Who ranks higher All time? Hopkins or Calzaghe?

Eubank did come out of retirement and fought some no hopers in the middle east. His last high profile bout was Steve Collins 2 years prior.

Collins or Eubank would have been a tough fight for Calzaghe regardless who he fought out of the two.

But Eubank went from LHW Hard puncher Mark Prince to which he would have made weight without extra exercise/diet to going to Slick slap master southpaw Calzaghe to whom he only knew 2 weeks beforehand that he would need to lose extra weight.

A green Calzaghe should get respect for beating the veteran no one is denying that. I am of the opinion a dedicated, prime Chris Eubank would have beaten Calzaghe with ease, Calzaghe caught Eubank at a good moment when Eubank was:-

- Semi retired
- Had 2 weeks notice to change preparation/strategy for a new opponent.
- Fighting bums in the middle east.
- Coming out of retirement.
- Thinking about becoming a promoter in the Middle East.
- No longer fighting at SMW, but rather 2 divisions above at CW.
- Suffering for receding hairline causing loss in vanity and no longer stallion.
- Had 2 weeks to drop down from a scheduled LHW bout to a SMW fight.
- Was preparing for a regular fight with Mark Prince then had sudden change to a World Title fight.
- Still upset about losing his 0.
- Thinking about revenge against Steve Collins and looking too far ahead.

Calzaghe's timing here was good. No way did Calzaghe beat a Prime Chris Eubank.

:deal

I think failey and failed having one letter missing could mean it is a typo error but still funny to see bailey using the term failey that was coined on his experiences on ESB.

 

:huh?
Will leave you with that one. If you cant see a difference with a fighter having been involved in 21 world title fights to a fighter involved in 0, or make a valid point against it, you run with it

 

Titles won:
Joe Calzaghe: 1 Weight, 5 titles.
- SMW: WBO, IBF, WBA, WBC, Lineal
Bernard Hopkins: 2 Weight, 12 titles.
- MW: IBF, WBC, WBA, WBO, Lineal
- LHW: IBO, NBA, WBC, IBF, WBA, IBA, Lineal

Former Champions beaten:
Joe Calzaghe: 7 (Eubank, Reid, Woodhall, Brewer, Mitchell, Hopkins, RJJ)
Bernard Hopkins: 11 (Aquino, Jackson, Brown, Holmes, Trinidad, Daniels, Joppy, Hoya, Tarver, Wright, RJJ)

Reigning Champions beaten:
Joe Calzaghe: 2 (Kessler, Lacy)
Bernard Hopkins 8 (Holmes, Trinidad, Joppy, Hoya, Pavlik, Pascal, Cloud, Shumenov)

Future Champions beaten:
Joe Calzaghe: 2 (Kessler, Bika)
Bernard Hopkins 3 (Johnson, Hoya, Tarver)

Undefeated Fighters beaten:
Joe Calzaghe: 5 (Delaney, Hughes, Veit, Lacy, Kessler)
Bernard Hopkins: 7 (Harris, Ritchie, Lipsey, Johnson, Trinidad, Pavlik, Cloud)

Past/Present/Future Champions KO'd:
Joe Calzaghe: 2 (Woodhall, Mitchell)
Bernard Hopkins: 6 (Jackson, Johnson, Brown, Trinidad, Daniels, Hoya)

 

Possibly no one. But I rate the Tarver victory up there. Which Tarver himself has a great victory over Jones, but his overall body of work is not that of greatness. I don't doubt Calzaghe has a couple single better wins than Hopkins, but I think Ugly's overall body of work is greater. Though I do consider Calzaghe a great of his generation and all time really.

 

Thats a good honest post.
I think Hopkins did a great body of work over 2 divisions whilst most of Calzaghes is over 1 division, and if I thought it was only 1 better win, would possibly have swayed more to Hopkins, but with what I count as 3 wins, favour Calzaghe.

 

I re-edited it.

I didn't include national level titles, but you can add the British title for Calzaghe and USBA MW title for Hopkins making it 6 titles for Calzaghe, and 13 titles for Hopkins. Hopkins also won some diamond WBC belt forget them if we stick to the main 4 plus lineal. Calzaghe won 5, to Hopkins won 9.

Here is the lineage:-

Virgil Hill and Henry Maske, both being #1 and #2 in the LHW division fought for the vacant Lineal LHW championship.

Virgil Hill was then beaten by Dariusz Michaleovwsiki (DM) who was beaten by Julio Cesar who was beaten by Erdei who moved up to Cruiserweight making the lineal championship vacant.

Dawson and Pascal then fought and established a new lineage as they were #1 and #2 in the division.

Hopkins then beat Pascal and became the Lineal champ.

Calzaghe doesn't fall into this lineage. Calzaghe is a one weight lineal champ. Hopkins done it in two.

Titles won, KO's done, and Champs beaten are facts, but which win is better than the other win varies from fan to fan. As Hopkins clearly triumphs in titles won, KO's done, champs beaten it should be enough for naysayers to just accept Hopkins ranks higher than Calzaghe.

Buster Douglas probably has a better single win than Wladimir Klitskcho, but cannot be ranked ahead of Wlad.

Each organisation has one main champ and Veit was never the main WBO champ, he was below calzaghe. If you want to include interims you would have to include Robert Allen (IBF interim champ).

Calzaghe best KO win is over Byron Mitchell.

I consider the TKO12 over Trinidad, and the schooling of Pascal and Tarver better than those wins.

We can discuss win comparisons, but first let everyone accept Hopkins triumphs Calzaghe when it comes to Titles won, champs beaten and KO's scored as these are factual figures not derived opinions.

 

Zaggers :happy

 

Hopkins most brutal KO:-

[yt]ScRv9xzLeW8[/yt]

---------------------------------------------

Calzaghe's most brutal KO:-

[yt]s2d2UzAch8g[/yt]

:roflatsch

 

I'll take "stupid questions" for 2000, Alex. SMH

 

pathetic look at the way he wiggles his hand.

calzaghe looks like he is having a boogie at Elvis night down the newbridge old timers club.

 

Zaggers :happy

 

Why do you call that Calzaghes most brutal KO?
You know its not and you are someone who mentioned about others votes should not be included. Seems a bit of the pot calling the kettle there