This is simply the best post dedicated to Joe Calzaghe that ESB has ever produced. Sir, I salute you.
Joe beat exactly one elite fighter in his prime and that is Kessler. His resume and career is about 90% garbage. His backers are delusional.
Kessler didn't look too elite against Andre Ward. He had looked good before he beat Joe, but he hadn't really beaten any real top-class fighters. I think we'll need to see how the Super Six pans out before we crown Kessler as an 'elite' fighter, he honestly doesn't justify that description at the moment IMO.
totally agree :good 100% Calzaghe is like Green these days fighting old bums and guys with heatlh issues/problems but you what you expect from guys who prey to haye :yep there is old saying: when there is no fish the Crab(crayfish) is the fish :yep
I'll make it simple for the ******s trying to defend this fraud. They all ducked him. Have a good day.
I'm just trying to point out that Valuev was(ironically enough) 46-0. It in itself did not make him a great fighter. The level of competition matters. JCC jr could go 71-0, but anyone....I mean anyone, consider him an atg? Mayweather did fight good comp, especially early. His choices in recent years have been a little more dubious. To me, if the 0 wasn't there, he would have been free to take some of the riskier fights. I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of Ottke, however his resume is also littered with the likes of Brewer, Thornberry, Mitchell and Starie.....maybe more. Their resumes are similar up until Jeff Lacy and they fought in the same circles, with Calzaghe desperately trying to get Ottke into the ring. But I'm sorry, Manfredo, Kessler, and aged Hopkins and Jones aren't enough to tip the scales IMO. But, I digress..... Point is, you are not only as good as your record says you are. Your record is only as good as the competition it was hammered out against.
If Calzaghe was some black dude from Atlanta the bozo that started this thread would be here claiming he was the best ever.
Anyone whether black asian or white, American or European. If his fan boys call him an ATG, and his best wins are: Kessler (One dimensional eurobot) Hopkins (SD - 43 year old) Reid (SD) Eubank (Past it and weight drained) Lacy (Hypejob - Hype not justified from Pre Calzaghe or Post Calzaghe) Then that fighter's resume would be called lacking, and weak. No matter what race, or who his dad was related to.
Otke fought at a higher level than Calzaghe when both were active before Calzaghe stepped up against Lacy
Is that why the Ring magazine consistently had Calzaghe #1 in the division during the time they were both active then?
Thats Bull****: 1999: Ottke #1, Calzaghe #2 2000: Ottke #1, Calzaghe #2 2001: Ottke #1, Calzaghe #2 2002: Calzaghe #1, Ottke #2 2003: Calzaghe #1, Ottke #2 Source: http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine's_Annual_Ratings:_Super_Middleweight--2000s