how much more would calzaghe have to do to get the respect he deserves?

Did you think it could be just because he avoided fighting anyone who could deal with it?

During his career, he had the opportunity to fight a lot of very good fighters, and a couple of ATG's (I mean in their primes, so please do not talk about RJJ). Instead he preferred to stay undefeated and fight the opposition he fought.

 

Get in a time machine and not waste 85% of his career fighting the likes of David Starie, Mario Viet(twice), Mger wats his face, Karby Salem and Evans Ashira. He should've fought guys like Brewer and Mitchell when they actually held titles not after they already lost them and in Brewer's case was shot. Also could've fought Lucas in his prime when he held the title or Beyer.

He was happy just making money fighting **** fighters and didnt start fighting fighters worth **** until he went through a mid life crisis. Now dont get me wrong I think Joe would've beaten all these guys that held titles at 168 when he did but would've, could've, should've dont mean **** fact is he didnt fight theses guys. He spent way to much time in his career fighting **** fighters.

 

Become a black American.

 

Tell me what Calzaghe should have done to fight Hopkins for example in his prime?
Maybe offer to fight in USA?
Maybe oofer Hopkins much more than he would eventually get in his next few fights?

 

The above. Plus i think he lost a whole lotta respect for telling every magazine and tv interview for years that Jones was completely finished and then suddenly,when he signed to fight him, tried to tell everyone that Jones was still good. Thats just insulting EVERYBODY including his own fans especially, expecting them to cough up to watch it. Look, im not trying to have a pop at calzaghe just for the sake of it. He had the perfect career, never fought anyone and made a shitload of money and got out with his facultys intact and thats fine, its the name of the game and 99.9% of boxers would kill to be able to do that.... BUT...., dont go claiming about being an all-time great cos you sacrificed that right by going down the route you did

 

Lick his elbow.

 

WELL, being born white in the UK doesn't help as far as a LOT of ESBers here in America are concerned.... if u don't believe me, then ask a guy (among many others) that goes by Darryl1914.... heck, u can ask ESB's own writer Vivek Wallace. In all seriousness, they don't seem to enjoy (or give props to) any fighter that's not their own race, specially if that fighter just beat them! The fact is Calzaghe will go to the history books with W's over their L's!:

OHhhh, and don't take me wrong, I AM a Hopkins fan, but the truth is what it is!!

 

All he needs would be to be black, or american, or latino, and he'd have been an ATG
Seriously, how many people like him get respect? The K bros dominated the HW division for years now, and get no respect (there not american, black, or latino). Pac is called a cheat by a lot of people and hated...Why? He doesn't fall in to those categories. I'm not saying this is 100% the case everytime, but a lot of times.
RJJ...Superman athleticm, but really never beat that many people either (american)
Pavlik....Need I say anything about this hypejob (american)
Mayweather...Talks rediculous smack, and doesn't back it up much. His greatest accomplishment thus far is taking on a 38 year old Mosley. Calzaghe beat a 38 year old RJJ, and a 39 year old Hopkins at least.

I could name many many more, but that is an example of what I'm saying, and I'm sure some of you know it's true.

 

When Calzaghe was ringside with a view to facing Johnson, during Johnsons 3rd fight with Woods, guess what Johnson lost again, this time to Woods, so why would Calzaghe call out Johnson coming off a loss to Woods? If that had of happend ive no doubt you would be saying Calzaghe only fought Johnson when he was coming off another loss. Still Johnson has improved since then but not enough to beat Woods, so really fighting a guy with that many losses isnt going to get that much credit. I admit Johnson dosent make it easy for anyone, but he does tend to lose alot of big fights, and the next point someone would make if Calzaghe beat Johnson would be Johnsons age. Calzaghe has bigger wins on his resume than Johnson, and I dont think he would increased Calzaghes legacy

 

Had he beaten ottke, beyer and johnson his resume would hold up better.

had he also beaten prime rjj and toney he would be seen as an atg.

giving him **** for beating hopkins is bollox, just look at hopkins next fight. you can dispute the decision but he cant get stick for the fight. hop was the ring champ and was top 3 p4p. plus calz moved up in weight.

some fights are calzs fault for not pursuing them i.e. jones and johnson. some are the other way round i.e. ottke and beyer. some where a non starter i.e. toney.

whether his fault or not, the fact is that the names are missing on his resume, and it will always hold him back.

 

it wasn't beyond his control at all.
hatton left warren, got his fights in the US that got the attention of the US media, floyd and pac, and the man can sleep well at night knowing he chased his dream to fight the best fighters he could - regardless of the outcome.

calzaghe had more skill than hatton and would have had to be less skilled contenders than hatton had to to do exactly the same thing for a jones or hopkins showdown when it mattered.

there are no excuses except that he didn't want to test himself.

 

:deal

 

AHHH Joe Calzaghe...

Whatever critisim Calzaghe gets,he did to himself.He did it to himself for staying put and not getting to the states soon enough.

Alot of Calzaghe fans claim that Hopkins and Jones Jr didn't want to fight Joe when Calzaghe called them out.Realy,how do expect fighters like a B-Hop or a Jones Jr to go over to the UK for a fight with Calzaghe when Joe realy had no big names under his resume.

Even if Hopkins or Jones Jr did "duck" Calzaghe,why didn't at that time,Joe come over to the states and force them to fight him by beating well known fighters and title holders?

Lacy,people giving Calzaghe credit for beating a hype job.That is all that Lacy is,and it just happened to be Calzaghe to get to him first to bring that out,who is a good fighter i might add.Who did Lacy beat before facing Calzaghe?No one,he was just hyped up because he had some knockouts on his record against flimsy opposition.

Joe Calzaghe is a good fighter with some skills,im not going to sit here and lie and say different for the sake of bashing Joe.

Joe Calzaghe simply made a bad decision not to come to the states and force fighters like a B-Hop or a Jones Jr for a fight in there primes and get the credit he deserved by doing so.Joe stood comfy and cozy for way to long in the UK fighting fighters with no real credibility.

By the time Calzaghe came to the states and took on these greats,they were already way past there best.If joe realy wanted credit and legend statis,he should had made sure by making it happen.

If Joe would have fought his whole career in the states and did what he did in the UK fighting the caliber fighters he did there here,he still would be bashed for it and prob more so,since in the states we are even more critical of our fighters and what they do through out there careers.

Lets face it,many here in the states give what many believe as P4P best fighter in the world today **** for what choices he has made in his career in Floyd mayweather Jr.Even Manny Pacquiao gets ****.

The **** that Calzaghe gets has nothing to do with him fighting in the UK or the states.Realy its all about the caliber of fighters he has faced through out.He would take even worst **** here in the states and would of prob been forced to face the elite sooner in his career if he was in the US his whole career and kept fighting mediocres.

IMO it was bad decision making on Joe's team.

Personaly i give Hatton more credit then Calzaghe even with the loses,for coming over to the US and testing himself against the elite a whole lot sooner then Joe did.

To be honest,Calzaghe had the talent to make some noise her in the states had he came sooner.Why he chose not to...:huh..is beyond me.

I am not trying to be arrogant,but the best fighters in the world fight here...Thats undebatable.It's been that way since the dawn of boxing.

 

Ridiculous.

The Klitschkos, while clearly the most dominant forces in HW, get ragged on because their styles are boring. When guys arent exciting to watch, they often don't get the fans on their side.

Mayweather gets far more slag in the US than Pacquiao. His attitude and big mouth have alot to do with it. But, moreso because of the idea that he has avoided the biggest challenges.(sound familiar)All the things you said about Mayweather are thrown around all the time. He is hardly a beloved American athlete, of any ethnicity. He is controversial at best.

Pavlik got/gets plenty of abuse until his downfall. Now that he is down it has calmed down somewhat. But while he was champ, he got loads and loads of abuse for fighting inferior opposition. And that was only for 3 or 4 fights.

Calzaghe would get more respect if he hadn't said things like this......


"I'm not chasing after Roy Jones.Be honest,Roy is a good fighter and I don't want tough fights.I just want big money." - Joe Calzaghe

....................or.....................

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......and then consistently demonstrated the same.



PS- For the record, Hopkins was 43 when they fought.

 

He should have swallowed his pride BUT i would be willing to bet my life savings that if within next 10-20 years if somehow all the belts went to non americans , most of the posters here wouldnt suddenly say well mayweather 2 or RJJ 2 ect should travel to france the new home of boxing ect. It is all just ethnocentric and personal pride and ego within each fighter. Calzaghe belived he iwas the champion and people should come to him, i mean after all UK is the birthplace of modern boxing!!, RJJ, Hopkins beleived they where the champions, after all this is america the mecca od modern boxing! ect ect