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The September 20 light heavyweight title match between Joe Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs) and Roy Jones, Jr. (52-4, 38 KOs) has officially been postponed because of a Calzaghe right wrist injury.

ESPN’s Dan Rafael quotes the fight’s promoter as saying “(Calzaghe) told me it’s an injured right wrist,” the promoter said. “I was told that he hurt it on Sunday punching a heavy bag.”

The initial word is that the match could be rescheduled for November. No word on whether the fight’s proposed venue, New York’s Madison Square Garden, would be available during that month. The NY Knicks have yet to release their schedule. The Rangers have a home date with the Boston Bruins on November 15 so that date is presumably out.

The Ricky Hatton vs. Paulie Malignaggi is currently on for November 22 so that date is also probably out. November 29 would sandwich the bout between Hatton and the proposed December 6 Oscar De La Hoya fight. That date wouldn’t make sense.

That leaves the 1st and the 8th. Our guess is the November 8. Make plans accordingly.

Post from: EveryJoe

Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones, Jr. off for Sept. 20; Rescheduled for Nov. 8?

Image details: Joe Calzaghe Media Interview served by picapp.com

ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael has just reported the worst kept Breaking News in boxing: 2008’s Top 5 pound-for-pound boxer Joe Calzaghe’s next fight will be against 2002 Top 5 pound-for-pound boxer Roy Jones, Jr.. They will fight for Calzaghe’s 175-pound light heavyweight title.

The 36-year-old Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KO) will fight the 39-year-old Jones (52-4, 38 KO) on September 20, 2008 in Madison Square Garden on HBO pay-per-view. Oh, if only this fight had taken place a few years ago. Maybe then I’d be inspired to spend my hard-earned $50-60. But this fight choice just serves as evidence to Calzaghe’s painful lack of ambition as well as his disdain for boxing history.

Maybe once Calzaghe disposes of the once feared Jones he’ll saunter down to the historically relevant middleweight division (or, alas, a catch weight), take on fellow pound-for-pounder Kelly Pavlik and finally rise to a pugilistic challenge.

Post from: EveryJoe

Joe Calzaghe to fight Roy Jones, Jr. on Sept. 20

Image details: Oscar De La Hoya v Steve Forbes served by picapp.com

Outside of the ring and in the business world Oscar De La Hoya is obnoxiously confident, he revels in the vicious venture capitalist role, he’s gleeful in his greed, and delighted by the power his money brings. While I’m watching HBO’s wonderful one-off documentary Countdown to Oscar De La Hoya/Steve Forbes and a pre-fight Oscar interview with boxing poet Larry Merchant I see a forthright De La Hoya who is proud of his conscienceless business kingpin role and enjoys its prominent display.

He giggles when he says “greed is good”, when he likens making money and gathering riches to an addiction, and when he announces his goal to be a billionaire. Oscar emits an air of general disingenuousness, a snake oil salesman banter. I don’t want to believe anything he says; I feel like he’s always suckering me into believing something that isn’t true. And just when you want to be repulsed by De La Hoya’s monetary ruthlessness and insincerity he flashes his wide smile, reminds you how he’s fought every good fighter and suddenly all is forgiven.

Before you know it the HBO cameras switch from Merchant’s interview to the live shot of a 25,000+ strong outdoor soccer stadium all clamoring for their liege. King Oscar, HBO’s reminds us, has mandated that tonight’s Steve Forbes fight be broadcast on live television, that it must take place in a people-friendly venue in Los Angeles, and that the tickets be a family-friendly price.

This will be the first Golden Boy fight (the boxer, not the promoter) in the last seven years not to be on pay-per-view and the first not fought in Las Vegas since 2000. Why would Oscar do this? For the people, of course. It has nothing to do with the fight’s dubious worth or his necessary desire to spread his brand product. No. This one is for the people.

Then the fight starts and Oscar remains the same vicious, confident, determined, single-minded ferocious competitor. His business and public persona is his boxing persona. At the end of rounds he must be looking at Forbes with the same condescending you’re-in-my-web-now smile. It’s there, I know it is. Oscar does not change.

Image details: Oscar De La Hoya v Steve Forbes served by picapp.com

But Oscar as a boxer is beautiful, if not almost too business-like, to watch. He stalks his prey with efficiency. He wears Forbes down with jabs and frequent flurries. He pleases the crowd and gives Forbes no hope. Forbes fights passably if not well: he’s not intimidated, he tries to utilize his quickness, and he never stops throwing punches. He does not mimic fellow Contender Peter Manfredo, Jr. in his Joe Calzaghe debacle. He’s just not Oscar. Easy twelve-round decision. One judge scores Oscar all twelve the other two gift Forbes one a piece.

The key to Oscar’s fighting beauty is his competitiveness. He looks beyond distraction, goal-driven, and so powerful. He is sneakily athletic, endlessly ambitious, and he has a plan. Forbes was meant to be a mock-Floyd Mayweather, Jr.: small, quick, elusiveness, with a good chin. Oscar got his twelve-run tune-up, there was to be no knockout tonight. Oscar fought upright, he fought ready, and he fought well. Mayweather, Jr. should be worried when they meet later this year.

In the ring as well as outside the ring Oscar has never backed down and never stopped striving for more. His roster of opponents reads like an International Boxing Hall of Fame induction roster, his stable of Golden Boy boxers is striving to become that same roster. Given Oscar’s singularly ambitious competitiveness it is ludicrous to believe that he will retire after the last two fights in his “farewell trilogy”. It’s impossible. His passion won’t let him and I’m just not buying it, wide smile or not.

Post from: EveryJoe

Oscar De La Hoya Calmly Conquers Steve Forbes