More Impressive Resume: Froch Or Calzaghe

froch by miles

calzaghe is well known bum killers or hasbeens conqueror :yep

 

Eight years ago...


[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2003/jul/12/boxing.comment[/url]



The best of British and how they punch their weight
How does Scott Harrison rate alongside the nation's other leading fighters?

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John Rawling
The Guardian, Saturday 12 July 2003 22.39 BST
Article history
1 Joe Calzaghe (25pts) 31, WBO world super- middleweight champion

Jim Watt: "It's close between Calzaghe and Lennox Lewis as Britain's best boxer, after all Lennox is heavyweight champion, but you have to go for Joe. He's done it all, and is clearly the best in his division by a distance. It's no fault of his that superfights against the likes of Bernard Hopkins have not come his way. He's never lost and, apart from a few seconds against Byron Mitchell last month, has never really looked like losing."

Richie Woodhall: "Joe's got the lot. I know, because he beat me, that if you go at him he loves it. It's going to take something very special to beat him. He's so big and strong, and if he ever fought Howard Eastman I think he would win."

Duke McKenzie: "He can be easy to hit with right hands, which counts against him. But he has proved his heart, his chin and his power. But those Mitchell body shots really hurt him. I think he beats Hopkins if he gets the chance and he could go on to dominate as a light-heavyweight or even a cruiserweight. Think what he would do to Johnny Nelson [the WBO cruiserweight champion]."

Glenn McCrory: "His last fight [against Mitchell] was unbelievable. He threw so many open punches. People always wondered what would happen when he got tagged, and was put down and hurt. Now we know: he got up and knocked Mitchell out. He has an amazing will to win, and nobody can touch him."

McKenzie: "But both Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank would have beaten him in their prime, and the Benn who beat Gerald McClellan would have been best of all."

Career record: W36 (KO29) L0 D0

2 Lennox Lewis (17) 37, WBC and IBO world heavyweight champion

McKenzie: "He just doesn't do it for me. He's lost to run-of-the-mill guys, and now his legs have gone. His defence is not great and his jab's over-rated but he gets away with it because he hits hard."

Watt: "It is difficult to vote against the heavyweight champion of the world. But he's lost badly to two ordinary fighters in Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman. You have to take the good with the bad and, much as I respect Lennox, there's too much of the chess player in his make-up. Even when he was punching holes in Tyson, he looked frightened to get in and stop him. He should have won in four or five rounds. He's not in the same league as Ali, Frazier, Holmes, or even a peak Tyson."

McKenzie: "He looked disinterested and lacked motivation against Vitali Klitschko, and Tyson and Holyfield were past it when he beat them. Now he's the best of a bad bunch."

Woodhall: "He's a great fighter, but he's peaked and has nothing left to prove. But he always rises to the challenge at the second attempt and, if he fights Klitschko again, I think he'll wipe the floor with him."

McCrory: "I've been beaten by him but he's not what he was and he'll be more vulnerable the longer he stays around. He still found a way to beat Klitschko, and you have to respect that, and I think he wins a rematch. He's on the slide, but he's still very strong."

Career record: W41 (KO32) L2 D1

3 Howard Eastman (15) 32, European middleweight champion

McCrory: "He gives the impression that he is lazy and arrogant. It may not be true but when he got his world-title shot against William Joppy a couple of years ago [Eastman lost on points], he looked as though he gave away the first half of the fight because he thought he could win any time he wanted. But he undoubtedly has great talent."

McKenzie: "I agree. He hasn't been on the deck, doesn't get hit or cut, and he's a puncher. His biggest strength is his concentration, but he needs a big fight to prove what we all think. Even though he blew a great opportunity against Joppy, his best days could be ahead of him."

Woodhall: "A terrific, under-rated fighter. I thought he was robbed against Joppy. If that fight had been anywhere else in the world other than America, Howard would be a world champion now."

Watt: "Talentwise, he's terrific. But the people with him have never got him moving. He should be big news, but isn't. He should have done Joppy, but lazed about. I'd like to see him in with Calzaghe. That would be very interesting."

McKenzie: "I think he needs to stay at middleweight because if he moves up to fight Calzaghe, he'll lose."

Career record: W37 (KO33) L1 D0

4 Scott Harrison (9) 25, WBO featherweight champion

Watt: "His win over Wayne McCullough [he beat the former world bantamweight champion on points in his last title defence] might be flattering and Scott should not get carried away with that because Wayne can't break an egg as a featherweight."

McCrory: "I rate Harrison above Eastman and Hatton. He's a fighter at the top of his game and can move on to better things. His defence is not good, but he's strong, persistent and cool. His determination will take him a long way."

Watt: "I'd like to see Scott fight one of the Mexicans, perhaps the IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Then we'll see. But Scott looks special."

McKenzie: "He's upright, hasn't got another lateral movement and he doesn't want to go anywhere near Marco Antonio Barrera [the world No1] if his people know what they're doing. That would be a very bad match."

Woodhall: "With time, he could still turn out to be the best of the lot. We will have to wait and see, but he's still learning and improving. I like his singleness of purpose, his dedication. He is a bit of a throwback, in that he does his talking in the ring where he seems absolutely fearless."

Career record: W19 (KO9) L1 D1

5 Ricky Hatton (9) 24, WBU light-welterweight champion

McCrory: "He's a great entertainer and ticket seller, and a smashing lad. But he's barely made it into the light-welterweight world top 10. He cuts, and he knows and I know that he is still unproven against the top men in his division."

McKenzie: "But it is such a strong division. With people like Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah and Kostya Tszyu, who's best of all, there are some great fights for Ricky."

Watt: "He has done nothing wrong. But Ricky's best win is against a 39-year-old [Vince Phillips, whom Hatton beat in his last fight]. Hatton's the most exciting fighter in Britain, but he's still got to do it at the top level."

Woodhall: "Very, very exciting. He throws great body shots like a Mexican fighter. But he can get caught when he loads up that big left hand and he gets cut. And I agree, he's still untested against the best."

McKenzie: "I rank him second to Calzaghe. He's terrific to watch, and I'm quite impressed by his boxing. But will he get hit and cut too easily against the very best?"

W32 (KO24) L0 D0





Interesting looking back

 

In fact, I rate Brian Magee over David Starie, too.

 

Who? what? where?:rofl

 

Its close, but Id pick Froch. His fight with Kessler was too close could of gone either way. Bhops lost to Taylor too I dont think Taylor is better same with Joe. H2h Joe might squeek out a razor thin decision over Froch, but Ward is too close to call.

 

Damn I voted calzaghe by accident.

 

If Froch beats Ward, and gets a rematch with Kesler, he will be head an shoulders above Kalzaghe. Froch is a warrior that fights his opponents at their peak. Calzaghe is a hype job that fights his opponents either way too early (Lacey) or wayyyyy too late (Ubank, Johnes)

 

is career

But his career is at mid-point, and look at the back to back quality of his opponents, unlike Calzaghe who has a bunch of bum filler in his burger. Calzaghe's hamburger is like McDonalds, 90% Soy and 10% beef. :yep

 

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Froch hasnt got any wins on his resume as good as Hopkins, Kessler or Eubank.
Look at Frochs top wins Pascal who did little at SMW and not as accomplished a SMW as Veit.
Abraham who at SMW cant compete with genuine SMWs and not as accomplished at the weight as Mkertchyan
Dirrell not as accomplished as Lacy
Johnson has lost more at SMW than he has won and his biggest SMW win is over A Green coming off a loss.
Froch lost to Kessler who Calzaghe beat and has only ever won vacant titles.
Taylor who didnt achieve as much as Woodhall at SMW.

All that sounds unfair, but you have to look at where the fighters were at the time

Who at SMW has Froch beaten as accomplished at the weight as B Mitchell?
Mitchell 2 time WBA SMW champ
He beat #1 Liles (something Ward is praised for doing) by KO
drew with future 2 weight champ Girard
beat Siaca twice who went on to become WBA SMW champ who beat Mundine
beat former MW champ JC Green who beat a prime Joppy before Joppy was beaten by Trinidad or Hopkins.

Mitchell only lost by SD to Ottke and was only ever beaten clearly once as a SMW by Calzaghe. Remember also Mitchell fought away many times.

In fact Froch other than a past prime Reid, Froch hasnt beaten a SMW whos accomplished as much as other Calzaghe victims as prime Reid, Woodhall, Lacy, Kessler, Brewer, Mitchell, Eubank.

Dont get me wrong as I like Froch and am a big fan, but so many really dont know anything past the last 5 years.
The #6 LHW version of Jones that Calzaghe beat is a better win than Abraham.

Frochs biggest wins is Pascal when he hadnt beaten anyone of note.
Taylor whos last 3 fights were 1-2-0
Dirrell who hadnt beaten anyone of note
Lost to Kessler coming off a loss
Abraham coming off a loss who is terrible at SMW
Johnson who at SMW is 6-7-0

None of those compare at SMW to Eubank, Kessler, Lacy, Mitchell

 

Carl Froch. By time he's done in the sport it will be far better then Calzaghe's imo. Joe was the better fighter though.

 

I doubt it

 

Terrible? He underachieved given his tallent. But noone who retired undefeated after that many world title fights can be said to have a 'terrible' resume.

 

Exactly correct. Froch does more each day before lunch than Joe did in his entire "career". Froch's an old school warrior. Joe was a second rate actor.

 

Frochs by far

 

exactly! froch has done well, but the super 6 has created so much hype people are blinded to the actual achivements of the boxers....