Joe Calzaghe Opponent Named
By Robert Ecksel August 21st, 2006Welsh boxing hero to face Cameroon’s Sakio Bika
Joe Calzaghe, his left hand healed, now back in the gym, will return to the ring against Cameroon’s Sakio Bika at Manchester’s MEN Arena on October 14.
Promoter Frank Warren has promised the unbeaten Calzaghe a February “mega-fight� if he can do to Bika what he did to Jeff Lacy in March.
“I have had a lot of frustration in my career but I plan on making up for it in October and I have the great incentive of what may be a unification fight in February,” Calzaghe told The Times of London. “I have been training hard for the last five weeks and have had no problems. I know nothing about Bika but from his record he looks like a tough fighter.”
The Australia-based Bika, 27, has only one loss in 23 professional fights. He put up an exceptional showing against the WBC super-middleweight champion Markus Beyer in May before the fight was declared a technical draw after four when the champ suffered a bad cut.
“If Joe comes through we have got a big TV date in February for what will be a mega-fight,” Warren said. “Joe has had a lot of injuries but when he is on top of his game I don’t think anybody can live with him.”
Also on the card will be the WBO cruiserweight title clash between Johnny Nelson and Enzo Maccarinelli.
August 21st, 2006 at 12:10 pm
How weak is this 168lb division? Calzaghe rides the momentum of his Lacy fight with some guy I do not know at all. What is the mega fight after this one, Frank Warren?
August 21st, 2006 at 1:44 pm
All momentum gained from the ass whuppin of Lacy is now lost. Clock is ticking on you Joe and going out fighting Bika is a step backwards.
August 21st, 2006 at 1:56 pm
It’s not Joe’s faault that no one wants to get their ass handed to them at 168! Line ‘em up and he’ll knock ‘em down. No reason to start going up in weight like RJJ did. He’s the best at his weight, he’s comfortable body-wise, and should wait for the challengers to come to him! Why make it easier for them? He’s earned his stripes. Maybe Jermain Taylor should come up to 168 after he has his cupcake fight. Just a thought.
August 21st, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Bika’s a respectable opponent, a hell of a lot better than any other TBA Joe has faced under similar circumstances. Bika was supposed to be a part of the ShoBox super middleweight tourney, and IMO would’ve won w/ room to spare had he not dropped out. At the time, an injury was suggested, though we now know why he opted out of the tourney - why fight three challengers when you can go straight to the champ.
Joe should win, but I think this will be a good fight. I’d be (pleasantly) surprised if Calzaghe steamrolls through him.
August 21st, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Joe C. has been fighting “cupcake” fights pretty much his whole career. This was his time to make the best of what he did with Lacy and he’s blowing it. He could have made a better fight than this. No one has ever heard of “the Scorpion” and they won’t hear of him again after this fight.
August 21st, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Diggy, you’re killing me. How are you going to say Joe should stay at 168 and not move up, then in your next breath you’re calling out JT and telling him to move up to 168. After three straight against P4P guys, JT deserves a “cupcake” fight. Joe’s made a pretty good career fighting “cupcake” fights.
August 21st, 2006 at 5:23 pm
No one to fight?? Winky said he would come up to 168 but Warren priced Joe C out of it. Winky is not LACY and IMO would give Joe a good scrap based on his defense, chin and jack hammer jab.
August 21st, 2006 at 5:25 pm
Bika lost to Sam Soliman! LOL…. Sorry but Sam is sloppy. Look at his record.
August 21st, 2006 at 7:02 pm
markN99, super mid is a strong division, but they all seam to stay at 168, i want to see these fighters move both up one and down one. Christian, sam is a sloppy styled fighter but he held his owe with both Winky and Mundine. And i know joey is the man but he has to go fight in USA or he will be forgotten very quickly when he is done.
August 21st, 2006 at 9:54 pm
It makes good sense to have a journeyman in between big fights. providing the next one is just that: BIG. Preferrably a titiel fight at 168. Anyone disagree? Look what happened to MORALES. Big fights should not be taken one after the other unless they are a super-athlete in their early days.
if Joe succesfully unifies in Feb, he will be on his way to great things.
August 22nd, 2006 at 5:13 am
To address some points:
Winky has said he would fight Calzaghe NEXT YEAR. he said he wants to have an easy-ish fight first. Since the he has considered Margarito and Ouma.
Super middle weak? Calzaghe proved his quality v Lacy. Kessler has one of the best jabs in the sport and is unifying (WBA & WBC) with Beyer. Beyer is a crafty fighter who was good enough to win the WBC crown in his 3rd year as a pro. Lucian Bute is a promising power puncher. Mundine is one hell of a tricky fighter, also.
Bika isn’t well known. But he was holding his own & then some vs the WBC champ Beyer. Bika looked on his way to winning that fight until the cut on Beyer and the TD. He was outjabbing a skilled southpaw, so you cannot underestimate him.
Calzaghe has fought ‘cupcakes’ (As well as good fighters)But Bika is way better than Ashira, Veit, Salem & Pudwill. I’ve seen him against Beyer, and he knows how to fight a southpaw.
Who else can Calzaghe fight right now? Woods & Johnson are already meeting next month. Kessler and Beyer fight in Oct. Calzaghe has two mandatories that I think can’t fight as well as Bika - Rudy Markussen and Stieglitz. Could they have outboxed Beyer? Very doubtful.
For once, Warren may have got the best available guy.
August 22nd, 2006 at 10:42 am
I think the best thing for Calzaghe to do is move up to light-heavy and fight the winner of the Woods-Johnson fight. There isn’t much competition at 168 to really test Calzaghe; all there was, was Jeff Lacey, and it was proven that he was highly overrated after the whip’en he got. If Calzaghe stays at 168, why not fight hot prospect Allan Green? The only true possible MEGA-fight would be if Jermain Taylor moves up to 168 and the fight is showcased in Las Vegas on PPV. The clock is ticking for Calzaghe.
October 5th, 2006 at 10:01 am
Calzaghe definetly a good fighter but never been tested I know Sakio personally and every one will see the power of this guy.
Markus Beyer had one more round to live when he fought sakio Bika and everybody that knows a bit of Boxing know that,we will see boxing is unpredictable and this fight is going to be a war something that the British public and Media will enjoy.
I always admire British pasion about sport especially boxing I m Mexican and I wont miss this fight.
SAKIO will take the crown.