how about we go on who's better based on styles and fighters beaten as opposed to simply fighter. floyd has beaten every style, taller, bigger, smaller, faster, volume punchers, knock out fighters, and boxers and wrestlers. calzaghe has beaten robots and sluggers his whole career and got sat on his ass by 2 old boxers. so calzaghe isn't **** but an example of perfect matchmaking. it's not about the nationality of his opposition, it's the versatility of it.
Joe Calzaghe never got a gift decision to keep his record in tact. That does change things an awful lot.
what I like about Calzaghe is he fought the best he could and he still was undefeated. I know a lot of people talk about Calzaghe and say he was not as good as some think, but he took care of Manfredo like he was nothing. Lacy was beaten easily when people thought he was a challenge. Calzaghe is the real deal and an ATG. He proved it, and Floyd has not. Floyd may be quicker and all that, but Calzaghe took average skills and decent speed and put in hard work and refined himself similar to how Hopkins did with similar skills, and that is why he is great. If anyone compares to Hopkins in work ethic and mindset it is Calzaghe.
I just had to respond to this. i consider him an ATG at 130 and 135(shame him and Casamayor never got it on). At 140? Didn't stay long and for various reasons the top names there never fought him(Hatton and Cotto's promoters went on record saying they didn't want fights with Floyd yet). He went for the recognition by battering fan fave Gatti while Hatton got to THE man of the division when he pulled the upset over Tszyu. At 147, after his inaugural bout there versus Mitchell, he followed with good wins over Judah, Baldomir, and Hatton. Far bigger threats loomed but were not taken up(Margo, Cotto, Williams) in lieu of the bigger money and names. He made the money but his resume suffered All in all his resume above 135 is pretty good but does not match the boasts of someone who considers himself to be better than both Sugar Rays and Ali put together. The criticism he has recieved has been well justified.
Tough call. By Floyd's definition being undefeated means you're better than anyone else. I'd rate Mayweather just behind Ottke on the ATG list, but that could change if Floyd fights a few more Flyweights and antiques and remains unbeaten.
Floyd by Miles and Miles, He beat De La Hoya, Judah, Baldomir, Castillo, Corralles, Gatti, N'dou, Chavez, Hernandez, Hatton, Marquez, and Manfredy. All Joe has to his name are wins over an old Jones, an Old Hopkins, a end of the road Eubank, Kessler, and Lacy.
Take the catch weight fights out and Floyd still is a great, take the past prime wins away and Slappy ain't ****.