This may have been covered before, but it's worth another go IMO. 15 rounds for the super middle crown. What's your call?
Neither man has ever fought over 15 rounds, but assuming that their outstanding conditioning would hold them, I like Calzaghe big. I prefer Froch as a man and a fighter, but Calzaghe was a class above IMO. He's physically more gifted, almost as driven, even more difficult to box. Something like 10-5 on my card. He might lose two or three of the last four though to tighten that, you can never tell when you haven't seen either man do the distance.
I used to always favour joe here but prime for prime I think I now go with carl. From the fights of his i've seen (pretty much his entire career) he's only been troubled by slick elusive type boxers. Joe likes to stand and fight and overwhelm with punch variety and angles. He likes to use his footwork and jab to offset his opponent. Carl can outjab joe if they fight that way. More importantly he can walk down his slaps and nail him with telling punches that would win him the rounds. Both have fantastic stamina and conditioning so I think it goes the distance. Carl edges an 8-7 type victory.
No way does Carl outjab Calzaghe. No way. I'd put my house on it. Calzaghe has the best jab in SMW history when it's on. He out-jabbed Kessler ffs and people were talking about his as being the best jab in the world before their fight. The only guy predicting Calzaghe would out-jab Kessler that I read was dismissed as a nutter.
I kindly disagree, I think froch beats him to the punch with his jab and walks through joe's own jab. Infact I thought froch himself outjabbed mikel when they fought.
I agree with your assessment, Froch is so well liked and respected that a lot of people will pitch him higher than they probably should compared to all boxers in general and not just Joe Calzaghe. When comparing Calzaghe and Froch we have one boxer who is disliked in some quarters and one boxer that is generally liked, if personalities are taken out of it and they are judged on their results in the ring then Calzaghe is miles better both in quality of wins and in a head to head match up senario, we even have Kessler as a direct form line.
See, if the fight had happened, you know that Calzgahe wouls have stipulated a fight in Wales, like he usually did. He knew how to improve his chances for a points victory, getting a Welsh ref and crowd in with him was vital to a lot of his early stoppages and scrapey points wins. And sadly, Carl Froch would have taken the bait becuae he is so fearless, and you know what happens then - the welsh ref would have cut Froch out the game and helped Zaghes to a points win, cancelling out Zgahes defensive weaknesses. Add to that, Zaghes was better ring tech. So I am sorry Froch fans, but in the REAL WORLD, prmie Cal is always going to take prime Froch. Though prime Froch takes old Zaghes without a doubt.
I think I had froch winning 7-5 and joe winning 9-3. Obviously we'll never know for certain since the two will never fight. But I suspect froch would win a close fight with his ability to walk joe down being the difference.
Only 18 of Calzaghes 46 fights was in Wales, including 5 of the first 7 when he was starting off . 25 of Froch's 31 fights have been in England, including 14 in Notts itself and 1 on the doorstep in Derbys.
Calzaghe by wide UD, possibly visiting the canvas once though. Froch is a touch too slow, he'd eat a load of leather in this one. Not as much as Lacy, but a boatload nonetheless. Calzaghe darting in and out, outworking Froch, getting hit but taking it well, rounds in the bank. He has the chin, the stamina and ring generalship to be a wide odds-favorite to last until the end, and I can't see him losing many rounds against Carl Froch. Consider the fight Froch had with Jermaine Taylor when predicting this match-up.
based on numbers, both favoured home but interestingly froch moreso i guess. the question is: how many dodgy or close decisions and stoppages did the fighters receive in their hometowns? not saying either way but that's the real question
i haven't seen last nights fight yet and it may change my mind, but the carl froch from every OTHER fight loses to prime calzaghe.