Joe Calzaghe vs Antonio Tarver

Lol. Tarver would've probably lost his rag then!

 

I appreciate the response. A quick one of my own to each point:

1) Very fine amateur, no doubt, but not really relevant to how I view him as a professional.

2) The Harding rematch is a good win for Tarver, but I don't think Harding was anything special and even that fight showed Tarver's propensity to give rounds away and look pedestrian before he found the shot to turn it around in the fourth.

3) We can quibble about Jones' precise weight / muscle loss, but that's maybe over-complicating things - you just have to watch him post-Ruiz to realise that something had been lost in him, and was never returned. All of a sudden he looked nothing like his old self. Even then, Tarver found a way to blow that fight when it was on a plate for him.

4) I agree it wasn't a lucky punch,. As I said initially, my point was that he never really impressed me after that Jones KO. I think Jones was fading by then, but I still give Tarver credit because he had to go out there and underline that by doing something nobody had ever done to Jones before.

5) I don't think Tarver was robbed against Johnson first time out at all. I thought that was either a 6-6 or 7-5 fight for Johnson. I wouldn't necessarily object to anyone scoring it to Tarver by a narrow margin, but it was way too close for anyone to call it a robbery and I thought Johnson just about deserved it.

6) He does have decent wins at an advanced age, but I think they are generally recognised as such. Decent, nothing more.

7) Very nice feather in his cap, but not really relevant to how I'd see a fight against Calzaghe panning out.

 

Great post Chris. Great. Cheers

 

Joe for me. He was just too good all round for Tarver.

 

Well, Jones did look like he was back to his form for a round and change in the rematch.

 

As much as I like Tarver and his precise counter punching, excellent defense, chin and power I think Calzaghe's volume punching, hand speed and ability to simply outwork/steal rounds gets him the win via UD. Too me, Tarver's best chance is to catch Calzaghe with a counter left hand but that is easier said than done ad Calzaghe was pretty defensively sound and tough as nails to boot. I like Joe over 12.

 

He's not even close to being the best amateur ever.

 

US am

 

Again he's not even in the running.

 

Again, yes he is.

 

Calzaghe by UD

 

Name the top 5 amateur fighters in USA history.
Tarver didn't even gold medal at the Olympics.
Mark Breland only had ONE loss his entire amateur career.
Howard Davis was 125-5 as an amateur.
Ray Leonard was 145- 5.
Davey Moore was 96-6 and a FIVE time New York Golden Gloves champion. And that was back when the gloves meant something.
Donald Curry's record- 400 - 4 including beating Moore at the box offs. FOUR HUNDRED wins.
And if not for the 1980 boycott he takes the gold medal.
Tarver was a very good Amateur but far from being the best.

 

One of the greatest amateur boxers in the history of USA boxing was Bernard Taylor.

Was 481-8. Made the Olympic team in 1980 but the boycott cost him his chance.

I used to hear stories about how good he was in the amateur from all the old timers.
They said he was so fast that people he was boxing against would just quit out of frustration because they couldn't hit him.
As a pro he was 45- 4-2. The problem is they made him change his style to suit TV. And it cost him.

 

Calzaghe win. Tarver would just give rounds away due to inactivity not sure of he was trying to pace himself for 12 or just couldn't be arsed.
I remember his fight with Hopkins it was shocking.

 

Did the thread already. Breland probably deserves the one spot, but Tarver has to be top five and skipping around calling him a great am is foolish.

And Tarver actually beat Jirov in the ams, just not in The Olympics.
https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/best-us-amatures-thread.613575/