Calzaghe amongst the best ever? - disregarding legacy for a moment...

I'm definately convinced now that Joe is A+ for sure.

 

Well, I'm no boxing historian, but considering that he is one of the best fighters I've seen in my lifetime, I wouldn't disagree with the notion.

 

This phrase has my head spinning.....sorry. :?

 

:rofl Yeah! I'm getting motion sickness just looking at it!

Calzaghe sunday morning reminded me of Monzon beating Valdes at the end of his career.
Talent wise he's easily an atg despite a resume thats decent but not spectacular.
I like how he adjusted against Kessler when he realised this was one of the few opponents who could physically compete with him, basically he realised that Kesslers greatest success was countering him whenever he overreached himself by being over aggressive at times. He got behind the jab and won it from the outside. That shows good matchplay (to borrow a tennis term).

 

Indeed...if he now beats the best one out there from 168-175 left to beat, then yes...

 

I would rather see Joe once more against the very best than 3-4 times against those who would not stretch Joe very much but would be just resume wins that would not cement his legacy.

If Joe doesn't retire, I don't think he will fight more than once, and that fight is most likely to be against Hopkins.

 

Its difficult to simply disregard legacy cos legacy and the fighters he fought are what we base a fighters skill level on. Certainly against his level of comp I could say he is the full and complete package. Chin, speed, stamina, style, skill, height. A bit like RJJ with the chin although i do think RJJ was better overall. I was very impressed with him Sat night and was also very impressed with kessler. Kessler would dominate anyone from 160-168 not named Calzaghe or Hopkins. He would KO Wright, Taylor and Pavlik IMO.

Infact theres a potential FOTY candidate. Kessler vs Pavlik. Meanwhile Calzaghe vs Hopkins can get it on. If Pavlik beats Kessler(very much doubt) it would make mega money fight with Joe Calzaghe-Pavlik.

 

Die in a fire. No one cares what you think of Calzaghe. In all honesty, you are his worst enemy.

 

How many fighters other than RJJ have been that Jesus like?

 

NO! God stop going over the top, he's a really good fighter but he shoulda been beating the likes of Kessler his whole career. It speaks volumes that he's had to wait until he's 35 to prove his greatness, if he'd have spent his whole career fighting at this standard instead of fighting Tocker Pudwill and Evans Ashira then maybe we'd be able to say such grand things, but he hasn't!

People are blowing the Kessler victory out of all proportion. It was a great win, but he was the favourite from the beginning. He won a tight UD, just like the majority of people expected, he didn't dominate or KO Kessler. At least when he beat Lacy he could claim he was the betting underdog.