Does Calzaghe get enough respect for fighting the last 4/5 years with brittle hands?

Of course, don't expect him to get it. There's real insecurity on these boards whenever Calzaghe comes into discussion, I suspect it's because he beat both Hopkins and Jones, so fans of both become really insecure, which leads to a lot of stigma whenever Joe is brought up.

Calzaghe broke his hand against Robin Reid ( a top ranked SMW), and managed to win. He injured his hands multiple times, but Joe was a winner, he always found a way to win.

 

:deal Malignaggi too.


I tried Boxing with badly injured hands, and it's not easy. Imagine what they put their bodies through, how many times they hit a bag with those hands? Deserves ALOT more respect than it gets.

 

I agree with you about Calzaghe and Hopkins, throughout his career whenever Hopkins has faced a fast 2 handed fighter at a fair weight, he's struggled.

With Jones, I think Calzaghe would give him the hardest fight of his career, how it would play out, I don't know. However, with Calzaghe's relentless pressure, fast two handed offence and speed, it would be a very hard fight for both.

People criticise Joe's record, however one thing you can't deny is that he always showed tremendous heart in the ring. Look at him getting up to stop Byron Mitchell, fighting through a broken hand against Reid, he was stunned and fought back against Kessler, got cut by headbutt against Bika, got floored in the first round against Hopkins and Jones and got up to win both fights. One of my favourite fighters ever.

I've never sparred with a badly injured hand, however I've gone on pads when I damaged my right hand (on the heavy bag), every time I put a little bit of force on a punch it was murder! I was just basically touching the pad and it still hurt (14 oz gloves!). I can't imagine what it's like to contest a fight, at that level with a broken hand.

 

I've always said it takes a lot of balls to step in the ring knowing you are not going to knock the other guy out. For that I give guys like Paulie M. and Joe Cal respect; they had to be on their game for a full 12 rounds.

 

No.

This was Joe before Hand problems, Made art of slapping :shock:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACgTJhEdj5M[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzcqMU5PY1I[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_5KiSHUCRU[/ame]

Oh dear british lads.:yep

 

your post obviously motivated by Chisora's mastery of Helenius.

Get a grip.

 

Name me one world champion from Finland in the last decade, then come and criticise a fighter like Calzaghe.

 

And he's Swedish.

 

Listen, at the end of the day, what can I say?

 

Greatest British fighter ever!! Didn't feel the need to impress the yanks and they hold it against him!

 

:rofl:rofl:rofl

Just one of these is "scoreboard." Dropping all three is going Hiroshima.

 

Most people don't know that he had hand problems even before he became a professional and had problems even at the time of the Barcelona Olympics, which he wasn't chosen for, of course. This is back in 1991.