Beterbiev v Calzaghe

I think that with a perfect fight plan Calzaghe has the talent and especially the speed needed to pulling off some kind of hit and don't be hit win. He'd have to keep moving and not get cornered at all costs. Use his speed as much as possible and forget about trying to hurt Beterbiev because then Artur gets his chance to land back. To be honest Calzaghe liked to let rip with flurries and he looked damn good doing it but in this one that gives Beterbiev a chance to land back. that's bad. Joe needs to have his feet on fire and restrict himself to potshots and 1-2s.

Gvozdyk, who has become very underrated around here since Beterbiev turned him inside out, was boxing very well for a while and I thought he was on course to pull it off. But Gvozdyk has big power of his own and obviously wanted to make some sort of a statement against Beterbiev. He exchanged a couple of times too often and was unable to constitutionally absorb the triphammer blows Beterbiev dishes out. I'd fancy Calzaghe more if Beterbiev was just some brute using the "hit as hard as you can" strategy but he is not. His punches, even though very hard, are quite short and controlled. He doesn't get off balance throwing them which means a guy that liked to make his opponents miss and then punish them for it like Calzaghe, isn't going to have his usual breadth of opportunities in this respect.

 

No offence taken, friend

 

Any thread with Calzaghe in it is going to go down like a lead balloon on here. Criminally underrated by a lot of people because he wouldn't play the game the way they wanted him to.

Roy Jones will always be remembered as the greatest of that era in and around those weights but he was also likely a drugs cheat and considering that he relied a lot on his 'athleticism' we'll never really know how good he was without his secret sauce.

I never liked Hopkins in or out of the ring and loved watching Toney fight when he was at his best and hated watching him at his worst.

I think Calzaghe likely regrets not schooling Froch on his way out considering what Froch went on to do and what that would have added to his resume but then again it's unlikely he gets a Super 6 invite if he's just been embarrassed by Calzaghe in a 12-0 loss.

 

I guess he might do the volume 'slick' thing.
But he got dropped by old Hopkins who has way less power than Beterbiev.
Unfortunately I think Mr HGH wins this one by battering.
Calzaghe had his 'chin', but so did Callum Smith.

 

This is the thing, people forget that the Calzaghe who fought Hopkins was pretty removed from his prime too. I'd like to match up a younger less injured hands Calzaghe with Beterbiev if we're making this a fantasy fight.

 

No i think Calzaghe was naturally Light Heavyweight he often had alot of problems making weight, and yes i do think Beterbiev is a Cruiserweight/Small sized Heavyweight fighting at Light Heavyweight.

It is when Calzaghe does fight very aggressively and relies on his workrate aswell, he would be fighting against a literal brick wall who he couldn't hurt and who would have considerable size and power over him.

Yes Calzaghe was skillful but he was often hit by alot clean punches......Woodhall, Reid, i seem to remember hitting Calzaghe at will right hands. Dropped and considerably hurt by Salem, Mitchell, and of course decked twice in his only two fights at Light Heavyweight.

No i think Gvozdyk was elite.

 

Beterbiev breaks down and brutally stops that dancing fairy.

 

Hard to say logically you'd assume Bivol is better because well....we've seen more of him to base an opinion on. But there isn't anyone on Bivol's resume that I wouldn't favour Gvozdyk to beat including Canelo at Light Heavyweight.