thats a reasonable post. tell me, is he nearer to being the best in the last 25 years or being total ****, almost not a boxer at all ? because i hear a hell of a lot more of the second opinion on this board than the first.
I have just noticed that we are also in complete agreement re Jones v Trinidad in another thread. Don't be so quick to condemn next time!
I have Calzaghe as around the 16th-19th best boxer of the last 25 years, I can't remember his exact placing. If you search the forum with the title of 'My Top 25 Fighters of the Last 25 Years' you should find it, and see who I have rated above and below him. I have him top 5 British fighters ever, 1st best supermiddleweight ever in terms of achievement, 3rd top in terms of ability, I have him p4p no.2 right now but he will drop to no.3 if JMM beats Casamayor. I do not think he is a top 50 pound-for-pound of all-time fighter definitely not, I am unsure whether he would be top 100 as I have never written one, but I think he may sneak in there, I honestly don't know. I think he is a very talented boxer, but has a weak career resume. I think Hopkins beat him. I think he will destroy RJJ. That's my honest feelings on Joe Calzaghe.
i agree with pretty much all of that, i don't think hopkins beat him, although it did surprise me when his name was read out, the fight being in america . it certainly wasn't clear cut.
I am often labelled a hater on here. I have often thought you were a 'fanboy' or irrational 'lover'. Strange that we actually agree.
you're way off on me, i'm a casual boxing fan, 32 years old and too long in the tooth to be a "fanboy". if you're on about loving calzaghe i like the guy but he isn't one of my favorite fighters, it just annoys me when people irrationally deride people who i respect.
I guess after Jones he may fight either winner of Tarver/Dawson or Pavlik (if Pavlik beat Abraham in January). Then he may retire.
So having a great jab, the most important punch in boxing, is a sin nowatsch You said Pavlik is over-rated. And you're basing that on what?? Give me your break down of the zuniga fight; what did you think, and who was ahead at the stoppage? Tell me how Pavlik stopped McKart, who no one else had? And tell me what Pavlik's fight plan was against Miranda? What punch put Talyor past the point of no return in their first fight? What's the lowest weight he's fought at? What's the highest weight he's fought at? My point here is that I'm willing to bet you don't know **** about KP, and that is why you made such ludicrous statements in your opening post.
I am sure what you are certain about. I heard the arguments but the plattitudes are just about fighting record, championship fights and opposition so they're not thoughtless, these are facts. Maybe you can move me but then again, you would be about to repeat those rudimentary arguments that Joe didn't really fight good opposition ( and I agree with), that Joe's technique is awkward and some things that he does should not be allowed like slapping, that Joe has been protected and hyped like very few men have until he beat some names well beyond their physical primes... I know, I know that but here's a fighter that is reaching the finish line of a hard, long road and what happened so far? He came forward and traded against Brewer and Mitchell and Kessler, he boxed against Bernard, he outmanoeuvered and outclassed Lacy, he brawled against Sheika, Salem and Bika... So what is there left for him to do? Fight Roy and beat him fair and square and then maybe Pavlik or Dawson?...! Joe Calzaghe is very close to his long time goal in life and he should be respected and given credit for. It's not hard to do it since he's a quiet-type, humble individual and the US don't lose by giving credit to him, life goes on.