For a long time I picked Johnson to beat Joe. It had a lot to do with their comparitive opposition at the time. Obviously Joe has since shown amazing longevity and proven himself against top fighters. Truly a hard fight for Joe no matter which way you look at it.
Although the Hopkins fight was the closest margin, it was an awful fight to watch and one that i'm sure Calzaghe won't want to repeat in his grande finale bout. Dawson is damaged goods and nowhere near as high profile as the guys Joe has recently been facing. Johnson might be a better fight but if JC wins he'll just get accused of beating up an old man again. Retire Joe. Its the only decent option. You've already done enough.
I think it would still be one of the hardest fights out there, for Calzaghe. I think it would be a harder fight than Bute or Dawson, for example. Johnson would not be stopped in his tracks by Calzaghe as easily as Bute or Dawson, for example, he would keep applying effective pressure and slow down and hurt Calzaghe. Still, I think Calzaghe would be the favourite; Johnson is too faded these days. It is a shame this fight couldn't take place when it should have happened, years ago.
Crude-ish come forward fighters ae made for Joe. It would look somewhat like Kessler-Andrade. Dawson would do far better vs Joe than Johnson would. Despite the fact that Johnson did well vs Dawson. Styles.
Crudeish come forward fighters are indeed made for Calzaghe, but Johnson is not a crudeish come forward fighter. Lacy was, for example. Pavlik would be too. Johnson is a very good pressure fighter. Granted, he is well past his best these days, but in his prime, he had the style and tools to give Calzaghe a closer fight than many of his opponents have managed to do. I agree that Johnson wouldn't have done as well as a great counterpuncher with good footwork, defence and power, but he would have still done well. Because of styles, Dawson would not do as well as Johnson would do, against Calzaghe, in my view. Calzaghe would take Dawson's jab away, take the fight on the inside and take Dawson apart with his flurries from all angles. Dawson's crude defencewould see him take much punishment. Dawson does not have the footwork or ring-generalship to keep the fight on the outside, against Calzaghe. If Hopkins and Kessler couldn't keep the fight on the outside, Dawson is very unlikely to be able to do so either, I think. Against Johnson, Calzaghe couldn't get as close, because that would play right into Johnson's hands. He would have to keep the fight on the outside, which he could fairly easily do, granted, but Johnson would keep coming and would more easily take the flurries that Calzaghe would use to keep him at bay than almost everyone else currently active. Thus, he wouldn't be as easily stopped in his tracks, and would keep coming and throwing, with more power than Dawson is capable of mustering, in any case.
Johnson was just a crudish come forward fighter when he fought Hopkins but now he has developed into something clearly so much more. He has a better defense and cageyness then people give him credit for. Pretty good post there Armele, agree with a lot of it.
Glen Johnson is one of those fighters who's just never gonna get a fair shake from the boxing establishment. He's not a superstar fighter, and too old and familiar to be hyped up like the youngsters. He's never gonna land a shot at Calzaghe now. I thought he beat Woods 3 times, and he beat Dawson. He beat Jones up worse than Calzaghe did and knocked him out 4 years ago. So in the ratings of the era's best 175-pounders he has to be given his dues.
He was indeed, but let us not forget that fight was Johnson's first step-up in class, four years after he started his career, and what a step up it was! Hopkins had been a pro for nine years, and had fought many more good fighters, including a Roy Jones Junior who was just entering his prime. It is very unfair to judge Johnson on that performance, as you yourself say, not least because no one will ever look brilliant against a great fighter like Hopkins who knows how to make anyone look bad. Let us also not forget that the otherwise brilliant Jones didn't manage to look brilliant against Hopkins himself earlier, despite a very good performance. Since then, Johnson has become a much better and effective fighter, we both agree.
Kessler is 6', Hopkins 6'1" - Dawson is 6'3"!!!!! he has far better physical tools to keep Joe at bay.
Veit was not a world class boxer. He would not even be a journeyman if not for his physical advantages. It is a disgrace comparing World champion Dawson to a mediocre (at best) like Veit.
Exactly. Tough is a ridiculous proposition agains Calzaghe. Joe would make Johnson look like he was moving in slow motion. Johnson would probably take it better than most others, but he would still be little more than a boxing bag - losing every minute of the fight.
You are putting words into my mouth. I never compared Veit and Dawson's ability. From that post you appeared to be using those fighters heights as an indication of who had the better "physical tools" to keep Joe "at bay". I dont really like it when people do that, so I was checking what you meant by that. There are a lot of other intangibles when talking about physical tools, not just height. As for Johnson..his strength and chin would play a big role in his ability to handle Joe. I think you totally underrate Johnson's cageyness which he has more than proven at lightheavy. Two of the shittest performances Ive seen from Joe were against Bika and Salem. I truly think their physical style gave Joe a bit of trouble and I think Glenn's would do the same, but more so. I also think Glenn proved himself against quick fighters like a closer the prime Roy, Dawson, Ottke, Harding, Griffin and D Judah. He can trouble and beat those type of fighters..are they better than Joe? No but it shows Glenn can deal with such styles.
It would be a war. I'd love to see it, but it's not going to happen. If Joe fights again, it will almost certainly be Dawson, unless he just wants to cash out and rematches Hopkins or Kessler (doubt any rematch would happen).