Is Kessler the key to the greatness of Calzaghe's career?

I agree.

Anyone who had seen Jeff Lacy v Omar Sheika knew before the Calzaghe fight that Jeff Lacy was not a world-class boxer, despite the US press hype. And so it was proven both on the night v Joe and in all of Lacy's subsequent fights (including being completely outclassed by Jermain Taylor), that Lacy was no career-definer.

Now that Lacy's career has nosedived, the Kessler win stands alone as Joe's great win.

Many would argue (with a fair amount of legitimacy) that the Hopkins win was better, but not in my opinion. This was a version of Hopkins that was worse than the one Jermain Taylor beat twice, a version which could still win big fights against opponents who allowed this 40+ genius to fight at his own pace (Tarver, Wright, Pavlik), but who no longer had the energy and stamina to outbox an opponent who forces a high pace and intensity (Taylor).

Calzaghe merely copied the Taylor blueprint, but did it less successfully at a weight Hopkins was not as good at as the one Taylor beat him at. Calzaghe was ineffective to the point of impotent, showing that he did not have the accuracy or poise of a true elite boxer. Even as the 43-year-old man visibly tired, Calzaghe could not land enough to convince, and at the end of the fight many people, including myself, did not think he had landed enough to merit the win.

No-one, not even the most ardent Calzaghe fan, will remember the Hopkins fight as a great performance by Joe. It will be remembered as a thoroughly underwhelming and unconvincing scrape past a well-declined fighter.

The Kessler fight was the only fight of Joe's career where he fought a prime, world-class world champion and beat him emphatically.

In 10 years time once the fleeting newspaper hype has been long forgotten, Jeff Lacy will just be another Charles Brewer on a notoriously feeble resume.


The responsibility on Kessler's shoulders is huge concerning Calzaghe's legacy.

 

Robin Reid gave Calzaghe a far better fight .. Im still trying to work out the psychology of Kessler fans in thinking that they're man is the greatest fighter since Robinson ..

Kessler has beaten an old Beyer, an average Andrade and lost clearly by 4 rounds to Calzaghe. Were is the superstar ?? Kessler has a few shots and a few tattoos but if a really talented guy, like a 168, 90s Jones was still operating in the division then Kessler would be wiped out in humiliating fashion ..

What are Kessler fans smoking ?? Because i want some

 

What tournament ? Bute, Balzsay, Bika and Andrade are not there !! This is a joke !!

 

Instead of concentrating on how wonderful Calzaghe was for overcoming Kessler, howabout we consider that Kessler is an average fighter beaten by an above average fighter who then beat an old fighter in Hopkins ..

None of these guys are true greats. Kessler and Calzaghe's legacy lies in a division that nobody respects and is always devoid of any true talent ..
Super Middleweight is like Cruiserweight .. If your a 168 fighter that cant boil down to 160 and dont have the guts to go to 175 then your nothing .... A legacy at 168 means nothing .....

 

Yeah, if Bika isnt there then its worthless !! atsch

 

Kessler is pretty good, far from great by anyone standards. He's a basic 1-2 fighter, in which Calzaghe proved speed and volume punching spelled doom for Kessler. Even appearing to want to take a knee at one point in the fight from a Calzaghe body shot. If Kessler wins I will be shocked, my money is on AA.

 

Bika would beat half of the guys in this funny tournament...

 

Dispute?
Only if your a Hopkins nut hugger. Jones put up a better fight than Hopkins.
I still want those 2 to remtach. Like right now. I would put money on Jones after watching him keep trying against JC. Where as Hopkins pretty much quit and started acting.

Also - I think Green has a chance (work ethic though)
and MAYBE Arthur A. at Kessler. Everyone else either dosen't have the skill level or dosent punch hard enough. And I HOPE Pavlik stays at 160 where he belongs.

 

i think kesler has a good chance of wining the tournament but so is abraham

 

What are you talking about, Jones fought for the first two rounds then went into a shell on the ropes for the whole rest of the fight while joe did his gay little slap flurries.

 

Calzaghe set himself up on that one. Kessler is the key to everything for him. Weak choice, IMCV. Calzaghe should have legitimately solidified his legacy, but maybe it wasn't really in him. I don't think it was, neither did Joe it seemed. He knew how good he was - and so do I, yep. For me, Kessler isn't just going to lose at some point very soon, he's going to look very bad doing it. I'm just waiting.

 

I agree with that. Hopkins never even showed up, and still won somehow. Funny ****, really.