Bob Foster vs Joe Calzaghe @175

Calzaghe: "I slapped the Sheriff. But I didnt shoot no referee, oh no! oh!"

 

Calzaghe seems to hold no middle ground on this site. And I've seen Foster fight plenty of times. I'm old enough to have been a fan of boxing during his career. I'm not saying he's slow fisted. He was a power puncher who planted his front foot and got great leverage. But he could be beaten to the punch.

Pushed to pick between the two I would probably take Foster but anyone who thinks Calzaghe wouldn't even stand a chance is dismissing a great fighter.

 

You are a wise man indeed. I am fed up reading rubish about Joe now. He is dismissed by most of America as a joke. So be it. Bob Foster would not in my mind given Joe his hardest fight at LH it would have been a Saad Muhammad or a dare I say it Billy Conn. Busy fighters. But hey who knows

 

36 year old Joe versus 32 year old Bob ?

Make it 2006 Joe with 1970 Bob.

Close fight.

Both guys enter the ring at around 178.

Foster has the height and reach advantage, as well as a power advantage.

Calzaghe has the better speed and workrate and probably the better chin.

Calzaghe's style would give Foster trouble and might bewilder him a bit.

Foster's power might cause Joe to have to change his gameplan.

Despite the certainty of a 'bloodbath' from the usual suspects on here (the 'Calslappy' and 'Eurobum' crowd), this is not an easy fight to gauge.

I would pick Foster by a decision, maybe even stoppage, but the outcome is by no means certain.

In probability terms:

Foster by KO/TKO 15 %
Foster by decision 45%
Calzaghe by decision 35 %
Calzaghe by KO/TKO 5 %

 

this is an easy fight to gauge.

foster sends calzaghe to the canvas and he doesn't get back up. that's all there is to it.

 

We're not dismissing a great SMW, we're dismissing an ATG LHW against a second or third tier fighter at the weight in an all time sense.

 

Foster wins by a Quarryesque KO.. most likely alot worse. :good

 

:rofl

 

You lost me right there.

 

Here's what's going to be the main factors in a fight between these two..


Foster's size, timing, accuracy, and power... that's IT. It will take exactly one good shot from Foster to lacerate Calzaghe's head from his body. Foster KO5, that's assuming Calzaghe would've been able to move up in weight and keep his prime abilities.. but the Calzaghe that we actually DID see at 175? Foster KO1.

 

You were lost a long time ago, lad.

 

FYI, there is little or no moving up in weight issue here.

As I mentioned in the earlier post, (where I picked Foster to win by a 60-40 probability) both men enter the ring around 178.

That's where Joe usually fought THE DAY AFTER the SMW weigh-in and its also the approximate weight that Bob entered the ring LATER THE SAME DAY of the LHW weigh-in. (The weigh-in rules changed between Bob and Joe's time).

Given that Joe was never stopped and has fewer KDs than Iron-chinned Ali, it's certainly reasonable to see this fight going the distance.

 

Wake up Joe! You ok?

 

I shall rephrase then.. prime for prime Foster KO5. '70 Foster vs '08 Calzaghe - FosterKO1.

Please don't compare Calzaghe's chin to Ali's. Muhammad Ali has an absolutely proven chin, Calzaghe's durability is more attributed to his elusiveness rather than his actual chin. But that's not to say he was unhittable.

He was dropped by Hopkins and he was rocked and dropped by Mitchell.. and Foster hit a lot harder than both fighters and had FAR better timing and accuracy than Byron Mitchell.. no?

 

Damn, Calzaghe is ridiculously under-rated in H2H match-ups.

The guy is one of the most adaptable fighters out there, has never been troubled by power guys, is quicker, better footwork, better workrate.

I'd make Bob Foster the favourite for good reason, the guy was an outstanding 175, but for some people to be saying 'Foster KO1'. What the ****?