Who are the best 10 fighters at 168-175 at the moment?

See, this is why I don't bother, because you don't know what you're talking about. Calzaghe has some of the best balance around, as well as footwork, giving him the positioning to throw at extremely tight and awkward anles and land shots that ar hard to defend against.

 

He probably would, but he won't.

I pretty much agree with this list than any other posted on here.

 

Actually, he's not. He's a very small LHW, most experts say that he could easily make the SMW limit. He competed at middleweight at the amateurs.

 

Good question, lots of us asked it many times. Maybe because Universum wanted him to be the successor of DM form the beginning.

He usually says that he can exploit his quickness in LHW more than he could in SMW.

Or he just simply doesn't want to drain his body. Fact is he usually steps in the ring around 172lbs.

 

Exactly. Very simple tactic: tight defence, and a very fast accurate jab with which he can land at will against almost anybody. Rather boring to watch but certainly effective. BTW his style changed a lot since he went pro. He was a very versatile combination puncher back at the amateurs.

 

Well, matter of perspective again. I think he just wants to win at all costs. If the most effective way is by outjabbing the opponent then he outjabs the opponent. If he has to slug it out, then he slugs it out like he did against Sahnoune. I think that was the fight where he showed that he actually has a heart. He went into the ring with a bruised rib (that's what you get for sparring with Vadim Tokarev) and he gassed out after 4 rounds. He barely could move, wasn't even able to keep his guard up but he didn't quit, he kept on fighting and finally KOed the Frenchman in the 12th. If he was 100% fitt he would've chosen the easier way - outbox him as he usually does. And he could have done it without breaking a sweat.

If you decide not to be a fan of him it's your call, and I totally understand and respect your decision. People usually don't like these kind of fighters. He's not the warrior type, he doesn't go for the kill, he's just a guy who wants to win the most effective and least risky way.

BTW after the Sahnoune figtht a reporter told him that these are the type of fights that fans need. Erdei replied: that's true, but these are certainly not the types that I need.

 

Fair enough. You know, I don't think that this is some kind of a strategy. I mean looking bad against a mediocre (at best) opponent. Although Mendoza was much better than Santiago and Blades (both of whom Zsolt handled with ease) he still should have won much more convincingly. I think this is something to do with motivation. Calzaghe wasn't that impressive against Salem for example - not because he wasn't a world-class fighter, but because he wasn't motivated enough to fight a realtively unknown guy. His best performances were against top class opposition (Lacy, Kessler).

Erdei (on a different level of course, I don't want anybody come up with this how do I dare comparing Erdei with Calzaghe thing) has also showed the best performances on his biggest fights. He was a total underdog, an unknown prospect when he demolished the no2 ranked LHW in the world in Gonzalez. He wasn't an underdog but many thought that fighting his German stablemate Ulrich in Germany will be his toughest fight still he did a shutout.

I can't say for sure that he still wants to challenge himself. I can't say for sure that you're wrong. I just hope you are. :good

 

Yes, he's hot and cold, I tried to tell Decebal that.

I don't have any problems with Erdei, I know how difficult it is to secure the types of matches people want when you're under European promotion and unknown in the United States, especially being that where you can get the westerner a payday is where they don't want to go(Germany).

But he and his promotion do need to do something soon, I rated him right behind Kessler and Dawson and that's where he belongs, he's also the second best LHW outright, better than Clinton Woods.