How Would Calzaghe Prove Himself?

I've been wondering this for quite a while, to me it seems he is in a near un winnable situation. Joe's detractors in my eyes will always say he never fought the best and that he wouldn't travel with the exception of his last two fights.

Joe is 37 and not nearly the fighter he was years ago when he was in his prime and the problem with that is, nobody would fight him in his prime. Jones Jnr wanted nothing to do with him and Hopkins changed the goal posts. So he had to fight two men out of there prime (yet Hopkins still came back to beat Pavlik who was slated as a Joe killer too), everyone forgets to mention that Joe was also out of his prime and arguably that had more effect on him then it did Hopkins.

People will also never agree with his style, he will always be deemed a slapper because of this, yet this was hardly ever if ever said before the Hopkins fight and it got popular because Hopkins claimed he didn't get hurt. The fact is Joe throws around a thousand punches, the majority land and he is not a small guy, you are going to get stung eventually...the majority of his punches acted as a defence, u cant get hit if ure hitting the other person.

So what if Joe comes back to cement his legacy, lets say Joe has 1 fight left in him where he can still go as strong as he did in his past 2 fights, which fighter would prove that? Dawson...if he beats him he is just another Jeff Lacy, an American hype machine that wasn't everything people thought he would be, Froch...if he beats Froch they'll point to his lack of defense and that he has only beaten Taylor and finally a rematch with Hopkins, people will say he ducked the younger competition. So my question is, what could Joe do to prove to you he was a legend?

 

As I said before, he tried to and wanted to but the fighters would not get in the ring with him. So he went back and beat the fighters that ducked him when they were both out of there primes and which of those fighters that are in there prime now would make a Joe legend? Joe wouldn't have to just beat them now, he would have to beat age, something not even Ali could do.

 

I agree with you that his fighters have not been the top, but I do not believe the owness is ever on the World Champion (whether you rate the belt or not) to prove that he is the best, rather it is up to the challenger to do so. And people forget that before Joe destroyed them, people thought Lacy and Kessler were going to wipe him out and there names were only tarnished because of Joe (Lacy was crucified after his fight with Joe, forget what happened since).

He was no doubt a big name after he fought Lacy and from there are in, he should have been able to get the big fights but he didn't because the yanks such as the ones mentioned didn't want to face such a dangerous opponent with very little reputation.

Calzaghe had gone and tried to get a fight with Hopkins and Jones Jnr, he arranged a fight with Hopkins who changed the rules on him and he did the right thing pulling out. There was no "having to go to America" to grab the fight there, it was Hopkins who tuck tailed and run from him after Joe said he would go to the US. Jones Jnr on the other hand, should Joe have given up his world title because someone won't fight him? What would surrendering his belt and going to America have done anyway? He wanted to go to the US to fight Hopkins but he wouldn't fight Joe (I take changing your percentage after a deal had been reached as basically saying I don't want to fight you). Should he risk everything to potentially not be given a shot anyway?...After all he had beaten the people sent to beat him and not got any reward for it, what would going to America have achieved? They still wouldn't have fought him.