Why is Calzaghe's opposition considered trash?

[Boro chris]

Originally Posted by Toopretty

His best opponent to date was Jeff Lacy...Robin Reid and was average no matter what you UK posters say. All of the European fighters he fought mainly were very extra average fighters and those are the better ones. Eubank was on his way out and gave Calzaghe a run. He is a great fighter but there is no defending his crap resume in which you cant even mention Roy's resume in the same breath as Calzaghe...Roy took on tougher guys in the 90s alone Then Calzaghe did his whole entire career.

Lacy was not as good as a faded Eubank imo. And JC was a complete novice when he took Chris on.
And Robin Reid was not 'average' no matter what you septics say!

[Max Molyneux]

Originally Posted by Quik

He fought good oposition. I was taking it to beat kessler until kessler schooled andrade. Now i consider kessler have fought better oposition than calzaghe.

Andrade has never beaten a top 10 fighter.

[pioterbezkitu]

Couse it's trash

[China_hand_Joe]

Starie was class, just see what he did to a current LHW titlist for evidence.

People were really talking Starie up back then.

[PrideOfWales]

A talent like JC will not be fully appreciated until he is long gone out of the sport. Having said that, Joe is his own worst enemy. He's got a reputation within the sport by pulling out of one of the fights with Glen Johnson without a valid reason and almost bailing in the Lacy fight. He should have forced ******'s hand earlier to get decent opposition but Joe has been content plodding along. The biggest disappointment for me is that we will never truely know just how great Joe Calzaghe was. He had all the talent in the world to be competetive with, and I believe, had at least a 50/50 chance against ANYBODY from 160-175 during the past 10 years.

He's beat some solid opposition, a lot of boxers who are unheralded but very useful: punchers, counter punchers, bangers, brawlers, technical boxers.. Has he been pushed enough? No. Has he fought some embarrasing bums? Yes. Is his opposition any worse than RJJ? Slightly, but not much. Is it possible that in his mid 30's he's still better than anyone else in and around his division even though he should be past his prime? We'll find out 3rd November - for many, a convincing win will only make it harder to accept the frustration that he never fought a prime RJJ, Ottke, BHop et al.

I've enjoyed following his career, he's exciting and exceptional. To me, he has nothing to prove - the entertainment value and skills of Joe Calzaghe in the ring, once you get him there, are second to none. Enjoy him while he's around, because I reckon we've only got about an hour's worth of this great talent left in a boxing ring.

[sjc]

Originally Posted by Blocky

Calzaghe's opposition is average. It's not great, it's not bad, it's average.

He's fought proven elite fighters like Eubank.
He's fought solid contenders like Reid and Woodhall
He's fought awkward fighters like Salem and Bika
He's fought up and coming fighters like Lacy, Veit and a young Sheika
He's fought decent, top ten rated fighters like Mkertchian, Mitchell, Brewer

Lacy and Eubank are the only "named" fighters he's fought, sure - but he's in the SMW division - a division that has had two fatal flaws in the time that Calzaghe has been around

Flaw 1: It has been bereft of 'big name' fighters largely due to the legacy of fighters directly above and directly below. Fighters weren't getting past Hopkins at Middleweight and Fighters saw more money with Jones Jr at LHW - SMW was not a glamour division and as such, did not attract glamour (read, American known) fighters during Calzaghe's time period.

Calzaghe, being committed to defending his belt and wanting to establish himself as the greatest in his weight class never looked at going down in weight or up in weight - however he did put his feelers out for a Bernard Hopkins fight in 2002 that was all but signed until Hopkins demanded double money.

Flaw 2: Sven Ottke would not fight Joe Calzaghe. Ottke during his time was the only other fighter who a spotless record who held a title belt . (Despite Ottke having lost at least four fights in my eyes).

The SMW division had a bunch of talent that except for Calzaghe, were not standing tall above one another - people were trading wins and losses and until Lacy and now Kessler, no one really rised above the competition as a solid threat and contender to Calzaghe.

Excepting Ottke - the only two "dominant" fighters at SMW outside of Joe Calzaghe, were Jeff Lacy and now Mikkel Kessler

Both who he has/will be fighting and both he he has/will beat.

People can bitch and moan all they want about "Why didn't Joe go down to 160 or up to 175" - the fact is, he didn't - he has however fought the best available fighters in his division, a division he has cleared out and is about to clear out once more.

yep