Is Joe Calzaghe an ATG?

Me and my mates were actually laughing when Ottke beat Reid - that decision was so bad, we were just laughing that's when boxing became a joke, can you imagine that just flat out falls to the floor laughing I'm starting to laugh now typing this hahahaha have to keep stopping so I don't miss type hahahahha saying that we used to do our own score cards for all the fights and my mates will testify to the legendary night I scored the Starie Calzaghe fight to Starie by 10 rounds to 2 ����

 

Yes... Without a doubt. I just broke the tie. :deal

 

Based on his landslide loss to Starie no - I'm not totally sold on Calzaghe to be honest because I think Jones and Hopkins in their primes would've spanked him good - embarrassed him actually - I think a better Eubanks might take him in deep waters to be honest but maybe I under rate Calzaghe?

 

Of course a prime Jones would have killed him.

 

but not a prime Bhop, don't forget Joe too had a prime before they actually met...

Hopkins, bar his wonderful longevity, is extremely overrated!

 

A prime Jones would have killed the entire German Army single handedly. Just as well for them it was only Joe Louis that was Heavyweight champ during WW2 when you think about it.

 

I'd argue Joe beat Hopkins in "his prime" - Hopkins went on for another 6 years and arguably picked up some of his best wins post losing to Calzaghe.

Hopkins is hard to ascertain "prime" because the reality is, he was a much better boxer at 40 than he was at 30.

Jones Jr vs Calzaghe at 168 is interesting, because if we take them both prime for prime, both of them were stopping the same class of opponents, outclassing them and very rarely struggling.

I'd pick Jones Jr in a H2H prime for prime challenge against anyone from 154 to 175 but Calzaghe is one of the few that I'd expect to make it a decent challenge.

 

I didn't see Calzaghe land many punches on Hopkins, not real punches.
Was an awful "fight", and probably should have been a draw.

 

No, just Calzaghe.

 

The real question is, "Is Joe Calzaghe TBE?" If Floyd thinks he is, so should Calzaghe.

 

Need to change my pick after some of these most recent posts ...

(e.g., "I'd argue Joe beat BHOP in his prime")


Joe's an ATG






if the yardstick is Arturo Gatti



and so is Sven Ottke and Murray Sutherland and Alan Minter and Mikkel Kessler, etc.




But, if the yardstick is Thomas Hearns, RJJ, Hopkins, and Hagler ... nfw

 

Joe's an ATG like Donaire would be if the Philippines didn't have Pacquaio (a legit one) and needed a "like-kind" hero (even a transplanted one) for their kids.

If every country is going to be given an ATG then it is understandable how there is such demand on ESB (with ESB's "background") for Joe to be accorded such status. Especially as no one else could have watched his performances and thought "****, that is one of the greatest talents I've ever seen" rather than "when will this end I've got Joe edging Starie barely" or "damn, Robin landed all the power punches he's got this one clear".

In time Sven Ottke will be recognized as an ATG from Germany (or if the website was run by Germans). Kessler will pick up the status from Denmark. Surely over time Belarus, Georgia, Moldava, etc., etc., etc. will have their representative(s). Canada too. Every country will get theirs. Come one come all.

Time will be kind to many - eventually - as it is a great support for the sport to provide a "like-kind" hero for all populations. Look at how fervently some wish to ignore the obvious and elevate those that sure looked like they beat an awful lot of domestic fare - struggling with mediocrity (Starie, Salem) and rather average talent (Reid) and looked horrible against a 43-year old (prime Jermain Taylor victim three years earlier) albeit ATG (Hopkins). It is not how you look, how you struggle, when you fight better talents, how old they are (in age and/or wear - none of that matters), but that you got the win.

If only Brian Nielsen had avoided ****y Ryan and wrapped his career a little earlier finishing 60-0 he'd be a shoe in too. All he needed was one or two great names at career end no matter how he struggled to win or **** he looked. He just caught Tyson close to three years too early or maybe he could have pulled a Williams or McBride, too. Beat an ATG you become one.

 

Joe is and was a very good fighter. I struggle to put him forward as an all time great. Problem is his competition. He is not Mayweather or Ali.

 

joe is pretty good, enough to match robin reid on equal footing. but there is no evidence to suggest atgness.

 

Roid Jones has about as much chance of killing Joe Calzaghe as you have. None.