Just how good was Joe Calzaghe?

You're going to get pulled up for that "linear lightheavyweight champion" bit mate.....:deal

 

From a strictly lineal point of view Michalczweski-Gonzales-Erdei is how the title changed hands.

 

I think the guy was an exceptional fighter but we'll never really know how good he was because he didn't fight enough of the other elite in his prime. It's a shame. He must have been a bit insecure about his ability or just lacked ambition.

 

I did not see many of his fights, but what he did to RJJ was unbelievable.

 

a top fighter that was never really tested.

 

is that sarcasm?

 

Pure ****.

 

How many threads have been created on this subject is ridiculous and its now getting a bit boring.

Anyhow, ill vote a modern great, and add that he went to the USA too late in his OWN career, and fought RJJ when he should have fought someone like Pavlik or Dawson to shut the Americans up.

 

He beat who was put in front of him and he had top notch ****in skills. He came to fight.
Fighters who get knocked down want to take a breather and back off, Calzaghe never done that style when knocked down, he wanted the toe to toe ****. Early days of boxing if you didnt perform and tried to hide then the fans would axe or knife you up ,most fighters today wouldnt last a round, there was no getting away. Calzaghes up there with the best of them!

 

DM unified, noob.

 

B+ ATG record, very underrated skills (unique style, superb adaptability, taking away weapons, overlooked slickness, probably ATG top10 stamina).

Joe would have dominated in the 15 rounds era, but other than the great SMW run with few quality names and a late but still great Hopkins, also over the hill Jones and Eubank, he doesn't have the wins to back up a top30-40 ATG position, about 41 to 50 sounds good to me.

I think the Kessler fight will stand time as it was just a stunning display of skills between the genearation's best two SMWs, the Lacy fight because of the dominance on the elite level, and the Hopkins fight because of many debates and the unique last rounds, watching Hopkins clueless and out of breath, and TBH, it was the only time I've ever seen that from Nard.

In a way, Calzaghe is overrated (record), underrated (skills) and overlooked (some excellent performances).

 

he's a modern day great.

i miss calzaghe threads. is he coming back?

 

DM never held the WBC light heavyweight championship. Umm, noob...