Joe Calzaghe or Ricardo López: which had the greater career?

Yeah, that kind of longevity of dominance into your thirties in that weight range is quite special.

 

For perspective on that: if he stays unblemished and keeps boxing for world titles as deep as López did, Chocolatito will probably have to be considered the p4p #1 for his generation...and you could make a strong argument for casting an even wider net as he would then have the clout to be sized up against Mayweather/Pacquiao. :think

 

I think most boxing fans need a crash-course in the 155lbs and 108lbs scene of the 1990s... the poll has me suspecting there is a lot of purely Boxrec-centric research going on.

 

Jones was maybe the best ever super middle but he wasn't there long enough to be counted among the "greatest". :good

 

I'm not. I agree, h2h Jones is the best. There is a distinction between greatest and best, however, and not just a trifling semantic one.

 

Bika had more (albeit few & isolated) truly successful moments against Bute than either Ward or Calzaghe.

 

López is considered by most serious modern historians and fans well-versed enough in his era and reigns to comment to have been among the most technically excellent boxer-punchers and best p4p all-around fighters of the last couple of generations. There are countless arguments in favor of his greatness to be found on the Classic Boxing section of this and virtually any other large forum centered on the sport. I think far more of the pro-Calzaghe votes are from people ignorant of López and carrying agendas than pro-López votes. (though I'll definitely concede they probably do account for some, given how divisive he is)

 

Brewer only really had power going for him (along with an excellent chin, outside getting done in by a single uppercut from Lonnie Beasley early in his career; Herol Graham notably once said Brewer had the best chin of anyone he fought) and Calzaghe had a cast iron chin, so that was never really going to work out well for the Hatchet.