Does Calzaghe get enough respect for fighting the last 4/5 years with brittle hands?

You are mistaken. Calzaghe had bad brittle hands before he turned pro and it was thought that he was never going to have a pro career to begin with, let alone becoming WBO WBA WBC IBF Ring SMW champ and Ring LHW champ and winning 24 world title fights.
Any Youtube video doesnt remove that he beat Hopkins, Jones, Kessler, Lacy, Reid, Eubank, Veit, Woodhall, Brewer, Mitchell, all world champs at some point and beaten when still competing

 

Thats an interesting post. Calzaghe had bigger challenges in his division closer to home and beat all the top American opposition in his division.

 

There have been some questionable stoppages but unless you have seen the fights, shouldnt try and comment on a highlight video which doesnt show the run up. Woodhall shown on his feet had been put down the end of the previous round and didnt protest the stoppage at all. Same with Veit, he had been knocked down and unable to defend himself.

 

He gets far too much notoriety on this site for what he actually achieved against the kind of opposition he fought. However because there so much conjecture about his career because of who he didn't face rather than who he did, its easier for people to play fantasy fights and make him to be something else, and who can argue with an unbeaten record right? Its whats behind the numbers what counts though.

 

Never seen a poster say that they like all three. Or one just like Hopkins & Calzaghe or Jones & Calzaghe. I like Hopkins and Jones but respect what all men have done. Great fighters and it is admirable that Calzaghe dominated while having the hand problems he did. I've hit hard heavy bags and I can't imagine that pain x5 fighting for a title especially against a world class fighter. Respect Joe.

As far as his opposition, who could he have fought? Kessler and Lacy were the best he could've fought while Ottke was scared crapping in his trousers. He wasn't known in the States until beating Lacy who was stupidly the favorite. Hopkins was the best at LHW and he fought em, not Zag's fault for Hopkins' age. Reid, Bika, Kessler, Lacy, Hopkins, and Jones(still top 10 when he was beaten) is a decent resume. Guys the best at SMW still and he's been growing on me lately.

 

Calzage gets plenty of respect from you brits, that should be enough for the chap

 

Its funny how hype makes a fight and peoples perceptions.
If you look at Mayweathers fantastic win over Cotto, its highly praised as a top win, yet Calzaghes haters say Eubank was old and shot and had been in wars etc, yet Eubank was the same age as Cotto, hadnt had as many wars as Cotto, had never been beaten before like Cotto and had only lost to one fighter once by debateable decision and the other time by SD.
Same as Wards win over Kessler.
People forget that when Calzaghe beat Sheika, Sheika was a top 10 SMW coming off a win over G Johnson and a better win than Wards win over Green, but one was a hyped fight in America with two American fighters and the other wasnt

 

What kind of opposition and who didnt he face?

 

atsch Lennox Lewis is 1000x greater than Joe!!!

 

The fact that everytime I come on here people like you have to go to such lengths to prop his resume up tells its own story bud. I'm not gonna get involved in tit for tat but I think we all know the score regarding Joe's resume.

 

Many fighters were top 10 when Calzaghe beat them, but not known to America. Veit has a better SMW resume than at least half of the Rings top 10 SMWs but few know that

if you work out how many fighters were top 10 rated and how many became top 10 rated after Calzaghe beat them he fought 22 SMW title fights and 15 were or became top 10 rated. I havent included Ferreyra who had been top 10 rated before fighting Calzaghe

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, Thats very good but even better when you note Calzaghes LHW career, because as a career total it becomes

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He fought

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fighters who were rated when he fought them. Reid, Sheika, Woodhall, Veit2, Brewer, Mitchell, Ashira, Manfredo, Lacy, Kessler, Jones, Hopkins, Bika. Eubank got rated for his loss so could be included to make

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Found the time to drop by, Jasper?

If Joe was a yank he would have been roided up, man. Up to his eyeballs. Facing a Calzaghe on the juice is no laughing matter. He would have been an unstoppable slapmachine. Only Roy Jones would stand a chance.

 

So you couldnt answer or put forward a positive debate. You see when makes a statement that they cant back up or answer, you know they dont know what they are going on about

 

I dont need to put up a debate. Joe has many detractors for a reason. And so many people like you exist to constantly prop his record for a reason. It doesn't speak for itself when you look beyond the numbers. There is a reason Hopkins has multiple losses and Joe has none, but he's still rated above Joe, and Joe has even beat him.

 

Interesting thanks. How was Eubank's condition from the Thompson wars opposed to his condition in the Calzaghe fight? I heard he was drained but not sure. Still a good resume and impressive he's beaten these guys with the hand problems he had. He was better than any SMW now though I'm interested in Bute & Ward but they're not in his class.

Two of his best wins are Calzaghe's former victims in Bika and Kessler. Froch win was class. All his best wins are those not from the States. Still loved his showings against Green & Abraham though the do nothing for legacy.