A controversial split decision how did you score the fight? Was the result the right one? If Calzaghe gave Reid a return how do you think the rematch would have gone?
Been meaning to revisit this for a while, now you've brought it up I'll be sure to rewatch and come back with a latest score. I know last time I scored it I had Calzaghe by a couple of rounds. I thought he swept the first four, then of course ran into trouble in that fifth round when Reid started landing those big rights repeatedly. Reid probably landed the cleaner shots from there on in (from memory I think he had a big ninth as well) but Calzaghe's early lead along with his output saw him home on my card. At best could see a draw for Reid, but not a win despite it being pretty close. Seems to be one of those fights which has gained more controversy over time. I don't remember there being all that much dissatisfaction with, or questioning of, the verdict when it happened. In fact I'm pretty sure Reid immediately afterwards acknowledged that Calzaghe had been the better man on the night and that he hadn't done enough. I guess at the time the pair of them were considered roughly equals by British fans and there was an assumption we'd see a rematch in the near future. But the more Calzaghe's stature great and the more Reid's shrank over the coming years, the more the idea that Reid was robbed seemed to gain traction. I'll be back with a new round-by-round ASAP though, to see if my thoughts have changed. Been about 9 years or so since I watched it, I think.
I was at the fight and remembering scoring it for Reid but re watching at home when sober scored it for Calzaghe.Think if they fought again Joe would win more convincingly
I know big Joe cracked up his hand on Reid’s head after three or four rounds, and it never really recovered - ever. A draw was about right. Calzaghe was dominating though before the hand breakage.
As mentioned above, was able to put a bit of time aside to revisit this properly. Dug out my old card from about 2013 and saw that I had Calzaghe winning 115-113 then (6-5-1, with Reid losing a point along the way). Not too different this time. Here's what I came up with now... R1: Close, Reid a bit cagey early but probably edged it on clean punching. R2: Scrappy round but Calzaghe backing Reid up and outworking him. Reid holding quite a bit. R3: Clear Calzaghe round. His jab becomes a factor for the first time and he starts working effective combinations between head and body. R4: More of the same, Reid struggling with Calzaghe's speed. R5: Against the run of play Reid has a big round. Switches it up by leading with aggressive right hands to both head and body which are landing cleanly, and which Calzaghe hadn't anticipated. R6: Bit scrappier as he's landing one shot before falling into the clinch, but Reid continues with the big rights which are working. Calzaghe suddenly looks a bit tentative. R7: Pace drops and Calzaghe does the better work. R8: Calzaghe's best round in a while. Picks Reid off at range and is varying his movement and shots again. Sharp left down the pipe becoming a factor for him. Reid loses a point, which was fair enough as he's broken just about every rule at least once so far and not cleaned up his act despite repeated warnings. R9: Reid stops the rot with a big round, and again it's his right hand doing the damage. Reid keeps cool in the exchanges to take advantage of Calzaghe being wide open when he flurries. Reid throwing fewer shots, but making them count more. R10: Calzaghe looking a little ineffective and though Reid is again landing one shot before clinching, he does land the cleaner punches and taking most of what Calzaghe throws on this gloves and arms. R11: Very good round. Reid has his moments but overall I think Calzaghe takes it. Bangs well to the body and starts stringing effective shots together again, rather than the arm punches of the previous couple of rounds. R12: Reid looks the more tired and there's not enough shots from him. Calzaghe doesn't produce any great quality but it's his round on workrate. So in the end I had 115-112 to Calzaghe. Relatively close fight but I just can't make a case for Reid.
Thanks. Yeah the eleventh was relatively close although for me Reid just wasn't consistent enough throughout the round - in line with the fact that Calzaghe, true to form, looked fresher and fitter in the home stretch. Calzaghe turned over some very good punches in the final minute of the round which has Reid feigning being hurt, but hurt or not he was taking clean shots and struggling to keep his form together by that stage. I can see why some might give that round to Reid (McCrory scoring for Sky did, for instance, although he also gave Reid the twelfth to draw the fight level on his card) but for me Calzaghe did the better stuff overall. Strange that all three judges had 116-111 to either man, though. I know I'm only a one round swing from that, but it really feels like a fight which can only have a 1-3 point margin.
Same thinking as you but watched it live on TV. I was more familiar with Reid at the time and favoured him on the night. also the commentary was biased towards Reid being the home fighter. I think in hindsight that's what influenced my first assessment of the fight. Having rewatched twice since then both times scored for Joe by a couple of rounds. Reid had the tools to be awkward but his work rate was always hot and cold and some rounds didn't do much at all. I think Joe beats him in the rematch.
