Calzaghe likely gives Jr.’s last career loss

It was round one and Joe Calzaghe was lying on the canvas. He was no stranger to this situation, as he had been here before in his recent fight against Bernard Hopkins.

This time, stunned by a Roy Jones Jr. uppercut, many wondered if the rest of the script would go differently for Calzaghe than it did against Hopkins.

In that fight, he went on to dominate Hopkins, one of the biggest names in boxing. Though, in round one against Jones, he looked like a slow, 36-year-old boxer with diminished skills.

At the bell ending that first round, Jones smiled and stared down Calzaghe as if to say, “Yeah, I still got it.”

Jones, 39, was arguably the best boxer of the 90s and on into March 2003, when he became the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in more than 100 years. Starting his career as a junior middleweight, he’s the first to make the transition to heavyweight champ.

Two probable future Hall of Famers squared off Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. Though Calzaghe was down in round one, by no means was he out. He stuck to the script of his previous fight and went on to dominate Jones, making him look like the sluggish one. At some points during the fight, Calzaghe made it difficult to watch. As Jones kept his guard up, Calzaghe consistently batted away Jones’ guard and hammered away at his body.

As the later rounds rolled in, it was apparent that Jones would need to knock Calzaghe out to win the fight. In between one of the later rounds Jones could be heard saying, “I can’t catch him.”

Those were words I never thought I’d hear the great Jones Jr. say.

I scored the fight 117-110 in favor of the light heavyweight champion, Calzaghe. The Welshman has now solidified his credentials by improving to 46-0 and shutting up all of the critics who said that he couldn’t defeat a big name outside of the United Kingdom.

As for Jones Jr. the question now is, has he had enough?

He’ll turn 40 in January and he’s lost four of his last seven fights. No matter what he decides to do now, there’s no doubt all boxing fans will remember the great moments he has given the sport. He is one of the greatest boxers of all time.

As for Calzaghe, many, including former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, say it is time for him to retire on top. Flaunting his unblemished record, Calzaghe is certainly on top of the world and can now pick and choose who he fights.

He must be careful not to overstay his welcome – nowhere is reality as cruel as in a boxing ring. So does he wait around for a young upstart to challenge him, or does he leave the sport unblemished? Only time will tell.