Joe Calzaghe vs Gerald McClellan At SMW

Interesting fight. Calzaghe did get hit, and McClellan had sublime power. What's also notable is that, of all Calzaghe's four career knockdowns that he suffered, all of them came inside the first four rounds of fights. Add in the fact that all of McClellan's knockouts came inside the first three rounds (the first Jackson bout aside) and if we're being honest I think we'd have to admit that McClellan taking Calzaghe out very early here is a real possibility. In was in those stages that McClellan was at his best and most dangerous and Calzaghe at his worst and most vulnerable.

If they fought a series of fights I think McClellan blows Calzaghe out of the water early doors at least once.

But I think my majority call (as in the result I see cropping most often over a series) would be Calzaghe to win a decision. He had an excellent chin / powers of recovery, wasn't easily bullied or intimidated by someone's strength / power (he's one of the few who managed to push Bika around at times, for instance) and of course had decent adaptation skills to go with his amazing stamina and work rate. History tells us that if a good fighter made it past the first few rounds against the G-Man, they were very well-placed to beat him.

McClellan by early KO a couple of times out of five, Calzaghe by clear enough decision the other three times.

 

I think McClellan has a fair chance to land on Calzaghe early and hurt Joe possibly finishing him off. But if Calzaghe can avoid this or weather the storm when hurt I'd expect him to overwhelm McClellan with his activity and build momentum as the fight goes on leading to a mid to late round stoppage.

 

joe by stoppage

 

Calzaghe NEVER beat an elite boxer near their prime EVER and got whooped by a 43 year old geezer but was given a gift. His pillow punching slaps are not going to deter Mclellan from murdering him

And if anyone tries to pass off Keasler washed up Eubank shot RJJ Bika or hype job Lacy as elite they only demonstrate their own incompetence and ignorance just like Calzaghe demonstrated his incompetence against Hopkins - as acknowledged by calzaghes father before round 12 of that fight.

 

If and whem G-man catches joe c early...he wont recover...trust.

 

I believe Gerald gets a little overrated on these boards. I see JC weathering an early storm and convicingly outboxing Gerald over 12.

 

Calzaghe survives a brutal beating in the first two/three rounds to get a decision.