BraggingRightsCorner.com - Calzaghe does the expected - halts Manfredo in 3... by George Elsasser

Checked out the HBO Saturday afternoon at the fights to see how WBO S/Middle champ Joe Calzaghe would look in taking out "Contenders" graduate Peter Manfredo before a packed house at Cardiff, Wales.

I mean, an 8-1 underdog upsetting the proverbial apple cart is as rare as a snowball fight in Hades - yes, upsets do happen, but usually on occasions when a valid challenger is in the other corner.

So, going into stanza three one could feel this would not be a Sly Stallone scripted Hollywood for the uninitiated - and with Peter the not so great, donning the ear muffs in rope-a-dope fashion, or for hockey fight fans, doing the "turtle" it opened the door just enough for local hack in charge, Terry O’Connor to pull the plug.

Time of TKO 1:30 mark of numero tres - and Peter can protest the premature stoppage all he wants, says here he made the trip across the pond for a portion of the take that only a gathering of some 30 thousand or more Welsh loyalist would provide - not to mention local PPV suckers as well.

Calzaghe played it close to the vest in opening stanza before picking up the pace in number two - come round three he began laying it all out on the table - the punches were coming in bunches from body to head and back again.

Plenty names were tossed about for the winner - Hopkins, Taylor, Kessler … and did I hear Jones? Guess is we will see Calzaghe again - in a real fight.

Calzaghe goes to 43-0, 32 KOs. Manfredo goes home at 26-4, 12 KOs and if continuing in the game an active fighter, the Blue Horizon or Providence equivalent in size arena will be calling.

Prelim insult for the locals was Amir Khan halting a wingless pigeon Steffy Bull inside three stanzas - and similar to small town USA, over there they too build local favorites into contenders the same way.

4-7-2007