Prime Roy Jones vs Prime Joe Calzaghe @ 168!

He never fought a prime JC.

 

This is close to peak Calzaghe. Joe's peak wasn't as a younger fighter because his style isn't dependent on speed and reflexes. I would argue he's a better, stronger, smarter fighter now at 36 than he was at 28.

Jones depended almost entirely on his physical skills and reflexes. He may be the most gifted pure athlete in the history of boxing. His prime was in his mid-late 20's.

A match between the two primes would favor Jones, simply because he was basically untouchable, even by an aggressive, swarming type like Joe Cal. I don't think Jones would stop him, but he's surely easily outpoint him.

Jones at 168 was otherworldly good. The one thing that hurts his legacy a bit is that he never got in with the best Euros in the 90s. He should have just went to Germany and fought Dariusz M.

 

Jones all day. I've given my analysis on this one too many times to bother.

 

Too close...both are fast and good...both will be ATGs.....but neither side wants to hear that either:-(

 

But the strategy is irrelevant because of the gulf in ability. It is like saying that because Jones' strategy against Ruiz was to pot shot and it worked that if Jones did the same against peak Tua that he wins in the same way.

Calzaghe does not just smother, he stands in the pocket and yet makes you miss, he comes in at numerous angles, closes the gap "smothers" you with fast combinations and slips back out of range again.

And we are talking about peaks too. Peak Calzaghe threw harder, cleaner shots, he was faster than he is now and Jones weathering a Brannon attack and weathering a far more varied, fast and hurtful attack from a guy who is constantly slipping out of range, coming in under the guard and who is very unorthodox and very quick is something entirely different.

But Jones would not be weathering storms on the ropes at his peak, he would be landing super quick rights and lead lefts from the outside, and skipping back out of range himself before Calzaghe could counter. He would make Calzaghe have to work just to get close enough to use his speed, then fire back, tie up and move out again. Calzaghe would be slowed by having to eat laser like accurate pot shots everytime he went to set himself for his own attacks.

But once inside the range, Calzaghe would be competitive and difficult to handle.

That is why a clear UD win for RJJ seems by far the most likely scenario.

 

Never a huge puncher? The man had some serious power at super middle which was his prime weight and even at 175. He broke Virgil Hill's ribs with one shot, KO'd Montell Griffin (who was never stopped in his career) in 1 round. He knocked down the iron chinned James Toney and has a 66% KO percentage.

 

Joes style isn't dependant on speed atsch

 

Because he took big shots and proved his chin. Jones didn't. He was simply a better defensive fighter, which is why he was rarely hurt. That has nothing to do with chin. You think Jones is ever, at any point in his career, dropping his hands and letting a reknowned puncher tee off on him? No.

Jones was the better fighter, Calzaghe had the better chin.

 

And 40 year old Mike Mcullam went the distance with him.Also JC has never been close to being stopped

 

Well that is practically what I said isn't it?

Is this Calzaghe closer to his own peak than this Jones? Yes.
But is this Calzaghe peak? No, and it is not that close either. His peak would be at a time when ironically he fought a lot of poor opponents and lost motivation.
2001-2005. That was a good balance between the intelligence he shows now and the faster, less injury worn fighter he was coming up.

A focused, motivated Calzaghe of that time would be peak, even 2 and half years ago against Lacy he was noticeable quicker.

Regardless we are splitting hairs, as I said that Jones wins prime v prime, as Jones was simply ridiculously good.