Calzaghe 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. I think Rob Reid came the closest to defeating Joe. That means nothing though as it’s all about styles. With all that apart, I just can’t make a case for Froch. Joe had a great engine and was lightning fast, and tough to boot. He out boxes Froch for my money.
Calzaghe had already retired by the time Carl became world champion, what the hell are you talking about
Calzaghe fought a load of complete bums and a small few good fighters. Froch would be one of the better ones, if Calzaghe had fought him. But Calzaghe would be make Froch look like a bum too.
Froch was not a world Champ until after Calzaghe retired, this is true but what I am talking about is he was mandatory for Calzaghe, who chose not to take the fight and instead moved up the LHW. So he didn't fancy it then and when Froch said he'd still fight him now, he laughed it off cos he doesn't fancy it now either! Comprende!?
Both boxers were at very different stages of their careers. If the more meaningful, profitable, fights were at a different weight, you can’t blame Joe for following the money if that was the case. Joe, the same as Carl, had to come through tough opponents. I for one, rate Carl Froch, he is one tough boxer. But in my opinion from a pure boxing point of view, he would of never beat Calzaghe. Froch would of given a decent account of himself, as alaways, but would of come out on the wrong side of the cards. I hold no torch for Calzaghe, but he was undefeated for a reason.
Calzaghe is the better boxer than Froch But Froch tested himself his entire career whereas Calzaghe took advantage of his big Welsh following and defended the lesser WBO belt against a who's who of the top 20-30 of the division, only stepping up once he reached his mid 30's. He got the benefit of the doubt in an even fight with Hopkins. I don't respect Calzaghe that much, he squandered his potential whereas Froch made the most of his
Moved up to LHW to fight the consensus #1 in the division, or face Froch who at the time hadn't fought above European level. Hmm, let me think about that one. I like Carl also, so let's not drag him down about this. But to say Calzaghe didn't take the fight because he "didn't" fancy it is laughable. Had Froch been 2 years earlier we would have seen this blockbuster I'm sure.
If Froch was 2 years earlier we would have seen Joe C Vs an anonymous Romanian I'm sure of it. Calzaghes reign was a decade of dross, he avoided tough fights and openly admitted he wanted no part of Jones. "My son was crying, he said dad Roy Jones is so good" "Don't worry son, he isn't that good anymore" Direct quote from Joe C
Calzaghe's last fight at super-middle was in November 2007. He had been WBO champion for 10 years, had been IBF champion and became WBC and WBA champion beating Kessler. He was 35 years and 8 months old. At that time Froch was 30 years and 4 months old and was British and Commonwealth champion. He never boxed for the European. Calzaghe then boxed Bernard Hopkins in April 2008 in Las Vegas for the Ring light-heavyweight title. In May 2008 Froch had a non-title fight against Albert Rybacki a 37 year old Pole who fought on less than 2 days notice. Froch should have been fighting Denis Inkin in a WBC final eliminator on this show but Inkin pulled out injured. In September 2008 Calzaghe was scheduled to box Roy Jones at Madison Square Garden but an injury to Jones delayed the fight until November 2008. The reality is that Calzaghe had already moved up to light-heavy to fight Hopkins before Froch had won had his final eliminator. Calzaghe had already had 2 fights at light-heavy before Froch boxed for one of his old titles. Less than a year and a half later Froch boxed Kessler and was comprehensively beaten.
Agree very much with the final point here. Regarding Calzaghe v Froch, it should have happened had Joe not retired. At the time of the Jones fight being announced, (which was another massive disappointment in Calzaghe’s career), there was a lot more talk about Kelly Pavlik moving up to fight Joe. Calzaghe’s team made some nonsense excuse, (pretty sure they said they’d offered Pavlik the fight years ago when he was still boxing eight round domestics) and went with the ghost of Jones. Shame as Pavlik had a massive reputation at the time and Joe beating him would have been so much more of a statement than faffing about with a guy even Joe said was shot.