People of England: who had the better career closeout, Calzaghe or Lennox?

The thing with Lacy being such a favourite, was because Joe was just so unknown by the American’s at the time.

They’d barely seen him, apart from on his few Showtime appearances, against Sheika, Veit, Starie and Thornberry, and he looked awful against Starie and Thornberry.

 

Sylvester Stallone is in the HOF! You really are clueless.

 

Was an underdog in every fight and fought away from home against Drago - well deserved.

A real fighting man with no quit in him.

This content is protected

 

Stallone is in the IBHOF alongside the likes of Larry Merchant etc as a non combatant Calzaghe is in there as a combatant .

 

Two fantastic fighters imo and despite both being born in London the pair of them are about as English as a Mongolian Falconer, obviously Lennox has the better name for fighting prime fighters but Joe as already mentioned although getting dropped about four times in his career never remotely looked like getting stopped or parked up , also consider into the equation Joes hand injuries and his struggles boiling down for most fights to 168lbs ( something Lennox obviously never had to do ) then I'd say it's tighter than i initial thought but for me it's Lennox .

 

Lacy was a massive favourite in the bookies here in the UK on the morning of his fight with Calzaghe so not just in America plus let's not forget Lacy was the huge favourite with the boxing writers & former fighters both in America , UK & worldwide plus he was tipped by around 90% of Boxing fans not only on this forum but across the many boxing forums that were about back in those days so him being "so unknown" wasn't the case .

 

Why did he fight Tocker ? Because Thomas Tate shite it three weeks before the fight , Top man was Tocker decent bloke .

 

Joe was hardly known at all in the U.S.

And he was mostly known in the U.K. by the knowledgeable fans.

Most of the casuals bought the Lacy hype.

 

It doesn’t matter does it.

He fought about a dozen Tocker Pudwill level fighters.

 

Although tight i still think Joe edged the Runcorn Robin but you're right he should have re matched him but i think that had more to do with his beef with him regarding Robin being selected for the Olympics instead of him as back then they belonged to two separate amature bodies as opposed to fearing him , BTW Robin got absolutely battered by Lacy if i remember correctly .

 

100% agree , Joe liked his soft touch paydays and he had a few of them but that's not my point , the point is Tocker was mentioned and i explained he was due to fight his # 1 challenger and Tate bricked it otherwise Tocker wouldn't have got the fight or the decent sausage he got off of Fisheyes for saving the main event on the card .

Btw are you going to respond to my point regarding your post about Lacy only being favourite as Joe was " un heared of " in America or is that one being left to sail on past you ?

 

I have responded.

Most of the betting was by the casuals and the American’s.

Joe simply didn’t have a big profile in the UK until after he’d beaten Lacy.

Then he got all the casual fans onboard.

 

Rubbish , although he might not have been the favourite v Lacy he was a well established fighter here in the UK and to a certain extent well known in the states as he'd sent quiet a few of their 168lb'rs back home disappointed. Obviously i don't know what agender you have with him but you saying that you're "not impressed" by an undisputed WBA,WBO,WBC , IBF ( if he hadn't relinquished ) & Ring Mag Champ indicates to me you most certainly have one .

 

He was known by the hardcore fans.

The Americans and the casuals went with the hype.

Why would I have been impressed by a guy having fought a dozen world level fighters or less in a 15 year career?

A WBO champ for 10 years?

21 defences of a low level belt, against mostly non world level fighters.

Most people think that the title defences were great.

But they weren’t.

It was actually a lack of ambition why he held that belt for so long.

 

If you're not impressed by a fighter who retired with all his marbles , undefeated, a unified , undisputed champion @ super middle weight and a 175lbs ring champion oh and a multi millionaire to boot then all i can say is you've obviously got an agenda with the man himself .