Very interesting fight. Part of me thinks this will come down to Calzaghe's volume punching and workrate but then again, the very seasoned and smart Maske would gameplan to nullify that. Maske wasn't the most fun guy to watch but he was smart and was great at taking away a guys strength. Really this is a pickem fight and one that I think most will take Calzaghe but Maske could absolutely win this fight.
A 12 round controversial decision that everybody agrees should never be fought again. No knockdowns, no highlights, dozens of feints and clinches as they fence and cuff at each other for 36 minutes. I really liked Calzaghe at 168, but he just didn't look good at 175.
Probably Calzaghe but it would be so close you’d have people contesting one way or the other. On a side note, this fight would be a sleeper
Honestly, it's an interesting fight on paper, because Maske is the exact kind of opponent that would force Calzaghe to work for everything, very tall for the weight, excellent jab, smart defensively and good at dragging fights into a slower, technical pace. But the way I see it, Maske’s biggest problem here is pace and rhythm. Calzaghe didn’t let guys box at their preferred speed, he would throw flurries, jump in from weird angles, switch rhythm halfway through combinations and just never let you settle. Maske liked to control the tempo behind his jab and keep things predictable. Against someone who’s constantly feinting, throwing slaps, mixing levels and speeding up when you want to slow down, he’d eventually start getting outworked. Physically, Calzaghe was faster with his hands and despite not being a huge puncher, he hit often enough and from weird enough angles that it would start stealing rounds. Maske was very tough and extremely disciplined, so I don’t think he gets broken down or stopped, but it’s hard to see him doing enough offensively to win rounds once Calzaghe gets going. One thing worth saying is that early on, Maske might make it look competitive, his jab would bother Joe at mid-range and he’d land clean shots while Calzaghe tries to find openings. But the longer it goes, the more Calzaghe’s engine would take over. Maske didn’t have the extra gear to match high-volume fights; Calzaghe did. Over 12 rounds, I think Joe builds a points lead and probably wins something like 8-4 or 9-3. Not a domination, but a clear, convincing win once he figures Maske out. Not a walk in the park, Maske was a tricky, frustrating guy to fight, but stylistically, it would favour Calzaghe's workrate, speed and adaptability over Maske’s methodical approach.
I never thought to highly of Maske and so I think Joe beats him up. If I ask someone to give me an example of a bout where Maske showed an impressive jab nobody ever points to one.
Perhaps the most scintillating match-up imaginable. With his height and reach, his masterful fencing style and impeccable technique, Maske comes from behind after Calzaghe's fast start and gets a close but convincing nod. While great, Calzaghe sometimes used a scatter gun approach in contrast to Henry's sniper like jab, straight left and uppercut. He basically outmans Joe at some point, starts landing his preferred, calculated shots and clips the later rounds. Great stuff and a bout one can dream about for many a night...
