Boxrec ranks Joe Calzaghe...

Joe never beat anyone as slick, skilled and physical as Ward at SM. And Ward is a winner, he always finds a way.

 

Agreed.

 

would have to think on the number.....I would put him higher though ...for sure. Damned fine boxer.

 

All to be taken with a pinch of salt as I'm a big Zaggers fan...

IMO based on resume, i'd have Joe maybe around 100ish - Joe has a decent resume, but it could have been a LOT better - some of that wasn't his fault, but alot of it was on Joe & Frank Warren

P4P H2H I'd have Zags a lot higher - stylistically, his boxer-swarmer-volume style, coupled with his insane engine, solid beard & recovery powers, deceptively heavy hands, great footwork & angles - and maybe most importantly - ring iq & adaptability makes him a really tough match up for anyone. I think his ceiling was higher than we saw too, but obviously that's all hypothetical now

Whilst I'd have prime RJJ as the favourite if they met "prime for prime" (let's say Roy from the Toney shutout, vs the A+ Zags from the Lacey drubbing), I'd give Calzaghe more chance than pretty much anyone else (not named Michael Spinks) to beat prime Roy.

IMO Zags decisions Ward as well.

 

I|t's all subjective once you get to that elite level. He's certainly an ATG and #1 at SMW.

 

You would rank him higher than number 24 of all time, across all divisions, throughout the entire history of the sport?

 

We’re talking about the entire history of the sport, across every weight class.

Even on a H2H basis, how on earth could he rank a lot higher?

You’re seriously claiming that he’s one of the greatest fighters in the entire history of the sport?

As in being ranked within the top 20 H2H??

 

Joe always found a way to win ......and had far more fights over a longer period of time.
Wards best win is Kessler who Joe already beat and he did it without headbutting and fouling unlike Ward...

 

Ward's "style" isn't a condition for greatness or anything.

 

I was in Swansea in 2006 with some friends. This place looks SOO much like the shack they'd have band practice occasionally.

 

A way to win against who? Ward would have mopped up all of Joe's opponents.

 

Even the operators of Boxrec know that their rankings are not a good, impartial list for ranking fighters across all decades. It's been acknowledged as such. The algorithm promotes alphabet titles, which inevitably skews results. So Calzaghe gets a big bump for his WBO defenses, despite the title itself being viewed as largely a European trinket at the time.

I did like Calzaghe but he's closer to #24 on an all-time European p4p list than one that accounts for everyone across all nations.

 

I never asked a question numb nuts you just did...
Ward never fought anyone as good as Joe. It goes both ways. The reality is he beat the unbeaten version of Kessler and he didn't need to cheat.
Ward was holding onto life at the end of the Froch fight (who had already been beaten by Kessler). Froch had a good gas tank but not as good as Joe's and as for skill and adaptability nowhere near. Yet you or one of the other clowns reckoned Joe ducked Froch who was British champ and Joe was finishing his career moving up in weight for higher profile fights in the US....
The hypocrisy is hilarious. As you would still be moaning if he took the Froch fight and skipped Hopkins and Jones.
You see haters will always use mental gymnastics and hypocrisy whilst lacking the self awareness to acknowledge the same.