Could Joe Calzaghe still be undefeated if he fought Roy Jones Jr's opponents?

I'm not interested in "likelihoods", that's just lazy and reductive.

I refer you once again to the point below, which is the exact same scenario as the one you paint between Calzaghe and Johnson:

So, it can happen.

Therefore, "likelihoods" is just lazy and reductive.

This fight requires a genuine analysis, not a feeble "the guy who has most losses would lose". That's pathetic from a boxing fan.

:deal

 

Of which, yours we still await ;-)

 

Calzaghe-Johnson
weight: lhw

Power: Johnson
Handspeed: Calzaghe
Footspeed: Calzaghe

Jab: Johnson
Defense: Johnson
Offense: Calzaghe
Footwork: Equal

Workrate: Calzaghe
Durability: Johnson
Reaction to adversity: Johnson

Blueprint fight: first 6 rounds of Johnson-Dawson I

Possible breakdown:
Fight takes place mainly in the center of the ring with Calzagh trying to outwork Glen with his mid-range fluries, while Glen constanly comes forward trying to wear Calzaghe down with bodyshots and right crosses

How can Johnson win?
Win by stoppage:
Glen wasn't really a ko artist. I think he will most likely hurt Calzaghe late in the fight, like he did against Dawson but I dont think he will stop him
Probability: low

Win by outboxing:
Glen was more of a pressure fighter. His aim was to wear you down in a war of attriton and hopefully stop you late
Probability:low

Win by out-working/out-fighting:
I think this is where Glen's best chance lays. He is the naturally bigger man, more durable and thbigger puncher. I think as the fights goes on Glen would start to get the better of the exchanges
Probability:Medium

How can Calzaghe win:
Win by stoppage?
Glen is too tough to get stopped by Calzaghe, who wasn't a big puncher
Probability: 0

Win by outboxing:
Calzaghe's forte was really to outwork his opponents with his mid range fluries and left crosses.
Probability: low

Win by outworking him:
This is where Calzaghe has his best chance. To outwork him, Glen tended to cover up against combination punchers, so if Calzaghe was able to do it constantly for 12 rounds than he might be able to outwork and outland Glen. The problem with this that he would of need constant lateral movement inbetween combinations like Tarver used and that is not in his skill set


conclusion:
Calzaghe has never been in tough gruelling fights like Glen has so its had to predict how he would cope in such a fight. It also should be pointed out that Dawson's chin is at least as good as Calzaghe and he got buzzed a number of times by Glen, which is why he started to fight off the back foot. Calzaghe never fought like that he would always be in front of Glen
Could go either way. I favor Johnson by decision

 

The fight almost happened during the early 90's at mw. Hopkins was Toneys mandatory but there was really no money in it for Toney. HBo pulled the plug on a Toney-Jackson matchup so Toney decided to move up to face Barkley for 1m.


Toney-Hopkins
weight: mw

Power: Toney
Handspeed: Toney
Footspeed: Hopkins

Jab: Toney
Defense: Hopkins
Offense: Toney
Footwork: Hopkins

Workrate: Hopkins
Durability: Toney
Reaction to adversity: Toney

Blueprint fight: Toney-McCallum



How can Toney win?
Win by stoppage:
I think Toney has the power to hurt Hopkins maybe even drop him but I dont think he woul stop him
Probability: low

Win by outboxing:
Possible. They are both top class fighters
Probability:medium

Win by outworking/outfighting:
I think this is where Toneys best chance lays in winning the exchanges like he did during McCallum I. I think Toney has a ood chance at landing th harder blows an right hand counters
Probability:Medium

How can Hopkins win:
Win by stoppage?
Hopkins doesn't have the power to hurt Toney
Probability: 0

Win by outboxing:
Possible. He should be able to execute a similar strategy to the one R.Johnson used, but Hopkins hasnt got th same footwork as R.Johnson
Probability: Medium

Win by outworking/outfighting him:
I dont think Hopkins will use this stretegy his forte was to outbox you and wear you done with his fouls
Probability: low

Conclusion:

I do think that Toney has the slight edge here due to the fact he has better handspeed and reflexes which would make it hard for Hopkins to counterpunch him. He also would counter Hopkins everytime Hopkins threw his right hand lead, his main power punch. Toney is also able to deal with tough fights better than Hopkins who has resorted to acting during parts of fights.
Toney by decision

 

Toney and Bhop immediately jump out as names that beat Calz. He barely got by 40 plus Bhop in 08. He ain't beatin him in his younger, more aggressive days, even if Calz was younger himself.

I think a young, in better shape at the time Toney beats him on points too.

Virgil beats Calz.

Reggie Johnson? Maybe Calz can outpoint him.

Calz woulda whooped Tarver and Glen 4sho.

 

Younger Calzaghe with a punch vs. younger Hopkins with conditioning would have been a much more entertaining fight. Hopkins of course could pull it off but I don't think he was crafty enough at that time to get through to a well-schooled, unorthodox puncher like Calzaghe.

Toney's style would give Calzaghe the most trouble. I'd favor Toney though Calzaghe could pull it off as well. Those sharp right hand counters were always there against Calzaghe. He'd probably walk through them but I could see it being a close decision for Toney based on clean counters.

 

Hi mate,

Sorry for the late reply.

Thanks for your fantastic post. I love your in depth analysis on each fighter, and how you think the fight would of played out. I really enjoyed reading it.

I didn't mention it being at 160 last week, which was obviously silly, as both fighters were probably at their best at that weight. I never knew that Bernard was Toney's mandatory? That's very interesting.

Do you think if they's have fought at 168 and 175, the fights would of played out any different? Or do you think the outcome would of still being the same?

I'd have liked to have seen Andre Ward vs Toney at 168, I think that would of been a great fight.

Thanks once again for your great post!

Regards, Loudon.

 

Your welcome
:bbb

IBF champion Toney
1 Hopkins
2 Jones

Its the reason those two fought for the vacant ibf belt, which Toney vacated to fight Barkley

168

Toney slipped a step when he moved up to 168. His conditioning suffered because he wasnt training as hard and his offense slipped. He wasnt fighting off the front foot as much, preferring to counterpunch.

175
Toney was never really the same after he lost to Jones.
He split with Kallen, Miller and his marriage fell apart. The only time he was good at lhw was when he was having those keep busy fights at lhw. Post Jones he wasnt that good.

Hard to say what Hopkins would of been at smw-lhw, seeing as how he never fought there during his prime years, but I think his chances might increase at the higher weights.

:good
I'm still on the fence concerning Ward, how he does tonight will decide how highly I will think of him.

 

Noooo.. pretty sure Tarver and Toney would have beaten him

 

you can't take out fights when comparing resumes. if you want to say could joe have beaten everyone roy did, that would be better imo. young calzaghe gets tortured by bhop and toney. later joe would put up a much better fight. for the record calzaghe doesn't beat ruiz either.