Somebody honest and knowledgeable help me understand Calzaghe

No, he would have had plenty of American fans because he was an exciting fighter, not because he pretended he was Irish..Your additude towards Americans makes me think you can't be reasoned with. The fact is, he wasn't known to the average fight fan in America and it has nothing to do with him not being American or black. It was because he didn't fight here, and was not in that many big fights.. Many other European fighters are known by Americans and have plenty of American fans, no one is picking on Joe.

Some fighters want to be known by Americans, some don't really care.. But to get the big PPV fights, having an American fan base is a pretty good thing.

 

Slappy is a guy who hid in Britain defending the WBO belt when that belt wasn't even recognized by the ring or taken seriously..

An example of Slappy's greatness today would be someone like Martin Murray winning an IBO belt and having 20 plus defenses in his home town against obscure competition, then facing someone like Vasquez who is Lacy equivalent or that Japanese guy at Super featherweight who is Kessler equivalent. Have him beat them to unify the title, then move up and fighting a guy like Erik Morales before the Garcia fights for the lightweight belt and beating him controversially, then fighting an ancient Marco Antonio Barrera next and retiring undefeated.

That's pretty much Slappy's career.

 

I think the Cobra's post on page 4, post no 58, is an honest and objective account of Joe's career.

He had a great career, but it could have been better.

If I had to sum Joe up, I'd say that he was a very good/great fighter, who's ambition didn't match his skills.

Whereas someone like Ricky Hatton, didn't have the skills to match his ambition.

 

It was as easy as predicting that the sun will rise in the morning.

Any thread that has the words Mayweather, Pacquiao or Calzaghe in it, is going to create controversy.

 

How you doing :hi:

 

Hiya pal, I'm ok thanks. It's nice to see you. Are you looking forward to sat night? It should be good. Have you been able to get back in the boxing gym?

 

when he could have erased all doubt and proven his elite status he chose to hide behind his promoters skirt in the u.k.

the wins against bhop and rjj were waaaay too late. he's a good fighter...but there were plenty who would have beaten him if he came to the u.s. earlier.

whatever the case....it's not really saying much, but he's head and shoulders above carl froch.

 

The non-American fighters known and loved by Americans have all accepted and fought the best fights out there and/or deliver big knockouts. We'll support JMM and Pac just as easily as we will an American because they deliver.

I don't think Joe would have made it big here. I might be wrong, but he didn't spark guys out like Lewis, admitted he didn't want big fights, and didn't have a style that was visually appealing to casual fans. His style would have made him appealing to some true boxing fans, but Chad Dawson level popularity is probably Joe's ceiling here; if that.

 

He could have stayed and fought in the super six and became a true legend (and made legend money). Instead, his legacy is that of a guy who cared more about his '0', and ran as fast as he could when the division started to get some talent. And to put things into perspective, Pretty Boy is 36, p4p#1, trashes anybody/everybody, and is the highest paid athlete in SI top 50. That is what Joe ran from (and let's be honest, he was not that good to get there anyways). So he is a chump.

 

yeah, because Floyd is still on top at 36 (he ducks the living **** out of any competition) that means everyone has/will do the same.

i'm not going to comment any further on the subject because the Yanks are talking some serious delusional ****.

oh, and you're a massive simpleton. that is a proven fact.

for anyone who reads this thread (like so many out there) and finds it hard to comprehend because of the sheer stupidity, then i suggest you go to the British or Aussie forums because the General is full of people that i consider beneath me.

you'll actually have people there that don't embarrass themselves on a daily basis.

thank me later. :good

 

**** it, i'll do this post.

MR, i thought this was cleared up? Jones has confirmed that he was approached numerous times by Calzaghe's team. Jones continued to turn them down. Jones and his team never made any counter offers.

come on, man! don't be like these other gutter trash that are incredibly bitter. you're ****ing better than that!!

 

Decent fighter with a pretty crap resume because he didn't want to leave Wales to pursue the best when they were prime. Many thought he lost to Robin Reid and should have given him a rematch. Instead he fought the likes of David Starie, Rick Thornberry, Will McIntyre, Tocker Pudwill and instead gave a rematch to Mario Viet, a guy he miraculously stopped in the first round.

 

I can answer you this, I hope that Mind Reader doesn't mind.

Roy has never confirmed that Joe approached him numerous times. What happened was, In 2008, during the build up to his fight with Joe, he said "I know Joe has been wanting to fight me for some time."

Frank only ever had talks in 2002 and 2006.

In 2002, after Roy's fight with Clinton Woods, Roy's team held talks with Frank W, while they were awaiting an answer from the Ruiz camp, regarding a potential fight. Roy's options after Woods, were Tarver, Ruiz and Joe. But even if the Ruiz fight hadn't been agreed upon, Tarver would always have took precedence over Joe.

Joe was merely an option and nothing more than that. Joe wasn't a big money fight, he wasn't a mandatory, and he wasn't known all that well in America. He also fought in a different weight class. The fight never really stood a chance of taking place.

Tarver was the no.1 contender at 175, and it was a grudge match. A John Ruiz fight was his top priority though, as he wanted to make history. Joe brought nothing to the table. No title, no money, it was never going to happen.

The only other time Frank had talks and tried to get Joe the fight, was in 2006, when Roy was 0-3 in his last 3 fights.

Then the following year in 2007, Joe said in his autobiography that Roy was shot after back to back knockouts in 2004, and was no longer the same fighter. So if that's how he felt, why would have been trying to fight him the previous year?

If Joe had genuinely wanted a fight with Roy, he'd have moved up to 175 and gone to America a lot sooner than he did.

You can't chase someone who fights in a different weight class.

 

he fought way more times outside of wales than in. Americans don't leave the comfort of their corruption bubble through fear of fighting in a professional ring. no, they like their crooked ref and judges to do the work that they are incapable of.

no one who can score a fight thought Joe lost to Reid. 8 rounds to 4.

Pudwill and Mcintyre were stand ins to keep the show going.

Veit became the mandatory for the WBO again. Joe had to fight or lose his title. the Germans won the purse bid because SKY sports didn't give Wa55en the backing he needed.

you may now get back to your clear delusion.