List all the fighters you'd favor over Prime Calzaghe 168-175

Because Calzaghe only fought Hopkins and Jones well beyond their physical-prime and people who pick them to beat Calzaghe claim that Hopkins and Jones would have destroyed him in their prime.

I'm more inclined to be favorable to that argument in regards to Jones than Hopkins since its clear to even the casual observer than 2008-Jones was a shadow of the fighter that 2001-Jones had been, but Old-Man Hopkins was and still is an elite-level fighter who's resume shits all over his physical-prime one so I consider it merely a poor excuse to say Hopkins lost to Calzaghe just because of his age.

 

Haha!

 

Hardly anyone who fought at 168 has stats on paper that match Joe's, but that's mainly because guys like Roy and Toney etc passed through, and Joe stayed there is entire career apart from his last 2 fights.

Toney's middleweight record isn't even that good?

What??

The Body snatcher although he was past his absolute peak, was still an absolutely outstanding fighter, and James was only in his early 20's at that point.

Reggie Johnson was also a very good fighter.

What about his victory over Michael Nunn? Nunn was an outstanding fighter.

You're downplaying Toney's 160 achievements, but on the other hand you're bigging up Joe's 21 defences at 168.

You are being ridiculous!

Joe's WBO belt was worth a packet of peanuts. The Ring magazine didn't even have ratings for it. Nobody respected the belt back then. He made 21 defences in 10 years? Do you realise who he fought in those defences? Do you realise that from 97-2006, the 168 division was one of the weakest across all 17 divisions?

Do you seriously think that wins over Reid, Woodhall, Starie, Sobot, Salem, Brewer, Mitchell, Jiminez, Ashira, McIntyre, etc, are better than Toney's wins over McCallum and Nunn etc at 23/24?

Toney's wins at 160, eclipse any of Joe's wins.

 

A flip of a coin to see who would win between Joe and Roy?

Roy at 25??

First of all, Joe would NEVER have fought Roy at his peak.

Also, Roy never backed himself into the ropes when he was young.

You seriously think that Roy would have backed onto the ropes, and allowed Joe to throw?

Go and watch Roy from 94-95.

Reid, Bika and Kessler gave Joe all he could handle, yet it would be a coin toss against a 25 year old Roy?

I don't think so.

 

I think if it was a flip of a coin, Joe would have fought him. I honestly think Joe knew he wasn't on Roy's level when Roy was at his best. I think he knew it would be a fight he would lose, and it would of had to be serious money to get him to give up that 0, money he wasn't going to get.

Roy's skills were ridiculous, there are many I would give more of a chance than Joe.. And its not saying bad about Joe, just stylistically I don't think there are many strengths that would help him against a Prime Roy. I also don't think Joe could keep that high work rate against a 168 Jones for 12 rounds, he would eat too many hard shots.

 

Bang on!

Joe knew that Roy at his peak would have been too much for him.

I came across this the other day.

http://youtu.be/ZbAeGd66CAc

 

For one, Roy was shot to complete ****, that win is meaningless.

Hopkins was a good win for Joe though, but not that clear of a victory. I also think Hopkins was further removed from his best than Joe was. And just because Hopkins is still fighting, doesn't mean that Joe was further out of his prime.

 

Thanks for sharing that!:good

I agree with Roy that Joe would have had a hard time keeping prime Roy off of him,and not Roy having trouble keeping Joe off, which seem to be the prediction of many Calzaghe supporters. I think Joe's huge heart would have actually worked against him in this one, he certainly would have made a good showing for himself, but I just can't see him winning.

 

I don't think Joe would ever have fought him, even if they'd have both been the same age and in the same division.

IF he had've done though, a 25 year old version of Roy would have had no trouble at all. Joe would have been eating right hands. People forget how awesome and fast Roy was. Look at that 2 punch combo against Reggie Johnson, and that was in 99. I'm talking about a 94/95 version of Roy against Joe. There is no way Joe could've beaten him.

Guys like Joe and Ottke should be thankful that Roy just passed through the 168 division, because if he'd have stayed there, these guys wouldn't have accomplished hardly anything at the weight.

People love to talk about Joe's number of title defences, and that he unified etc, but they forget that it took him 10 years, it was the WBO belt, and from 98-2006, the 168 division was one of the weakest divisions across all 17 weight classes.

 

Nah, he almost back out of the fight with the extremely limited Lacy, I think GGG is now on the crown Jewels list now

 

If you could build some sort of time machine and put the best version of Calzaghe in the ring with the best version of guys like Charles, Moore, Spinks, Jones etc, then the blinded Calzaghe fans on here would be in for a massive shock at how one sided these fights would be. Especially as Calzaghe would very well get KO'd by some of these guys.

But of course when ever you ask these people how Calzaghe would defeat such fighters, the only have a two word answer - "work rate"