The difference between Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe

I disagree. Tszyu was p4p#3 at the time and although he had only been sporadically active, his performances leading up to the Hatton fight were very good. Hatton stopped an elite fighter. Calzaghe outpointed a man who has not proven to be an elite fighter yet. He is not even p4p#10.

Every thread on two fighters does not need to be a comparison of their greatness, if it did then this would be a horribly dull forum. You are attempting to deflect how badly Calzaghe comes off here by changing the thread-subject to make him look better. It is cheap and transparent.

If I had started a thread on "who is the better puncher: haye or calzaghe?", you would write:

"You fail to mention for example how he has the superior resume, the better accomplishments and is the superior boxer in every department."


If I started a thread on "who had better reflexes: hamed or calzaghe?", you would write:

"You fail to mention for example how he has the superior resume, the better accomplishments and is the superior boxer in every department."


If I started a thread on "who has the better chin: calzaghe or benn?", you would scream:

"CALZAGHE! CALZAGHE! CALZAGHE!"


I don't fail to mention resume, accomplishments, ability etc - I choose not to mention them as they have nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that Hatton was fighting in the weight division below the world p4p#1 and moved heaven and earth to fight him and got the fight in less than 3 years, while Calzaghe was fighting in the weight division below the world p4p#1 and did not pursue a fight with him for 11 years. And yet one man is a hero and one is no longer rated.

My point is that being a clever career strategist now works wonder in this cherry-picking age, whereas being brave enough to fight the very best sees you disregarded.

Your point is that you adore Joe and would defend him against any point at all, no matter how valid.

 

I don't state it as fact though. I make a statement but as boxing is not a science and I am not a scientist, it is very obviously my opinion. Or are you one of those who get offended unless every remark is followed by "IMO"?

Hatton performed brilliantly against Tszyu and stopped him. Calzaghe was poor against Hopkins and sneaked an SD on workrate alone. That's why Hatton-Tszyu is a superior win... IMO.

 

Was Witter any better or any more deserving/legitimate than Ottke? Did Hatton have anything like the same amount of time to build up a resume that Joe did? No, because rather than spend 9 years fighting the Veits and the Brewers, he went for the world #1 asap! You guys are so lame, you would defend Calzaghe against his wife if she wanted to give him a hard ****ing.

 

In the 1990s, Marco Antonio Barrera, Riddick Bowe, Oscar De La Hoya, Naseem Hamed, Ricardo Lopez, Johnny Tapia, Winky Wright, Gerald McClennan, Steve Collins, Chris Eubank, and Dariusz Michalczewski all held WBO titles in their respective weight classes for prolonged periods. There's probably more that I can't remember. That settles that.

 

Hatton performed brilliantly against Tszyu, in combination with very questionable tactics and refereeing. IMO.

It's a shame that since then he claimed to be way past fighting Junior Witter's, or any other live young contenders, he obviously had bigger fish to fry like Juan Urango and Carlos Maussa. It was very much the road to Mayweather from there, fighting mediocrity and protecting the applecart and hypetrain in fights that a demented rodent could pick they were so predictable. And boring.

That's the problem with Ricky Hatton, he spent a lot of time fighting crap until he got a fight which was a no lose scenario. Congratulations for your win over Tszyu, congratulations for managing to get a fight with Floyd Mayweather like 36 others, but you havn't done **** inbetween whereas Calzaghe has a number of better wins. He didn't pursue Roy Jones, maybe, but he still has the better wins when it comes down to it. For me its not a case of criticising Hatton for taking the fight and losing, its a case of his resume is worse and his skill level certainly is.

 

And when someone starts a thread comparing Hatton's and Calzaghe's resume, I may agree with you there.

 

Clearly we just have different philosophies on boxing. You are criticizing Hatton for not staying at home battering in tomato cans for 9 years like Calzaghe did, I criticize Calzaghe for battering in tomato cans for 9 years when he could have been fighting the best fighter in the world. As I said before, I wish I lived in an era where public pressure meant that the best fighters all fought each other and the clever career strategy option wasn't available. I hate how important the zero has become. The world p4p#1 and #2 have losses. The greatest active fighter has losses. My favourite fighter in history has losses. The GOAT has losses. (Pac,JMM,Jones,Duran,Robinson) - not bad company for Hatton.

 

As usual, your response needs only a solitary line in response:

You would defend Calzaghe against his wife if she wanted to give him a hard ****ing.

I have no interest in debating that particular matter with you as any old excuse will do for old Joe. I'll refrain and speak with you another time on a subject that doesn't get your shackles up so irrationally.