Calzaghe v Dawson

Calzaghe isn't what he was physically, but he also was more reckless during his physical peak, which must be taken into account when facing a counterpuncher.

Also, we don't have any way of knowing how he'd carry his power to 175. Roy Jones lost significant power moving up, and he hit harder than Joe ever did at 168.

For reference's sake, Amsterdam, what do you consider to be Calzaghe's peak?

 

I think Kessler matches up better with Dawson than Calzaghe does, although Joe gets the benefit of the doubt because of his overall excellence.

Chad would dominate Pavlik or Taylor or Lacy or Miranda, though, losing only as a result of a fluke punch.

 

He prepares differently for different opponents, wouldn't be wreckless against a big fight had he gotten one back then, he's always had the kind of boxing skills he does now, just preferred to blast people with punches and entertained the crowd because none of his prime opponents were anything more than B's.

If Chad were to start clipping him in a prime/prime match up, Calzaghe would have adjusted properly.

But even then, he was so freakishly fast that even if he was behind on the cards, the left hook KO threat for Chad would be there until the ending bell and he'd have adjusted like I said.

Nightmare for Dawson IMO.

Prime Calzaghe would have also really taken out Kessler in 7-8.

Yeah but Jones wasn't draining badly to get to 168, Calzaghe has been for a good while.

We'll see how he looks at 175 against Hopkins.

2000-2003.

Watch the Mitchell fight for a last glimpse at a very wreckless, but physical peak Calzaghe, the handspeed and footspeed is astonishing and his power was serious.

Gameplan was to go and TKO Mitchell early due to Mitchell's lack of speed, then he got caught with a perfect right, drops, gets up, then TKO's him with a barrage of punches.

That Calzaghe is too much for a lot of fighters, including Kessler and Dawson, they could drop him for sure like Mitchell did and would counter him, but I feel he'd approach them different and they themselves don't even have Mitchell's best assett, 1 punch KO power, though both are several levels up, obviously!

 

Well, let's just imagine if Adamek was good at pressure, had a competent defence and had better speed/timing and accuracy, wouldn't have been a blowout.

Sounds like Mikkel Kessler to me.

 

Calzaghe is a very good fighter with speed and lots of skills. He is being set up by crooked judges and referee, but I still think he will win. Why not allow Calzaghe to finish his fight with Hopkins before picking other opponents?

 

Because the current version of Hopkins has no chance. It's a forgone conclusion that he's going to lose, save for an 'illegitimate DQ' type of thing.

 

Hopkins still has a lot of tricks left though.

 

Can't deal with the movement or workrate in the end, as he himself has declined footspeed and legs, not to mention stamina.

Even if he won the first 3 rounds, he just doesn't have enough to make it the final bell, and winning the first 3 is unlikely since he normally starts very slow and uses a low workrate.

Think about that one Farmboxer. The difference between Winky and Calzaghe is vast and Hopkins dropped some early rounds to Wright of all people, a man with no legs either.