the black murderers row today.....

I'd like to see film of Burley's fights with Holman Willams...It would facinating to see how Williams dealt with that explosiveness. I would bet you a nickel,that he moved to his left, and attempted to make Burley defend with his right, instead of allowing him to set up that right hand bomb he threw, and made him have to move just enough to reset a bit...But that's just a guess...I think if you were to stand directly in front of Burley, you're problably cooked. I was looking at the Burley/Smith fight recently, and Burley is never really out of position to punch. He can pivot with his feet, to find an angle and then let go with some serious firepower. (was looking at film attempting to break down Monzon/Burley)
I haven't seen alot of Calzaghe's early fights, only the later ones, but I'm not sure I share your opinion that he can be solved...No one did...but then again, his resume PALES in comparison to someone like a Burley.

 

Calzaghe is so much bigger than this natural WW, but Burley would time right hands just as all of the better fighters joe faced have done. He'd be much more active than Hopkins/Jones and far slicker than Kessler/Reid. However Calzaghe might just walk through the smaller mans shot, actually I hate that term but he could be unphased/unshook and just continue rattling off combo after combo, although his connect percentage will be terrible in this fight

Calzaghe has 3inches height and probably a reach advantage

Without seeing more of Burley, I can't predict how he'd handle this combination of size/speed/aggression/chin/workrate. P4P hes above Calzaghe but this is a great WW against a top quality LHW, tough call

 

I think this is a good summation. The size differential is the determining factor for me. If Burley and Calzaghe were the same size, and then given his style, he (Burley) would be a solid favorite.
I'd take Calzaghe on points, over the smaller Burley.

 

I was surprised by how many long punches Burley threw against Smith,its so frustrating not being able to study his form on additional film,like Greb we have to go on who he beat.

 

And Holman Williams?

 

He does have the style, its that slowing of the pace with ring generalship. That is the style.

But i must say, Calzaghe may have a style that one could argue is potentially bad for Burley, well Calzaghe has more than one style, one of which is to swarm and outwork. You never know.

 

Harry Otty added him I believe.

 

:good

 

Burley handled taller, larger men as a matter of routine. Smith outweighed him by 6 to 12 lbs. JD Turner by almost 70 lbs -he was 6'3 and went 7 -no world beater was Turner but nothing about his great relative size meant a damn thing. Burley knocked Elmer Ray unconscious in sparring and according to Ray, Burley hit him harder than any HW ever had. Ray was a banger who stood 6'2, 200 lbs. Burley was around 153.

Burley was also, from what I can gather, far stronger than his weight would indicate.

 

Burley didn't match Smith for strength. On the contarary it was very visible in rounds 8 and 10 that Burley had a hard time tieing and holding Smith up in clinches, Burley's being pushed around by Smith.

 

Fresh Burley didn't have to match Smith for strength, he kept away from him most of the time in the early rounds.