Is Calzaghes legacy resting only on his win against prime Kessler?

Is Mayweather's legacy resting only on a Pacquiao with a 75% shoulder and terrible strategy, a green somewhat drained Alvarez, a knockout over a dragged up 'undefeated' Hatton who had only beaten C level fighters apart from a roughouse hometown stoppage of Tszyu, a razor thin decision against old man Oscar, a distracted from going to jail Corrales, dragged up two weight classes Marquez and a battle-torn Cotto?

Is Pacquiao's legacy resting only on a 9-3 'robbery' against a Mayweather with serious hand issues and 'fighting scared', a Morales who killed himself shedding weight for the rematches, an ankle-less Bradley, a somewhat drained Cotto, two disputed wins against Marquez, a hellacious duel with a walking punchbag Margarito and a scarecrow shell of Oscar?

Is Cotto's legacy resting only on surrogate revenge against Margarito with one eye thanks to Pacquiao who had been stopped viciously by Mosley in addition, a low-blow party against Judah, a close decision over already over the hill Mosley, a Martinez who looked like bambi on ice with elastic band limbs and Malignaggi who has been beaten into submission by Hatton, Khan, Porter and even allowed enough doubt to bestow Broner a decision.

Now I don't believe in most of those excuses up there but this is what you can do with someone's wins...

 

Kid Fire was great but not quite special like Tocker.
:yep

 

The Hopkins win went up in stock six months later, the night Hopkins shut out Pavlik, a man some fools thought would have a 'ghost' of a chance against Calzaghe.

 

Bika?

LOL

Bika had less than 12 whole minutes at SMW when he traveled to the UK to fight what turned out to be his first full fight at SMW. He had been a SMW for five months at that point.

It isn't that he couldn't be or couldn't become good at SMW it was that he was inexperienced at SMW, had done nothing in his career, was fighting a veteran long-reigning champion (Ottke-West), on foreign turf with the UK fighter holding the promotion, and this is a supposed great win? Get out of here ... the prime version of Bika a 26 1/2 year old pre-peak Andre Ward fought would have chewed that version of Bika up and spit him out.

It was only eleven months earlier from the Calz fight that Bika was fighting his second fight in two years against that famed terror Yoshihiro Araki at middleweight for the prestigious OPBF. Yeah, that guy ...

Bika fought Joe in the UK when Joe had 40 fights (not minutes mind you) at SMW and had held a (albeit weak) belt for nine years. NINE YEAR champion (yes it was a lousy division) fighting a guy with less than 12 minutes at SMW at home.

This was even before Bika entered the joke Contender series for nobodies in the US.

Bika was a complete and utter SMW novice at the time. He still made Joe struggle in rounds.

This desire to elevate a "like-kind" hero is consistent but hilarious.

Why is it that it is always either some fifteen fight 23 year old novice or pre-peak black fighter that some veteran white fighter beats while at his absolute peak or some 40 year old way past peak near shot black fighter beaten by some peak 28 year old white fighter that is used as evidence of some kind of imaginary greatness?

F'kg ridiculous.

If we reversed the roles everyone would laugh. Let's put a peak version of Tyson or Lewis or Holyfield in with an old 40 year old white guy or send some white novice with less than twelve minutes at SMW with a nine year black champion and go crazy with the "proof" that provides ... I know you are desperate for athletic validity of any small amount but get real ... ESB needs some actual athletes posting in some meaningful percentage instead of this ****geneous demographic of all white wishful dreamers desperate to elevate the good to greatness when the reality is so obvious to anyone with any talent of their own (something few and far between on ESB unless the athletic competition is mouse clicking or hours spent typing posts or number of posts made in a year).

And, if you're Welsh quit posting .. really ... it's just embarrassing to read.

It is like if Donaire was the only fighter the Philippines could claim (even a transplanted claim) rather than Pacquiao and their fans insisted he walked on water. No one would ever believe it. The same goes for Joe. Good fighter .. far from great. Simply not gifted enough to warrant such never ending hype. Did Frank start ESB or something? This is the only site with such a crazed group of Calz sycophants or groupies.

The man is virtually unknown in the US and lauded by no one. If he was even half as majestic a talent as some here insist he would have made a great impression because there is a thing called VIDEO for those that weren't there to watch his entire career as it happened. For those of us who watched it unfold in real time the choices, timing, and difficulties whether it was getting a gift against RR - who landed nearly all of the power shots in the fight, looking lousy in a struggle of equals with dismal David Starie on the Tyson undercard, getting a fortunate head clash cut against competitive Omar Sheika at home cutting short what could have been a very good contest as Sheika had twice the talent of some of Joe's pathetic opponents, struggling with pedestrian Charles Brewer in Cardiff, getting dropped by Bryon Mitchell and getting a quick ref wave off (at home again) to end too early what was already a good back and forth clash, or getting dropped by pedestrian Kabary Salem - all in his absolute prime - was not something to be dismissed or ignored in evaluating his comparative accomplishments and athletic viability vis-a-vis greater fighters.

 

yep bika was not a good win for joe. it was a fair win, given that bika was capable of shading a title briefly once he got more experienced, but no way is it some evidence of class in calzaghe. its actually evidence of classlessness in joe, or classlesszagheness.

having said that, bika was a much better opponent than any of joes previous opponents bar reid. bika was probably better than lacy to be fair. but then jeff was really middling.

 

and still injured Kessler in Cardiff was the only really good defence.

ha at your lies though - marginally beating old Hopkins is not great, beating lacy is not great, same bika, finished eubank from 2 divisions away.


reid would be a good win if joe won cleanly but it was a draw really. Calzaghe does not have the ability to shut out an uninjured world class near prime like reid.

 

He may have beaten Hopkins but that fight proved he didn't have a legacy defining level of skill as he mostly slapped his way to victory.

Hopkins done the better , more cleaner work imo and a draw would have been issued if it weren't for Nards comments pre-fight.

He also took the path of least resistance and threw in the towel in while in the prime of his career.

 

haha failey has dropped bika from his list of great calzaghe wins, now that he got schooled about sakio by halford. though I note failey didn't reply directly to halford, he elected to silently run away instead.

which failed zaghe defence is next for the chop from faileys posts?

 

And Kessler was a close fight. Ward dominated both Kessler and Froch.

Ward is far superior to Joe in the skills department. Thats goes without saying really.

 

well he does have the 20+ defenses and undefeated record. Lacy win at the time was a good one Kessler was another one, Hopkins as well outside of that it gets real thin

Calzaghe really needed to be moved faster fighting Dawson, Taylor, Pavlik, Froch (at the time I repeat at the time) really could have done his legacy more wonders.

I always thought there was a little jealously toward Froch because Froch faced more fighters in there prime than Calzaghe did, Froch traveled more to fighters backyards more, and just has more ***** than Calzaghe really so in that Calzaghe feels a bit threatened from a legacy standpoint and most definitely in the UK where Froch had a huge following at Wembley

Do I think Calzaghe beats Froch p4p absolutely but Calzaghe obviously feels some type of way

 

Will Cease Fire McIntyre. Thats what they used call him.