No one is over rating Tarver and Griffen, people just saying that a fight with those men would have been more respectful for Calzaghe, than Rick Thornberry or Branko Sobot. Or Tocker Pudwill or David Starie.
Roy dropping down from HW and fighting that hungry version of Tarver was better than most things Joe has done in my opinion.
That hungry version of Tarver who wasn't good enough to beat any other really big name except Roy Jones Jr? Don't kid yourself. Take subjective opinions out of it Best Win/Loss percentage? Calzaghe Best Win/Loss percentage of fighters fought? Calzaghe Number of title fights? Calzaghe Number of previous/future/current champions beaten? Jones Jr, then Calzaghe Number of undefeated/once defeated fighters beaten? Calzaghe. Number of current Top 3 P4P fighters beaten? Calzaghe Yeah, his resume is so ****.
I never said his resume was ****, just that I think most people underrate Jones' win over Tarver considering the circumstances, and I think that win alone after dropping down from HW is better than most things Calzaghe has done, never said all Calzaghe has done. How many fighters in the past have dropped from HW and beat the #1 LHW in the very next fight? And the best version of Tarver was when he was fighting Roy Jones, it was never the same Tarver after that, something about fighting Roy fueled him, in the first two fights anyway. And if you read my above posts, I am one of the ones that said Calzaghe is a great fighter.:yep
I don't think it rates on the scale of beating Eubank personally, solely because of how green Calzaghe was and how experienced Eubank was. I'd also argue that Kessler is a better win, solely because "The Magic Man" really didn't do anything but beat Jones Jr.
Warren took Hatton to America aged what, 27? He took Naz aged 23 or 24 too? Warren has always said he looks after his fighters, gets them a retirement fund by fighting stiffs untill the later years, then takes them state-side. With Calzaghe, Warren has always said he tried and tried to get Joe to the states, but Joe wouldn't. He was happy fighting the stiff at Cardiff Ice Rink. There was a Warren article with backup quotes from the then HBO or Showtime director (can't remember which) basically backing up what Warren said. HBO or Showtime offered a lot of money to bring him over in 2004, maybe earlier, and Joe wouldn't have it. He even faked a fear of flying. The bottom line is Joe had no or little desire to test himself against the best. Hatton and Naz did.
Ok, I thought it was undefeated or once undefeated. Though I just counted that too, they are both at 16... But Roy's list looks much more impressive.
Tarver of RJJ 1 fight was more of threat than Eubank of Calzaghe fight. Tarver was the main man at LHW, while Eubank wasnt close to being the main man at SMW. Tarver had many physical advantages vs RJJ, Eubank didnt have much physical advantages vs Calzaghe. Eubank didnt look nothing like what he was in his prime, Tarver was in his prime.
undefeated or once defeated fighters beaten by Jones and Calzaghe. Roy Amudsen Thomas Hopkins Toney Brannon Griffin Del Valle Grant Hall Harding Harmon Gonzalez Kelly Woods Tarver Hanshaw Joe Littlewood Wilson Delaney Hughes Sobot Reid Starie Sheika Veit Jimenez Mkrtchgan Veit Ashira Lacey Bika Kessler They have the same amount by my count, but Roy's list is clearly stronger, though they both have good wins and bums in their lists.
I don't consider Calzaghe beating Eubank on the same scale for the simple fact of Roy losing weight, when you are almost pure muscle like Roy, and drop weight fast, it is not the same thing as a guy that balloons up with fat between fights. It is not too often a fighter fights at HW, and drops down to LHW and beats the champ in his very next fight. As a matter of fact I can't remember it happening in my lifetime, I could be wrong though. Though a younger less experienced fighter beating an aging champ happens quite a bit. I was impressed with Calzaghe over Eubank, but I hold Roy beating Tarver under those circumstances, the greater win.