When did Calzaghe become an ATG?

He never did

 

When he retired undefeated at 46-0. Agreed that he never had a huge career-defining fight worthy in and of itself of ATG status, but all the other stuff he did without once losing adds up to ATG in my opinion.

 

I don't know about ATG, but the biggest win was the Hopkins one. Sure, it was an old Hopkins, but the same Hopkins took Kelly Pavlik back to school in his next fight, so it definitely wasn't a shot Hopkins.

The Eubank win was also a big one, but again, this was Eubank at the end of his career.

 

If I had to answer, Id say when he cleaned out his division by beating Kessler.

 

He's not.

 

He's not will never be.

 

When he invented the slap punch?

 

undefeated and the greatest super middle weight/light hw of his era, simply the undisputed champ

so much so likes of hopkins ducked him which is a fact during calzaghe's prime

 

atsch

 

In My humble opinion, he never became an ATG

 

When he schooled Pavlik instead of fighting Jones.


Oh wait...

 

top 100 ATG

 

fail

 

Calzaghe deserves credit for winning all the SMW titles at the weight. If you look at Boxrec Eubank wasnt as far removed as made out, so it was a good win along with Brewer, Mitchell, Reid, Woodall, Veit, Bika, Kessler and Lacy, none of them ATGs but good solid world class fighters. Then in his 1st bout at LHW he beat the Ring mags champ. Alot is made of Hopkins age but I dont think it is a factor yet in his career. Ive read where people say he wouldnt beat a younger Hopkins but which version? The one who lost his debut, the one who lost to Jones, the one who only scored a draw against an unknown, or the one Jermain Taylor beat twice? remember 10 yrs ago Calzaghe could throw more hard punches without all the hand troubles he had later in his career. Besides the Knockdown Hopkins let Calzaghe outland him and outwork him, Hopkins wouldnt have tried faking low blows to get points deducted if he thought he was winning, and we know Hopkins can have a good workrate ie his next bout with Pavlik. Theres alot of Knocking Calzaghe for beating Hopkins but no knocking Wright, Tarver, Trinidad, De La Hoya, or Pavlik for losing to him, or for Taylor to be badly hurt in the 1st Hopkins fight when winning.
But Calzaghe hall of famer, yes. But an ATG not sure, he could have taken alot of big fights earlier in his career and made his mark sooner