Joe was still fighting guys like Tokker Pudwell in 02...:rofl:rofl:rofl Shame on Hopkins for not dropping everything to fight an obscure Welsh fighter that slaps like a drowning ******.
If JC was American he would get more attention - both GOOD and BAD - see Mayweather Jr and others. He would get some fans and his local press considering him the 2nd coming for SRR. He would get haters and established writers declaring him worse than a no name Gold Glove winner. In any case, his resume stands - Kessler and Lacy are his best wins. You decide. If Ward or any other boxers best win was Kessler and Lacy where their greatest achievements, would you rank him ATG?
Calzaghe would have not been seen as a Superstar as much b'cause in this Wide White World, he would have just the looks to make an impact in the deep America and in the coast cities. I wouldn't say like Hoya but something very much like a young Vargas ( given the fact that both Hoya and Vargas are latinos)... Happens that Calzaghe would have to be super-protected and wisely managed to reach the point when he faced Lacy, you know?... Undefeated with so many title defenses... Basically he would have to be fed with the lowest-less risk SMW title contenders in the US and actually nobody would notice him until he would beat Lacy even if he would fight from a big italian-american city like Providence, Rhode Island like Peter Manfredo Jr or even NYC or NJ... My guess is that JC would not be more of a star in the US than in the UK, Germany or even from Australia.
If Calzaghe was an American, we would be talking about how well he serves hamburgers and fries during the day, and how much he looks like Cyndie Lopher at his night job at the she-male review.
He stayed at Middleweight and got paid big for beating up the former Super Feather weight champ easy money. Calzaghe pussied out of rematch and was **** scared of Hopkins so much retired. Hopkins/Froch/Pavlik/Dawson retired Calzaghe
Bingo. Mayweather is a good example. Pavlik is another. He went for the low hanging fruit for 3 fights and was crucified for it. Imagine he did that for 10 years. This argument is baseless.
how can you compare Mayweather to Calzaghe. Calzaghe gets his respect for a long SMW reign, Mayweather was moving up weight classes and beating winning titles. An American that had a long reign is Hopkins, and Hopkins got his respect and recognition in 2001 when he faced P4P champion Trinidad. 5 Years after he began his reign. Calzaghe 5 years after his reign was fighting Tocker Pudwill. Calzaghe's only win over a top 10 P4P fighter was Bernard Hopkins and that was a unconvincing SD victory. Which happend 11 years after winning the WBO title.
It would depend.....If he had the EXACT same resume and path to his career he'd be held in same regard as he is now....he may have more US support but less from across the pond. I will say this....had he been an american he probably would have had a much more solid legacy and resume b/c his ability to get TOP level fights would have been easier or more convienent.
The comparison was made because someone brought up how Mayweather, despite being American and a top fighter, still gets **** for ducking opponents and questions about his resume. I wasnt comparing their careers.
If Calzaghe was american he would have had enough balls to get in the ring with prime RJJ and have been destroyed
Eubank was training for Mark - who the **** - Prince, and was training to fight at LHW, not SMW, so had to cut down extra pounds during the crucial last 2 weeks of his training schedule. Then Calzaghe was shaken in the 12th round by a past it and weight drained Eubank. Omar Sheika never fought a 12 rounder in his life up until he fought Calzaghe. No need to big up Sheika like he was an ATG. Robin Reid made Calzaghe his ***** in the first half of the fight go and watch it on youtube. Gimenez was 38 years old when Calzaghe beat him. Hopkins fought better opposion, better unification bouts and more top 10 ranked opponents at MW than Calzaghe did at SMW.