Calzaghe fans please vote & discuss: when was Joe's absolute peak??

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and Mitchell during the stated period.

Joe is nine months removed from his greatest ever win. Jones got ktfo twice 4 years ago, UD'ed - and hasn't fought a real fight since. That is why people say it's about chasing corpses - because Jones is shot to pieces. Lennox Lewis, and Hopkins were at their peaks when they were Joe's age - Tyson was 15 years removed from best - boxers age differently.

 

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He was faster, more agile and hit much harder in the 2000/2003 time frame. That is indisputable, but unfortunately he never had the right fights to push him to make the most of his exceptional talent in that period.

His peak performance, against Lacy, came through fear. It may be brushed aside now, but the Lacy at that time had a fearsome reputation, was widely expected to crush JC. That motivation, the fear of failure and possible exposure helped to produce a truly sensational performance.

Kessler was a better win, a more rounded opponent, but it was more about his ring intelligence than the pure offensive bombardment he put on Lacy.

It surprises me how much criticism he gets for the Hopkins fight, up a weight, first fight in the US against a style of opponent that he was has always struggled with and outside the first 3/4 rounds he was very much in control. It was not pretty, the constant holding and gamemanship frustrated him but he deservedly got the win. Pity he has turned down Pavlik because stylistically he seems perfect for JC.

As to the question his potential prime was 00-03 but his best work has been in the last 2 1/2 to 3 years, Lacy, Kessler, Hopkins and to a lesser extent Bika is a pretty good run, the needless Manfredo fight is a let down though.

 

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i agree, the lacy performance was one of the best in recent years by anybody.

 

Spot on that.

I always felt around the Mitchell fight was Joe's peak and you just explained it much better than I could have :good

I believe the Joe Calzaghe of this era would stop Lacy pretty early.

 

Manfredo fight

 

I thought Calzaghe was as far passed his prime as a 43 year old Bernard Hopkins was... And yet 50% of voters have stated (in a thread directed to CALZAGHE fans) that his prime was the Lacy and Kessler fights... meaning, to them, his prime was 6 months before the B-Hop fight.

:think