Pay your respects to Joe Calzaghe

Yes because if you're no1 you should be fighting someone like gatti :rofl

 

Bika was just on the Contender, NOBODY is placing him on the top of any divisions....believe that. And you know what, you guys love to make the "he did it for exposure" excuse. Fine. I agree, it might have gained him some popularity. But why do you refuse to accept that it comes with a price??? Fighting Peter Manfredo GAINED him some exposure and an easy victory, but it COST him any claim to "Fighter of the Year" and it COST him another opportunity to take a true "legacy fight".

 

legacy wise it is calzaghe and warren`s fault he does (did not as he does now)
get much respect.
constant injurys
pull out of fights
fighting down to the level of opposition sometimes.
to many mediocre defenses.

also the fact that america produced absolute zip between 97 and 2004 at 168 made 168 a european division and so not really intresting.

calzaghe having fights in america from 97 to 2004 also would have meant nothing.

during this time period the top american 168 fighters like echolls and brewer were fighting for $30k to $50k purses when they were not fighting each other and even then i remember reading echolls was asked to take a pay cut from $30k purse, refused and his fight was pulled.

calzaghe would have had to give up his money /go to america/move up to light heavy and work his way into a number 1 contender slot and then wait for a mandatory shot to get a roy jones fight and thus a big money high recognition fight.

 

I stopped reading the thread after this one to be honest, I reckon you have summed it up perfectly there FlatNose.

 

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good post, I agree with most of what you said, especially the part when you said at least every great fighter should have at least one notable win in the states.:good

 

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Wtf are you talking about ??

Never been in a war ?

vs Reid was a war
vs Brewer was a war
vs Sheika was a war
vs Mitchell was a war

Those are some of Joe's best wins against some top American competition ?

What the hell have you been watching, joe vs mitchell was one of the most action packed punch-fests ever seen.

 

One of the greatest fighters around today. The Lacy fight - with the COMPLETE dominance he showed over a touted up and comer - gave serious indications that he was as great as his partisans alleged, and the Kessler fight proved it. Now, only the diehard haters deny that is one of the best fighters of this era.

 

And he has an Iron chin.