Comparing Resumes: Hopkins & Calzaghe

Well for years (even as far back as the late '90s) he always claimed to have difficulty making 12st. Why not go up and challenge some of the big boys at light heavy then... Jones, Michaelczewski....
...or did it mean mean more to defend a solitary WBO belt in fights against against Tocker Pudwill?

Fact is, whatever fights didn't happen for whatever reason, for whatever excuse, how can any "elite" level fighter go ten or so years without a single big fight?
For someone who claimed he wanted them so badly he sure went a long, long, long time without having one.

 

it just annoys me that people say lacy 'was never that good anyway' and use that against him, when he was indeed the guy who ruined or exposed lacy

 

OK Harry Greb was amazing in his day!!! But would he last with some of the modern day legends!!! Doubt it very much, Joe Calzaghe was amazing in a dire division- Would he have lasted with some of the true modern day legends.... doubt it very much.

What did Calzaghe do that was great other then windmill? His chin wasn't that good. He was adaptive in the fact that if he boxed and it didn't work out he could windmill and vica versa....

Its talked about because its not accepted. If I thought Calzaghe was great why would I argue otherwise? Because he's white? Because he's welsh? Because he makes a numpty of himself occasionally? lol..... My surname is Thomas FFS

I've got nothing against Calzaghe i'd be privledged and honored to meet him but it doesn't change the fact that he recieves undue praise.

 

thats so dumb i feel stupid for replying

 

Yep. I agree. He almost came to prominence as everyone else cancelled each other out. Stole four half decent wins and called himself a legend.

 

Any second now Uncle Calzaghe (HOF)'s going to appear or Mr Plow.... lol....

 

He receives undue and constant hate, thats the flip side.

He didn't just windmill, and you should know that. He windmills where other fights might be doing absolutely nothing and waiting for an opening. That is the whole point, he's content to just work and take the round, and when a opening did come up he did have the ability to punch more correctly. If he was really just windmilling constantly nobody would respect his power.

He didn't have a great chin, does everybody need a great chin? It was better than good, very good I'd say, and he always recovered well.

He had outstanding footwork. An amazing jab, and the ability to always take away his opponents jab.

The unorthodoxy I've already mentioned works for him, and all his opponents say the same thing. You can't prepare for that, and this is probably where how 'good' he looks gets lost in viewing, because what might be seen as sloppy and non-textbook by some is simply non-conformist IMO. It might look bad, but evidently its a lot more difficult to deal with than it appears.

Basically he was a very good all-round fighter inside and out with the ability to make adjustments, an unorthodox fighter with endless stamina and overall very good physical ability. Overall its a very difficult package to deal with, even if he's not 'great' in one particular discipline.

 

a mix between Warren and being high risk, low reward

 

Come on guys this isn't even close.

 

Thats fair. I think you should PM me this everytime I get pissed off with Calzaghe. :good

 

To an extent but you can't blame ten whole years on that. If Calzaghe wanted it, he would have got something. I can't believe anybody can go that long without a single major fight, and blame everything and everyone else making excuses for things not happening. It just doesn't wash.
Hatton pushed Warren and wound up with the Tszyu fight. What did Joe do? He was too content to live in the comfort zone of the Cardiff International Arena for all those years (most Americans didn't even know who he was until 2006!).

 

Warren got Khan from a L KO 1 against a nobody to a world title victory on PPV in three fights.

This guy is the Jesus Christ of promotional miracles.

 

Calzaghe should have fought Hopkins many moons ago, and it was Hopkins that made it difficult and not Calzaghe by backing out in negotiations.

 

Why I get (or got) pissed off with Calzaghe is because he retired leaving you still in doubt as to how good he actually was.

I guess that is why he will attract endless debate for some time.

At least with someone like Ricky Hatton, even if he packed in tomorrow - which I hope he does - you can accurately assess him against his contemporaries and predecessors.

 

To be fair, who was he supposed to fight that would have ended all doubt as to how good he was?

He could have fought and beat Dawson, or Froch, or whoever else you want to throw up. They are simply another few names to throw into the category of fighters he has on his record. It might add depth but not huge substance.

People would still ask 'Why didn't he fight a great in his prime?'. When Calzaghe retired there was nobody that fit that bill, he missed that boat years earlier.