Is Joe Calzaghe Overrated?

Nope.

Cotto and Pac are in the latino-divisions and since latinos make up the majority of the US boxing market they will always be popular. In general it is far easier for a boxer to get US fans if they fight in the 'latino divisions'.

For example - if you ask an Australian 'who is more talented, Mundine or Katsidis?', the majority will say Mundine. Now, in the US Katsidis is greatly welcomed simply for being a nice addition to the latino divisions that are so popular among the US latino community (and which rubs off on other americans over time in discussions and through TV coverage).

Calzaghe is in a division (SMW, LHW, CW and HW) that is more international, but which do not appeal to the US latino boxing market like the latino divisions do.

 

Good post.

 

Yeah Calzaghe!!!

 

If you ask a fan who knows both Mundine and Katsidis, i can't see the majority, no matter their background picking Katsidis in terms of skill. The supermiddleweight division has never been a great division. Calzaghe is the only great (a questionable statement) that spent a long time there. Everyone else just passes it up. The so called "Latino division" , aka featherweight and a few around it, have been home to countless greats. At the begining of this decade those divisions were going through perhaps their greatest era. And also, Welterweight isn't a "latino division." Calzaghe's division is more international? A ton of European boxers and a few Americans. Welterweight and below have fighter from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Japan, Phillipines, America, a few European countries, Thailand, Venezuela, Colombia, and on. Your basically trying to say Calzaghe isn't as popular as Cotto or Pacquiao because he's white and fights in divisions that consist of mostly Europeans and Americans. Cotto and Pac are more entertaining, fight regularly in the U.S, and have fought world class opponents from around the world longer than calzaghe has. That is why they are more popular. It has nothing to do with nationality when saying Calzaghe is overrated. At least it has nothing to do with it from my viewpoint. For example, I consider Lennox Lewis a top 10 Heavyweight, unlike most U.S fans, and have Jimmy Wilde in my top 15-20 fighters of all-time. I know how great Ted Lewis and Jim Driscoll, and Bob Fitzsimons, and Freddie Welsh, and many others are. This has nothing to do with Calzaghe's nationality, it is about his career and legacy. He is overrated by a lot, and underrated by some. No "great" fighter should let that much doubt about him exist.

 

Face it, he cleaned out the division. Yes it was a bit late in the day but he did it. No he did not dominate the division for 10 years, but he's clearly been the best in the division for that period.

Putting down Hopkins as some old guy in hindsight doesn't wash with me. He was coming off good wins over winky and tarver and hadnt suddenly lost it. Yes he was old in years but Joe is hardly in the first flush of youth either. He was the man to beat at LHW.

The Jones fight means nothing more than money. Its not a legacy fight that Joe should be judged on, either now or in the future, but no doubt it will.

 

Was Eubank overrated? Was Kessler overrated? Was Bernard Hopkins overrated?

Who does Calzaghe have to beat to respect him finally...

 

Hopkins isn't old in hindsight. He's old period. Calzaghe was a clear favorite, and struggled with him more than expected. Hopkins was Calzaghe's age now 7 years ago. So if Joe C. is just fading from his prime now, B-Hop has been past his for 7 years, and looking at his record, it's probably true. I give Calzaghe all the credit in the world for beating the best 175lbs fighter, but i don't give him credit for beating Hopkins, because B-Hop was far past his best. No one says Taylor is anywhere near as great as B-Hop even though he did the same thing twice 3 years earlier. If you can name several top guys at the division that a guy didn't fight, that means he didn't clean out the division. Who did Hopkins miss? Who did Trinidad miss at 147lbs except Quartey? Who did Lopez miss? who did Louis miss? Who did Duran miss at 135lbs? Who did Hagler miss except Simms, what about Monzon? I'd say Joe C. easily beats Ottke, but he never officialy lost either, so you can't just assume Calzaghe the best in the division for that time span when Ottke was around.
I'm done now. I feel a little ashamed of myself for posting something at 3:30AM.

 

thats such a poor example. Katsidis is an exciting fighter who brings an action pack fight every time he fights thats why he is branded as the 2nd coming of gatti. Anyone with such style is determined to be a big tv market fighter.

 

how can you call someone the dominant fighter or say that he cleaned out the division when you've got another guy in ottke who has exactly the same accomplishments in exactly the same division in exactly the same era

 

With one of the three proper belts.

 

considering the level of his competition, yes he is overrated.

 

Maybe we have different definitions of "cleaning out a division". I don't think that if there are several elite-level fighters you missed, you cleaned out the division. "hypothetically," If he fought bums while Kessler beat everyone else at the weight, and then Calz beat Kessler, that doesn't count as him cleaning out the division, it's just him proving himself the best by beating the best. But beating the best and cleaning out the division are different things. Like I said, Hopkins didn't miss anyone, Duran didn't miss anyone, Trinidad just missed Quartey, Hagler just missed Simms, Monzon didn't miss anyone, Louis didn't miss anyone, Lopez didn't miss anyone either. Look, i'm not calling Calzaghe a fraud or a ***** or anything like that, which some people post. I'm saying i think he is overrated, and giving reasons as to why i think so. And saying he is overrated is not denying his accomplishments. I think Joe Louis is overrated by most but he's in my top 15 all-time. I think Ray Robinson is overrated by most because even though i consider him the all-time P4P king, many act like it's blasphemous if you put someone above him, even though 2 or 3 fighters can be argued as greater. I think Marciano is overrated even though he is an undeniable great. If i could vote, i would put Calzaghe in the HOF, i think he deserves that. However, i have heard many people say he is as great as Jones or Hopkins, that he is the greatest Welsh fighter ever and a top 3 British fighter, and that he is clearly P4P #1. I think all of those statements overrate him. That's it. I gave my reasons as to why.

 

They say, if you knock him out and he is driven to the hospital, you have the chance of a split decision!!!:blood

 

Let's do a fantasy fight. B-Hop of 7 years ago against what we all think Calzaghe will be 7 years from now. Does anyone think it is as competitive as their actual fight? Does anyone think it goes past 10 rounds?

All I'm saying is that RJJ and B-Hop are greater than Calzaghe, He's not the greatest Welsh fighter ever or a top 3 British fighter, and he's not P4P #1. If no one says those things, then no he isn't overrated. But people do, so he is.

 

Without a doubt.