feel Cortez was a little more sterner in the Hatton vs. Mayweather fight and also more vocal. That was mainly due to Hatton’s come forward no nonsense style against the more skilful and controlled Mayweather. Calzaghe vs. Hopkins on the other hand, because of the styles, was very much a stop and start affair.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Michael, I was okay with the way Cortez handled the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight simply because I wasn’t really aware of him in the ring, unlike the way I was overly cognizant of his handling of Mayweather-Hatton.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: From a distance, it seemed to me that Cortez had a preconceived idea that Hatton would be aggressive and flout the rules at every opportunity, so the referee seemed to have him on a tighter leash, so to say.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: Cortez was a little short of shocking in his umpiring of the Hatton-Mayweather contest - an off day for the veteran referee, if you will. His performance in Calzaghe-Hopkins was better. He probably should have penalized Hopkins for his fouling, and he fell for some of B-Hop’s theatrics but he’s not the first referee to be duped by the crafty veteran.

Name : Steven Heywood
Country : Australia
Your Question :
Against Joe Calzaghe, Bernard Hopkins put on a wonderful demonstration on how to control a fight, how to hit Joe and how to do all kinds of sneaky things while the ref isn’t watching. Why has a man who is so experienced and so competent, never realised that hitting the other fella more than he hits you is the way to win fights. He said after the fight that he wasn’t hurt at all, so why not get amongst it, trade blows and leave no doubt in anyone’s mind over who is better?

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Steven, Bernard has his style and it works for him. Whilst not being the most exciting of fighters, Bernard’s style of fighting has pretty much worked for him his whole career. Many may disagree with me but I think if Hopkins and Calzaghe had fought this years ago the result could well have been different.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Steven, Hopkins is a pretty stubborn guy…he’s his own man with his own style, but you’re right – it’s frustrating to not see Hopkins throw more punches. He never would have lost his middleweight crown if he had been busier against Taylor.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Hopkins’ boxing philosophy now is that if he can nullify your attack, his better punches over the distance will win him at least seven rounds out of the twelve to get the win. It worked to a point, Calzaghe rarely hit him with anything heavy. The majority of the punches thrown by Calzaghe were avoided or taken on the arms by Hopkins. It’s just Bernard’s win of eliminating the risk of taking punches.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: Well, fighting aggressively isn’t Hopkins’ style and its beyond him anyway at this point. At 43-years-old he just doesn’t have the engine to compete like that so he relies on the traits you pointed out early in your email. I thought Calzaghe won by a wide margin – 116-111 on my card.

Name : Stuart Coy
Country : United Kingdom
Your Question :
Hi. I’m a little confused with the situation with Carl Froch. I know he is fighting Rubin Williams in a ’final eliminator’ for the WBC title. As Calzaghe currently holds this title (I think), and won’t be interested in defending it against Froch, I’m assuming the title will probably become vacant, in which case, who would the Froch-Williams winner fight for the title? Will it be the winner of Kessler-Mundine? Or will the Froch-Williams winner be declared a sort of ’interim’ champion or something? Your insights into this would be welcome. Also, do you know what is happening with Alex Arthur and Joan Guzman? Is the fight off completely or has it been rescheduled? Thanks. Great site by the way.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Stuart, as you know by now, Froch beat Albert Rybacki as a replacement for Williams, by fourth round TKO. Can’t say for sure right now, but we’ll know soon enough regarding Froch’s next move in relation to his WBC mandatory status. Guzman-Arthur has been rescheduled for June 14.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: Froch beat previously unbeaten Polish fighter Albert Rybacki. If Calzaghe vacates his status as WBC champion then Froch, as the number one ranked guy, will step in. Kessler is set to fight unbeaten Russian Dimitri Sartisan for the vacant WBA belt, so a fight with Froch down the line is not out of the question. Arthur vs. Guzman will take place in June now.

Name : Adrian Borchok
Country : Australia
Your Question :
Hi Guys, great website, keep up the top work! I note that Hungary’s Zsolt Erdei just successfully defended his WBO light heavyweight crown for the 10th time. As a half Hungarian I’d love to see more of this guy in action beyond the odd round on YouTube. Bearing this in mind I’d be keen to hear your views regarding Erdei and what are the chances we will see him take on some of the big names in the division. Bearing in mind the undefeated records of both Calzaghe and Erdei, a clash such as this could be a promoters dream particularly in Europe!

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Until Erdei decides to cross the Atlantic and mix it with the very best light-heavies, we can forget any talk of Calzaghe or any of the other champions for that matter.

GREG JUCKETT ANSWERS: Adrian, Erdei is very good, but the timing might not be right for him to fight Calzaghe. The pound-for-pound titlist is only going to take on bigger ‘names’ at this point and that’s no disrespect to Erdei.

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Erdei seems to be going to way of former WBO light heavyweight champion Dariusz Michelczewski. Defend the title a squillion times at home in Europe before finally getting old being upset by a younger fighter. If Erdei is content with that, good for him. But if you want to prove yourself to be the best in the world, he has to take the risk of venturing outside Europe for bigger fights. This means taking charge of your career and not being dictated to by your promoter. The Klitschko brothers did it and IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham appears set to hit the USA for an eventual fight with Kelly Pavlik. You can tell a lot about the mindset of a world title-holder by the fights they do and don’t take.

MICHAEL NORBY ANSWERS: I want to see more of Erdei too, Adrian. He enjoyed a prolific amateur career and hopefully he won’t leave it as long as Calzaghe did to showcase his talents in the American market. Unfortunately, apart from Glen Johnson who would fight on the surface of Saturn if he had to, I can’t see the other light heavy champs rushing to Europe to take on this dangerous world champion. Sad but true. Calzaghe vs. Erdei is not even an option.

Name : Thomas Peak
Country : United Kingdom
Your Question :
I was very happy to read Yuri Romanov’s statement on your website challenging Amir Khan. I think that would be a great fight full of action and knockdown’s. I personally think Romanov would win and if he didn’t win, would at least test Khan’s chin and will power more than the likes of Graeme Earl were able to. I’m almost one hundred percent positive that the fight won’t happen however, just as I was sure the Thaxton fight won’t happen. Warren is a genius matchmaker and will not risk his fighters lightly... perhaps if Romanov had a world title they would get it on but not for the European belt. Do any of you guys think Amir could perhaps defeat Romanov? Before you answer I suggest you re-watch his fight against Bobby Vanvie around six years ago. And bear in mind he is still only 25.

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Thomas, Romanov would definitely test Khan, that’s a fact. It’s a fight that should be made but will most probably not. It’s too high a risk for little money. For the record though, Khan would in my opinion be favored to win

Name : Scott Cohon
Country : USA
Your Question :
Just hoping that you could give us an update on the condition of Roman Greenberg after his surgery...is his next fight being planned or is he finished? Thanks!

CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Scott, Roman Greenberg’s right hand is healing well and all being well should be fighting again in Ukraine on July 12. He is far from finished and says he can’t wait to fight again. He has watched with interest the way the heavyweight division is shaping up and honestly believes he has the beating of every heavyweight on the planet.

Name : Mark Tuita
Country : Australia
Your Question :
On an Aussie note, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Jamie Pittman when Felix Sturm beat him down. I think we have a terrible management culture in Australia for fighters. We seem to just look straight for a decent pay day (i.e. title shot) without being willing to take the risks of tough, preparation fights along the way. Haven’t we yet learned that the easy, fast route to a world title-shot is also a fast route to getting beaten up? I understand the risk of losing on the way up and the damage it may do. But a competitive loss against respected competition surely looks better than getting blasted out in a non-competitive title-shot. Here’s hoping we get more Daniel Geale vs. Daniel Dawson type matches amongst our boys and gals in Oz. A fight that I don’t believe greatly harmed Dawson’s rep in defeat. In fact, I gained a lot of respect for both fighters for stepping up to a tough battle that neither fighter ’needed’ to take. Let’s face it, losing hasn’t hurt Edison Miranda’s career a great deal!

PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: In a perfect world Mark, your point would be a valid one. But the reality is even the best boxers in Australia fight locally for only a few thousand dollars. If you are scraping by in your professional career earning $2,000 a fight, have a few wins and get yourself a top fifteen ranking and then get offered a fight for a world title fight with a pay day much closer to $100,000, of course you are going to take it. The fact is that there is not enough money in the Australia boxing scene to bring over well-credentialed boxers for our best young boxers to build their careers against. That is why you see so many unknown boxers from Thailand, Indonesia and The Philippines flown in. That’s all the promoters can afford. The only way we can improve the system is by having more boxing fans and sponsors injecting money into the sport.