Why did Joe Cal retire?

Here come the Hopkins slappys claiming he was robbed in 3..2..1

 

People forget that he had a worthy amateur career as well - winning the Lonsdale belt outright, which is damn impressive in the unpaid ranks in the UK - and started around aged 8. That's a long ass time to be lacing up the gloves and fighting, and training.

And remember that he had troubles with his hands even in the amateurs - I know for a fact he mentioned that when he was 19, shortly before being jibbed for a place at the Barcelona Olympics and before his professional career.

The guy achieved a hell of a lot. I think people still talk about him because most only saw the ***-end of his career and kinda wished he stayed around as he was getting recognition, especially from abroad.
I wish he stayed for one more fight against Pavlik and then walked away. But then again, there's always one more fight in boxing....

A man has to know his limits.:smoke

 

What applies to one person does not necessarily apply to another. The point still stands, the vast majority of boxers at 36 are past their prime, especially in any division below HW. In an earlier post I explained that fighters with truly exceptional technical abilities like Floyd and Hopkins, coupled with an seemingly continuous desire to be the best, are in a good position to slowly adjust their styles over time in order to still be incredibly effective.

Calzaghe, while still very technically accomplished (especially compared to Froch - regardless of what you think of Joe's sloppy punching form), relies way more on physical traits - mostly his freakish stamina, great recovery and decent chin...none of which are not traits which age well. Another example, except even more extreme is RJJ - his reliance on physical attributes meant that he went from appearing unbeatable to being seen as a soft opponent in a matter of a couple of years.

So 36 is old for the vast majority of boxers. A couple of very specific exceptions with very particular circumstances does not suddenly mean that 36 is not old for everyone else.

 

It's different for every fighter, and every style ages differently. Volume punchers typically don't last as long as defensive minded counterpunchers.

 

Should have given Bhop a rematch

Would have beaten froch

No chance against ward. Different level

 

I remember him saying something about "boxing is dead" becuz he didn't make a lot of money fighting Roy... Which is hilarious becuz who the hell would pay to see Roy fight (at the time)?

Just goes to show

 

This takes some doing but that's possibly the stupidest post ever, Your opinion on all things boxing should just be ignored from now on.

Jones no interest in Calazaghe at his peak(and possibly vice versa).

Calazaghe was the no1 supermiddle for a good few years and gets **** for only having a few fights outside the UK but that appears perfectly acceptable for US fighters :huh

Beat Lacey/Kessler/Jones & Hopkins not bad realy and retired 49-0 what more should he have done just carried on until he was 40 and somebody beat him, Makes perfect sense now :roll:

By the way Kessler was a far better fighter imo when he fought Calazaghe than he is now.

Froch/Bute wouldnt beat Calazaghe and i love Froch, Ward would be interesting as he has that same awkward/cheating style as pretty boy which he gets away with in the US but would struggle to replicate anywere else.

 

In his late 30's, constant hand injuries, he'd made his mark, beat the best contenders at supermiddle who were actually relevant at the time, and made himself some money in a couple of marquee fights. Why stick around to get old in the ring?

 

Speed, reflexes and stamina were the cornerstones of Calzaghe's style and they all tend to be attributes that decrease pretty rapidly in fighters in their late 30's take Sergio Martinez for example he has a some what similar style to Calzaghe and appears to be noticeably deteriorating and he's pretty much the same age as Calzaghe was when he retired.

 

Made some good money,left with his O,and most likely lost his desire.

 

Calzaghe was even quoted as saying he didn't want any part of RJJ when it mattered in Jone's prime. Calzaghe beating Jones when he did is the equivalent of Lennox knocking out a semi-retired Mike Tyson who at that point was no longer even relevant in the heavyweight division....and if Calzaghe was so great and so dominant, why did it take him so long to make an attempt at unification or to call out Hopkins and Jones. I'm sure Hopkins would have jumped up to 168 in the early 2000's if Slappy had called him out publicly. Calzaghe's two best wins are against Kessler and Lacy....arguably Eubanks, but it's not like Eubanks was in his prime either. Lacy was completely overrated and Kessler has always been solid but not a HOF type guy. I just don't understand how so many people think Calzaghe was so great, when it is painfully obvious how carefully managed he was throughout his career and how meaningless his undefeated record really is. It's like calling Marciano the greatest heavyweight ever when the two best guys he fought were both in their 40's when Marciano fought them.

 

Think your getting mixed up hare ,you can only win a lonsdale belt in the professionals by defending a british title 3 times against british challengers ,you cant win a lonsdale belt in the amateurs

 

Now we're getting round to the real reason you started this thread..
Sneaky..:yep



Anyhow prime Calzaghe clowns Ward and Froch..

 

its a shame we'll never know
****in coward

 

Yeh.. That cowards been retired nearly 5 years and won't even come back to fight Ward or Froch.. :-(




Log off you fat ****.