Joe Calzaghe

Neither. But more hate than love.

I respect the man, he has had a great career overall.

But there are things about his career, and him as a person that I just don't like.

Ten years spent defending his one title, not trying to unify the division, fighting a few too many nobodies in his own back yard - not the kind of fighter I like to be honest.

How much of the above was down to boxing politics, rather than Joe's lack of heart, I don't know.

I think he has stepped up in recent times though. Beating Kessler, edging Hopkins - great challenges, great wins.

His attitude, the things he is quoted as saying, really **** me off, he seems to be a fairly obnoxious and insecure person, he comments about Carl Froch highlight that... so I while I don't hate him, and I do respect him, I do not like him, and I'm not a fan.

 

He talks too much **** and needs to just STFU.

 

Another Calzaghe thread, nice. I think he's an unlikeable, opportunistic egotist.

 

Calzaghe threads are very frequent. Like 4 or 5 a day.
It's actually less than it used to be!

 

I wouldn't call Joe Calzaghe a great 'fighter', but he is a great 'boxer'. He is known for his rapid-fire arm punches that some condescendingly call slaps, but he has excellent footwork and a mastery of the boxing game, insomuch as he is able to adapt to his opponent, and more than that, adapt his own style to protect his damaged hands halfway through his career. He consistently achieves the goal of boxing, which is to win. While some deride him for 'hiding' in Europe and picking handpicked fighters, depending on your source, he has actually attempted to get in big-name fights with American fighters on several occasions in the past.

The one thing I don't like about Joe is his recent, classless outbursts regarding other boxers. He is too quick to dismiss someone as a 'nobody' or 'irrelevant'. Pavlik is a perfect example of this. This attitude pissed me off even more when he said that Jones was a pointless fight, and then a year later, was in the ring with him. It disappoints me that Hopkins had such an easy time with Pavlik, because then Enzo turned around and basically, smugly, insisted that they were right all along. By that logic, you can hold out from fighting someone all you want, and chances are they will eventually lose, and you can say that you were right.

All that aside, I voted 'love'. Calzaghe is excellent. I just hope he does the right thing and fights one of the top light heavyweights (Dawson!) before he finally retires.

 

I like him. I cand stand most of his fans here though.

 

Some of his fans are like cult members...weird....scary people

 

To be fair to Enzo he was 100% correct in his prediction of Hopkins/Pavlik

He said Hopkins would school Pavlik and he did, i remember the prediction being posted on this forum and Enzo was ripped for it

 

true :deal

 

Lol, I forgot about that. I love the way people have stopped the Enzo bashing.

 

Like Tricks said he's a fantastic boxer, he's not gonna slug it out, he does the required amount to win. Personally ive seen a lot of his career, from Eubank fight (1997) onwards. Ive always supported him but he's not the most entertaining of boxers.

I think the reasons a lot of people dont give him the respect he deserves is

a) he hasnt had a career defining KO
b) they've only followed his career since the lacy fight

like others have said its neither but i do respect him