(Prime) Saul Alvarez vs. (Prime) Joe Calzaghe

We still have imbeciles out there who think Joe couldn't punch


A 19 y/o Calzaghe

Timestamped

''I just hope my hands get better.. keep OK.. so I can turn professional and be good at it.''

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How do you recall the (Joe) Calzaghe fight?

''The main thing I remember about Calzaghe was how hard he punched. I thought he had bricks in his gloves at one point. On top of that - he was big, he was strong, he was hearty, he had fast hand speed and he had a very awkward southpaw stance.

He was unbeaten, he didn't know how to lose.
On top of all that, he puts me down in the opening 15 seconds, for only the second clean knockdown of my life. (Laughs) .''

''I've never been knocked down in the first round before Joe hit me with a powerful left-hand punch, which I never saw, and within half a minute of the bell ringing I was having to pick myself up and deal with the realization that I was in for a long night. That punch really hurt and thereafter it was a tough fight.''

Joe obviously went on to be an exceptionally great world champion.''

--- Chris Eubank

''I started out [professional] with the Ingles. I used to do a lot of body sparring with the likes of Bomber Graham, Johnny Nelson and Naseem Hamed. Nelson never had any bottle: he used to nick fights running away. But Naz was ******* brilliant - so elusive and he hit really hard. Even when he were just 15, he told my uncle to get his autograph 'cos he were going to be a superstar.

Nigel Benn used me seven times over in Tenerife, including for the Gerald McClellan fight. I had a big bet, three figures, on McClellan to win in the first round at about 10-1. And he would've if the ref hadn't kept interrupting. Nige and me would spar half-an-hour a day, then both go out on the ****. We always had a headguard and 16 oz gloves and often I'd outjab him. Nigel weren't a liberty-taker.

But the best I've been inside the ring with was Joe Calzaghe in sparring. Beforehand, I thought he were quite boring to watch and looked as if he slapped but, **** me, he punches hard. If he slapped, Bernard Hopkins would've stood toe-to-toe with Joe, but he [Hopkins] got on his bike, didn't he? If Joe and Nigel had fought, I think Joe would have been able to take the pain and would've ended up hurting Nigel, bit like Michael Watson did.''

--- Tony Booth

''I thought I'd been hit by a lorry''

--- Karl Barwise

''This kid has everything''

--- Spencer Alton

''I've never been hit so hard and so often''

--- Andy Flute

"After working with Robin Reid last month I was already buzzing, but when the call came to work with Joe, well he's the best on the planet," he told Seconds Out.

"I was invited down to work with Joe for five days and I've enjoyed every minute. This has been a fantastic opportunity for me.

"I can see why he's the champ now. Joe punches hard and fast''

--- Tony Quigley

''Calzaghe can punch very hard''

--- Nicky Piper

''A lot of people think Joe can't punch but he's actually very heavy handed''

--- Enzo Maccarinelli

The hardest puncher I fought (long pause) that?s a real tough one

''I dished out a lot more punishment than I ever took during my career, but I'd have to say the toughest and most exciting fight I ever had was with Joe Calzaghe,'' Brewer said.

Joe was not a one-punch KO kind of guy, but he overwhelmed guys; he had those ridiculous combinations! And I deviated from my game-plan that night in Wales, and we just warred; we went two-to-toe for 12-rounds. It was a battle of heart and guts. Joe was just a great technical, mentally draining, puncher''

--- Charles Brewer

He stopped all but one of his opponents on route to winning his second and third ABA titles, both at different weights and both in his first year fighting at those weights, with only two of his victims making it out of the 2nd round and his victims included two future world champions and a very talented future European champion so hardly scrubs and stoppages in amateur boxing are obviously much rarer than in the pros.

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This is the gym he trained out of until 2002. He was training out of it until like is 10th-11th defence of his world title. Trained out of it when he was winning all those amateur titles too. Trained by a father who'd never boxed before in his life.

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It didn't even have a proper ring in it. It was just four posts, some rope and carpeted floor

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I can't stand JC and would be rooting for Canelo here but it's a horrible matchup for Canelo and imo he gets beaten quite convincingly. 8 rounds to 4 would be the best case scenario imo.