The HBO "After Dark" Joe Calzaghe showcase to bigger and better things just may be on hold after a one-sided, albeit sloppy win over unranked, short on skills, and hand picked  Sakio Bika.

Was back in March of this year 2006, that the undefeated Newbridge southpaw mesmerized power punching Jeff "Left hook" Lacy over 12 rounds of one sided brutality - and alas, at age 34 a star was born - but that was then and today is today.

The last noche Calzaghe-Bika affair was a classic example of styles make fights - and in this case an ugly one at that.

Opening stanza sees both fighters locked in a hold and hit mode until late in the round with Calzaghe breaking free and closing with a flurry of punches - then number two with Joltin’ Joe the much busier in a rough round.

So far so good for the Newbridge bomber as the quicker hands claims stanza three - then candle four and Bika scores with a head butt that sees Calzaghe cut over the left eye.

The transplanted Aussie via Cameroon, liked the results of the "inadvertent" meeting of the minds enough to pick up where he left off come stanza five -  results in point deduction courtesy of Brit buffoon "man in charge" Mickey Vann.

From that moment on, things degenerated to a bar room brawling version of hold-hit-butt  opposed to the proverbial barn burner type of unskilled battling - Calzaghe the unorthodox in style southpaw and Bika bankrupt in boxing technique - stir in a connected referee without a clue and we had ourselves a three ring circus going.

Yes, Calzaghe remains perfect on paper at a now 42-0, 31 KO’s - but more than a few flaws, that were concealed in the Lacy fight,  surfaced last noche against a physically strong and solid chin mugger in style Bika.

Official tallies went unanimous Calzaghe 117-110, 117-110, 116-111 - this unofficial saw it Calzaghe 116-111 in points and 8-3-1 under the round by round method.

Report cards: Calzaghe ~ earns passing grades in chin department and conditioning. Proven tough in Lacy affair and in this one as well. Willing to go into the trenches. Debit side of ledger is available to counters when confusing haste with quickness, while rushing and starting premature flurries off wrong foot.  Says here jury still out on the "pound for pound" label off the Lacy fight.
                        Bika ~ Big, strong, tough covers it. Educated guess is he skipped too many classes while taking boxing basics. Street fighter at best.

                       Mickey Vann ~ just when us on this side of the big pond became convinced we had the worst of all third man in charge hacks, along comes a Brit version into our living rooms to claim dishonors. Non-stop verbal harassment - zero feel on when or when not to physically step in to break the fighters.
                      Closing thoughts: The Calzaghe brain trust  dropped the ball in choosing Bika for a keep busy affair while in waiting for a mega fight visit to the USA. Totally wrong opponent for a show case - landslide win or not, the Cameroon strongman made it a grab, clinch, hit and hold, billy goat bummer that showed for a pay check.

GEL -

10-14-2006