Ray Leonard thinks he can take Calzaghe

As I've said before people look at Joe at 168 and Hagler/Leonard at 160 and assume there is just an 8lb difference. That is a big fallacy. Joe is a career 168lb-175lb fighter from the day before weigh in era, whereas we are comparing fighters from the same day weigh in era to him. That is an extra division right there.

Leonard only fought over 160lb once, against a very average Donny Lalonde, a 175lb fighter that he needed to be weight drained before agreeing to the fight, even then he had his hands full before the weight draining caught up with Lalonde. Had Leonard had genuine wins over good 175lb fighters of his day, the equivalent of 168lb fighters of Joe's career, this might be open to debate but as it is we are trying to compare a guy with one iffy win at same day 168lb with a guy that unified day before 168lb and held a belt for a decade in a far more competitive era for the division, not to mention becoming ring champ at day before 175.

P4P this obviously isnt open to debate but head to head at 168 or over all the sensible money would be on Joe.

 

In their primes Leonard beats him in my opinion, tough fight but he takes him out.

 

I think you are making the common ESB mistake of not being able to differentiate between quality levels and eras, and I'm sure you disagree, so fair enough. Just because Joe Calzaghe may be the best smw since RJJ moved up to lhw in 1996/7 does not mean he is on the same quality level as the best fighters of a far stronger era. Hagler was past-prime when Leonard fought him, but that Hagler still beats Pavlik, Abraham, Kessler and Calzaghe IMO. The Leonard who beat that Hagler was not prime Leonard, but even that Leonard would still be so much more skilled than anyone Calzaghe has fought. Leonard's hands would be faster than Joe's, removing one of Calzaghe's only real weapons. Leonard would outskill and outclass him easier than he did Hagler.

 

Just coz I changed my avatar dont mean we're discussing things.

 

The size difference is not that big. Not nearly as big as the skill difference.

 

a lot of revisionist history going on in this thread.

leanord beat donny lalonde in his first 168 fight ever.
donnly lalonde was a lanky light heavy with little skill at all.


lalonde was forced to ,make 168 for the fight which he found very hard.

the fight itself was a gruelling fight for leanord , struggling against the limited but bigger man, getting cut and legitatmatly knocked down , and having to tough it out and wear the tiring lalonde down to win on stoppage about 9 or 10 when lalondes stamina had gone

lalonde was something like andrade skillwise and speedwise without the chin to put it in perspective of what leanord struggled against.

leonard then took on hearns and again was decked twice and virtually everybody had hearns outboxing the lackluster leanord and winning.
it was given a draw.

leanord then fought duran in a real stinker at 168 , crowd were not impressed and insomnia set in, leanord easily doing enough to beat duran.

that was it .

so what do we learn.

leanord fought 2 bigger men than himself at 168 and struggled very hard both times.

leanord stratergy when he was at the higher weights, was lateral movement/throw a few jabs/hold on 20 times a round to take a breather and 15 second flurrys coming up to the bell.

this was not the skillfull , all conquering welterweight suddenly transformed into the same fighter at super middle, this was the leanord getting by on experince and heart and 50% of what he once was.

 

:drama Sorry, I didn't realize that was you Enzo.

 

Thank you for the common sense sean.

 

Exactly :happy

 

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I have read Calzaghe's autobiography, I don't think Leonard did say he thought he could take Joe anyway, I certainly don't recall that comment.

 

Me neither, doesnt sound like something Leonard would say tbh.

 

Anytime I hear Leonard speaking about Calzaghe, it is always highly complimentary.

 

IMO the only way to beat Joe is to hurt him enough to slow him down and stop the out of control windmill effect and no-one has been able to do that yet so although sugar ray is the far superior fighter I dont see how he could do it. Joe dont care how he's landing as long as he is hitting something !

 

This might be one of the stupidest things I read on a boxing forum ever, if you think Calzaghe can beat a PRIME Hagler you must be nuts. Hagler will walk through those slaps and utterly destroy him, he won't back up from his windmill and I don't think we can even BEGIN to compare the power/strength difference! Might be competitive for 3-4 rounds, MAX. Remember Hagler would have 15 rounds to wear him down.

Leonard/Calzaghe can be debated all day, but the size difference is kinda big. And Calzaghe is definately not Lalonde. Same time we all know Calzaghe can't hurt an amateur let alone a flyweight, so God knows.