The great era of Middle /Supermiddle fights with Benn, Eubank and Watson, how is that affected if Joe Calzaghe had being around hitting his best? Does it drastically alter the scenery!
He had enough trouble with Charles Brewer and Byron Mitchell and they couldn’t hurt a fly compared to say watching Benn’s 50+ big career knockdowns and the Watson-Eubank II fight in its entirety. Joe just wasn’t in those kind of wars, and with athletic men built like greek gods in their mid-20s.... Sure he boxed out of his skin vs the slow, arcing J. Lacy but he was 36-37 by that time and had never ever shown he could box like that before. Rather he’d always shown vulnerability to straight right hands.
Calzaghe was 33 year when he beat Lacy. If he was around in the era in his prime of having to fight Benn, Watson, Eubank and Collins, I would pick Calzaghe to come out as top dog in the era, always seemed a way to come out on top. I would be more interested how people opinions of putting Froch, Groves, Smith and Degale in that era.
Eaten up. But Calzaghe never really fought other than once a year against a tomato job. The only time he was ever really tested was against Eubank himself. He didn’t put himself on the line, he just floundered along. Heck Nigel fought NON-title opponents who were superior to all of those world title challengers of Calzaghe (Sims, Sanderline, Sugarboy, Watson etc). Watching Benn-McClellan and then looking at Calzaghe vs Kabary Salem, you’d need to be demented to see it’s not a different kettle of fish entirely. Benn went to Vegas to face Iran Barkley when Iran was a local resident of Vegas and blitzed him. Had a classic war with Eubank then went right back in with Robbie Sims (knocking him out for the first time in his career). A year prior he’d demolished Doug DeWitt (who went the distance competitively with a prime Hearns) after beating gatekeeper Williams. Went to Italy to dethrone Galvano inside the distance on cuts for the WBC. Defended against a 185lb Eubank and 185lb McClellan, not Tocker Pudwill! Calzaghe just didn’t push the boundaries so there’s question marks
Calzaghe would come out on top. He’s better than them but in boxing if you fight multiple tough fights close together, you sometimes lose. So no guarantee he goes away unbeaten but I’d favor him head to head over Benn, Eubank, Collins etc; no question.
His southpaw combinations may of looked flashy but he would never of lived in that era with real monsters. For a start his hands wouldn’t hold up and neither would his cheek bones or eyebrows. And those Mitchell body shots really hurt him. He wasn’t as good.
He does beat Collins though. Maybe not the Collins from the Reggie Johnson fight, but certainly the slowed down winging guy of later.
This. Benn was too wild and Eubank too inactive to beat Joe. Both big punchers though, so you never know.
The controlled Benn who fought Juan Carlos Giminez (built like a tank) would be an absolute nightmare for big Joe; power counters off the ropes. Those rights had no telegraphy.
