Why wasn't Calzaghe given more credit for his wins against RJJ and Hopkins?

Hopkin's career was far from over, and Joe's was closer to the end than his.

The Roy win means nothing though.

 

Joe was the heavy favourite in this win and Roy was pretty done by then. Hopkins was P4P ranked doing into the fight though and I feel he gets his credit, if they feel Joe won the fight.

 

43 years old, Joe got knocked down, super close decision. Not exactly a legacy defining fight.

 

He should get credit for Hopkins but not RJJ. Hopkins at 40+ schooled Pavlik, tarver, and others

 

Son of Goossen would have elbowed, low blowed and headbutted calzaghe

 

Calzaghe went to their home country and beat them both convincingly.
The Hopkins win was better and more satisfying because of the trash he was talking.

 

As to undefeated legends built in no small part on beating seniors who otherwise had marginal competition, that also reflects Marciano, right? And, let's look at the objective biostats.The life expectancy of a black male in the U.S. was 59.7 in 1953 (mid-point of the Marciano fights). In 2008 (when Calz fought Hopkins and Jones) it was 70.0. Viewed in those terms, Marciano was fighting guys a decade older. And, although granted he was 42, B-Hop wasn't completely shot (ask Moore if fatso Foreman was at 45). Otherwise, Calz is due all credit for owning Lacy and particularly Kessler, both prime and at their natural weight. Nutshell is Calz cleaned out his division then cashed in on a couple of names to close the show by fattening his imminent retirement account (he made the majority of his career earnings in his last 3 fights). Darn good business move as boxers go! 68 never has been / never will be a legacy division and, like 30, 40 and cruiser, has always functioned as the lily pad it was meant to be (Canelo, eh what?). Joe C's other real smart move was staying at 68, and further great credit being able to stay SUPER disciplined over 15 years do so as he filled out into his 30s and walked around at 200 no less given being a genetic Italian v. Welsh. Then in the 11th hour he stepped up just a tad as said for the windfall. Not like he suddenly challenged for the WBO heavyweight title or some such circus act. Even contemplating ATG matches at 68 is a very bare cupboard. Hmmm. Calzaghe v. Dick Tiger? I'm not just biased because I'm an (American) ancestral Welshman on both sides (bloody hell as they say in the UK, all us stone-to-the-bone Welsh dudes were 6 foot supermiddles in our prime). So, a la Marciano, Joe got out unbeaten and without ducking anyone and now many years later still has his marbles and his money and that's an upper 1%er managed career as this cruel sport goes (in that regard I'll next cover Gene Tunney).

 

Super Joe bounced both their asses and gave them a boxing lesson.

 

Only thing I'd really dispute there is that Zags - as much as I loved him as a fighter - didn't really clean out his division due to the spectre of Ottke over in Germany also having 15+ defences of his belt.

The reasons for why they never unified are many, but primarily comes down to the fact that Brick Top was never gonna let Cazlaghe go to Germany to be robbed like Reid, Brewer & Mitchell; but by the same token, Ottke was never going to leave his cosy corruption-den to come over to the UK either; and this was well before folks like Turki throwing globs of cash around to fight in neutral venues!

But the Cazlaghe & Ottke both having a crazy amount of defences over a long period of time AT THE SAME TIME is a blight on both their resumes.

NB - i have no doubts that Zags would have won a UD in a neutral venue with impartial judging

 

Some of the Calzaghe nuthuggers need to get a life. The man has been retired for 18 years.

 

He went to their home country?

And?

He should have been there years earlier.


He didn’t beat Hopkins convincingly.


Yes, the comments by Hopkins were awful.

 

Rocky fought the best available to him at the time.

He couldn’t do anymore than that.


Joe was happy defending a low level title for a decade, against mostly non world level guys.

He didn’t clear out his division. It wasn’t his fault, but we can’t claim that he cleaned it out.


The weight issue can be looked at from different angles.

Yes, it was impressive how he could keep making 168.

It was extremely hard to do.


However, he could have moved to 175 years earlier than he did, and to pursue better opponents, including the world’s best fighter.

To me, his actions showed a lack of ambition.

 

His "credit" is being overrated for the last 18 years

 

As far as I remember, Joe was on the canvas in both fights in the first round. And while Joe clearly outpointed Roy (Joe did to Roy what RJJ did to opponents in his prime), in the case of Hopkins some say Joe didn’t win at all. It’s clear that both RJJ and Bernard Hopkins were past their prime.

 

Please don't parrot what you see other parrots parrot. Mitchell was given an exemplary boxing lesson against 'The Phantom' Sven In Germany, admitting his defeat himself.

It was actually

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's subsequent bout against Mitchell which turned out to be controversial .