[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2003/jul/12/boxing.comment[/url] 1 Joe Calzaghe (25pts) 31, WBO world super- middleweight champion Jim Watt: "It's close between Calzaghe and Lennox Lewis as Britain's best boxer, after all Lennox is heavyweight champion, but you have to go for Joe. He's done it all, and is clearly the best in his division by a distance. It's no fault of his that superfights against the likes of Bernard Hopkins have not come his way. He's never lost and, apart from a few seconds against Byron Mitchell last month, has never really looked like losing." Richie Woodhall: "Joe's got the lot. I know, because he beat me, that if you go at him he loves it. It's going to take something very special to beat him. He's so big and strong, and if he ever fought Howard Eastman I think he would win." Duke McKenzie: "He can be easy to hit with right hands, which counts against him. But he has proved his heart, his chin and his power. But those Mitchell body shots really hurt him. I think he beats Hopkins if he gets the chance and he could go on to dominate as a light-heavyweight or even a cruiserweight. Think what he would do to Johnny Nelson [the WBO cruiserweight champion]." Glenn McCrory: "His last fight [against Mitchell] was unbelievable. He threw so many open punches. People always wondered what would happen when he got tagged, and was put down and hurt. Now we know: he got up and knocked Mitchell out. He has an amazing will to win, and nobody can touch him." McKenzie: "But both Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank would have beaten him in their prime, and the Benn who beat Gerald McClellan would have been best of all." Career record: W36 (KO29) L0 D0 Interesting.
Maybe, maybe not.... Benn and eubank were certainly better then Kessler and lacy. They'd certainly be more aggressive then Hopkins.
Hmm Benns only chance is the KO, can he do it? Eubank loved to take it easy and not work, Calzaghe quite the opposite would outwork him to a points job I think.
Stamina maybe not. Speed most certainly - Joe would ship the sneakiest of powerful lead and counter overarm rights every round from both and almost certainly not last.
Come on Jeff! Nostalgia aside, look how Watson dismantled Benn, then consider Benn wasn't a big puncher at 168. Prime Kessler would break him down bit by bit. Eubank would always lose to Joe. He was the exact style to make Eubank uncomfortable.
There is absolutely no doubt that neither Benn or Eubank have Joes stamina. They made it up down the stretch out of toughness. Joe never got put in their dire situation to test it but he had stamina and he had heart so I think that even if he happened to be a 12 round fighter and tired he could tough out a few rounds more. As it is, I thnk Joe is a 15 round fighter with toughness to boot if he ever got put in a really tough war against an all time great.
McKenzie's commentary and 'punditry' efforts over the years have been so inept he makes Watt sound like a consistent voice of reason.
