Joe Calzaghe's Greatest Hits

Fantastic career, awesome fighter, versatile, great chin, heart, ring IQ and will to win. A real nightmare to face.

 

For me, the most accomplished SMW of all time. He beats any SMW today. His win over Hopkins is also underrated, he shut Bernard down from round 7 onwards. Joe won because he was landing his straight left more regularly than Hopkins was landing his right.

 

i would make the obligatory "greatest hits?? he never threw a damn punch" joke but screw it. #1 SMW of all time, as said he was versatile, intelligent, adaptable with great hand and foot speed. resume is **** overall but he had quality

 

He was a very good fighter. I never really enjoyed watching him fight, still don't, I certainly don't regard him as a great fighter or anything, but he was undeniably very, very good, and I always believed as much from the first fight of his I saw. (on 2nd thought, I did enjoy his fight with Kessler. Good stuff there against a quality opponent). He was capable of accomplishing more than he did though.

 

Agree with cobra, he was very good and imo on par as an effective fighter with the best fighters usually rated higher p4p than him a few years back(mexican trio-manny etc) except Floyd.He just wasted too much of his career fighting stiffs and serviceable types for the WBO belt.Eventually picking up all the belts and fighting Hopkins was good but it was still a Eubank-esque close but no cigar sort of career.

Also add he probably benefited from the 168 being around.He would have had a very short prime before becoming a drained husk if he'd opted to fight at 160 and didn't quite have the elusiveness or physical ability to be as good with that style at 175.

 

Good fighter, mediocre resume at best.

Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Joe has a very underrated resume, I would certainly put it on par with Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones resumes, even though that's likely to anger many in here. Don't forget, he cleaned out the SMW division (Beating better opposition than Hopkins to unify at MW), then he stepped up and beat the man at LHW, becoming the in two divisions, whilst remaining undefeated and being a world champion for over 12 years. Calzaghe gets grossly underrated in comparison to two of his adversaries, Hopkins and Jones.

 

Cobra you'd do well to watch him pre-Lacy in his younger years, he was a more dynamic fighter around the Eubank/Woodhall, 2 good performances

1. No they'd just assume you don't know what you're talking about, you may have a slight case with Hopkins but not with Jones

2. No he didn't clean 168, I could list about 10 worthy names he didn't face, he unified but missed important names like

3. Kessler and Lacy are better than Trinidad and Holmes? Really?

4. He's underrated generally but he didn't do nearly as much as those 2 and when Jones was in his prime Calzaghe himself labelled him as unbeatable

Oh wait I just realised which spastic you are, why did I bother?

 

I think you can argue a case for both. Joe faced similar opposition throughout his career to Hopkins, and he holds the win over Hopkins when they faced off (albeit past their primes).

Using your logic, no fighter has ever cleaned out any division atsch

Tell me, who in 2007, after Joe beat Kessler, who was there that everyone wanted Joe to fight? The likes of Froch, Bute, Pascal had accomplished nothing at that point. Kessler already beat Mundine, Andrade, he had the WBA and the WBC and Joe fought and beat him decisively.

In fact, just re-reading your post, you didn't even name the important fighters he missed atsch

Trinidad? Are you serious? That's the equivalent of Andre Ward beating Canelo. Trinidad was in his prime at WW, he had no business at 160. After fighting Hopkins, Trinidad went 2-2, beating a journeyman and Mayorga, before getting schooled by Winky Wright and Roy Jones.

We've been over Roy Jones before, and I've schooled you on the subject repeatedly. Joe also said when both were prime, that he wanted to fight Roy Jones, but Jones didn't want to fight him because he knew Joe could beat him. Depends on how much worth you put into these quotes.

Hopkins dominated one the worst MW era's in history, his two defining wins coming over guys who were in their prime at WW atsch

He got beat by Roy Jones, got beaten twice by Jermain Taylor, and beaten twice by Joe Calzaghe. There's a pattern emerging here, when Hopkins has faced a fast 2 handed fighter at a fair weight, he struggles. His best wins come over guys who he's dragging up in weight, Trinidad, ODLH (who I thought got schooled by Felix Sturm in his previous fight), Wright, Pavlik.

At least Kessler was actually a legit SMW, who's won 3 world titles in the division, and has been one of the top SMW's for the past 7 years. He's had genuine success in the division, Calzaghe beat him when Kessler was undefeated and in his prime. Past his prime, Kessler was still able to beat Carl Froch, and he's considered a defining win for Andre Ward.

Once again, Lacy was a legit SMW, who'd beaten good fighters in Vanderpool, Sheika and Reid prior to facing Joe. I don't think Lacy was ever the same after that defeat. But it remains that he was actually a legit, top ranked SMW, he wasn't being dragged up in divisions to face Joe. Compare him to Holmes, who did beat Woodhall, but lost to Cherifi who lost to Reid.

You also missed out another great SMW win for Joe, Eubank.

Roy Jones never beat a single lineal, unified or undisputed champion. He arguably never beat the man in any division he campaigned at. His level of opposition between facing James Toney, and Tarver is disgraceful. I suppose Beating up the likes of Frazier, Kelly, Harmon on HBO and calling himself P4P number 1 is impressive for you.

Back for more powerpuncher? Haven't I already sent you running with your tail in between your legs on Roy Jones discussions before?

 

100% in agreement, but this was the way of old and IF you trippled Joe's numbers against like men, month after month, would he have remained on top?

would any from today?

So yes, Great today, but just another fighter or contender yesterday!

 

Ive said it before if he was from the bronx or brooklyn or some italian neighbourhood in new york instead of little old newbridge wales he would be considered among the greats.

Cymru am byth