Can Canelo overtake Joe Calzaghe as greatest SMW of all time?

The very best of Roy outpoints the very best of Calz. Conversely, the tricky Welshman decisions Canelo.

 

This content is protected

Ello govna Iss Chewsday innit bruv

 

He wouldn’t have out worked Roy without ending up in a shootout. A prime version of Roy wouldn’t have laid on the ropes with his hands up, absorbing punishment like he did in their fight. He’d have returned fire instantly.

You also have to factor in Joe’s mentality. I watched Joe’s entire career. And I can tell you for sure that he’d never have gone in the ring believing that he could have beaten Roy at his best. And I say that with full confidence after reading numerous comments of his throughout the years as well as looking at his actions. And unless a fighter was totally convinced that he could have beaten a prime version of Roy, he’d have had no chance.

I respect your opinion, but again, what did Joe ever do in his career for you to think that he’d have been a favourite?

He barely beat Robin Reid and was dropped by Mitchell and Salem, even his his late 20’s and early 30’s. He was very easy to hit. And Roy was faster, more powerful and much harder to hit with his great reflexes and athleticism. He was also far more accurate with better timing.

The versions of Roy who embarrassed Toney and who crushed Griffin and Hill, were on another level to any version of Joe that I ever saw.

No, Roy didn’t pursue Joe any earlier. Because Joe was relatively unknown outside of Europe until he’d hammered Lacy in 2006. When Roy was the undisputed LHW champion and the no.1 P4P fighter in the world, Joe had scraped by Reid and was fighting guys like Omar Sheika and Mario Veit. He was a WBO champion who fought on a different continent and in a different division. The onus was on Joe to push for the fight. And the fact that he didn’t speaks volumes.

I think that you’re putting too much emphasis on what happened when they fought in 2008. But that has zero relevance when looking at a prime for prime fight.