Calzaghe is a weird one on these forums. He is either massively overrated or massively underrated. People aren't very impartial regarding him.
Great fighter, great stamina, volume and chin, horrible punching style especially towards the end. For best wins 1. Hopinks - A horrible fight which I just had him edging based on his scuffy work rate. Hopkins couldnt hang with it. Horrid fight to watch but a good one for legacy and Hopkins proved how good he was for years after. 2. Kessler. Prime undefeated. Good technically, good power. A fight where Joe had to really dig deep 3.Eubank - Past his best but still a live opponent 4.Lacy - Over hyped and the injures post Calzaghe ruined him but he was undefeated and what you want a prospect to do coming through the ranks. A fight that finally got 'zaggers some of the credit he deserved. 5. Reid - A powerful counter puncher and at his best a tough opponent for most, could blow hot and cold. I dont really count the RJJ fight as anything special Roy was never the same after the Ruiz win, lost 3 straight at one point and then about 5 years later when he'd really been fighting not elite fighters Joe fought him as a cash out. Roy should have maybe had his farewell fight after that and called it quits. Instead he went fighting washed up or never wases and still found time to get horrifically KO by a shot to hell Enzo Mac amongst others
I feel like he is starting to get a more level rating over the past few years. Or maybe it is just me. I remember thinking he was a protected hype job and I disregarded most of his career as I lived through it. I remember expecting Lacy to beat him (TBH most people did), and after watching that I was on notice. Not because he beat Lacy but rather he beat him so lopsided in a way I doubt many/any could have. Then when he beat Kessler I was like I can’t believe I didn’t pay attention to this guy more. So that’s when I tuned in and went back and checked him out. I still remember when he fought B Hop, I didn’t take him serious on the highest level...and then when Hops dropped him in was like yeah, he is who I thought he was. I did have Hops winning by a point and agree with a close split decision or draw verdict for either guy. Now it’s true Hope was past his prime but to me so was Joe. So to win that type of a fight might not answer who was better at their best it shows me Joe was on par with that level at the very least. I disregard the RJJ fight it is a nice name on Joe’s resume but contextually nothing special. I don’t think it is unreasonable to rate Joe at or among the best ever at 168 and while there are a few I would pick to beat him at that weight...I don’t think anyone outclasses him and has an easy night with him. a few years back on this forum he was either the goat or protected euro level (sadly the group I fell into) hype job. I think it has gotten more balanced over the past few years.
I am not sure Lacy was drastically overhyped, perhaps by some who thought he would be an ATG. I think he had the potential to be on the Pavlik or Jermain Taylor level? To me the thing is you either fall into 2 camps, Lacey was overhyped and exposed or he ran into one of the few guys that were able to destroy him. TBH I don’t think anyone else at that time would have beat him like Joe did, nor do I think he would have been “exposed” by any of the other guys. I guess you either fall into the line of thinking that Lacey is who he was and came up short or that he was full of potential and Joe stole his prime his present and his future. Lacey was never the same afterwards....either because he just was not that good, or that he never reached that level because Joe was that good and destroyed Lacey as a fighter. I agree though that 3-4 is where I would place him on Joe’s resume alongside the version of Eubank he beat.
Great video ! Joe Calzaghe is one of my favourite boxers. I like his fights against Eubank, Hopkins and Kessler. Kessler was also a great sportsman and likeable boxer. Unfortunately, Calzaghe was often handicapped due to hand injuries.
Shocking resume for someone with so many fights and so many years at SMW. His last two opponents had a combined age of like 85!
Ehh, he was okay. He's only big over in that region because they dont have much else in the same way Selina was a big music star only in the latin community. To be honest, I never had the sense Hopkins lost to him
It's actually difficult to find 5 notable wins on his resume. I don't think RJJ was particularly notable at that stage. Kessler, Hopkins and Lacy were notable. Eubank, I never rated that win but we can throw it in as 'notable'. After those names, you really have to scrape the barrel to find a 5th 'notable', like Reid or Mitchell, or shot RJJ.
fighting all these years in the UK against WBO bums. he could have done so much more with his talent.
