Who do you rank higher: Andre Ward or Joe Calzaghe

Easy work.

And back to the thread topic... Calzaghe > Ward and it's not even close. Joe was exciting, fought within the rules of boxing and had way more title defenses with needing the deck ALWAYS stacked in his favor. Just a better ambassador of the sport.

 

It was a joke, but as you say Warren wanted more US exposure and Manfredo fit the bill.

Was it a soft touch? Of course and I'd never say anything otherwise but is it any worse than Ward trying to make a fight with Calum Johnson?

 

LoooL!!!

Dude... it’s a dead argument. Joe was better than Ward. And you pretending to know who Joe wouldn’t have “dreamt” of fighting is LOGICAL. Just take your L in this one dude. Look at the poll also. Go sit down.

 

Of course it's close.

Yet again, your emotion clouds your judgement.

Joe spent the majority of career shrinking himself down to SMW, to defend a lightly regarded WBO belt 21 times, against mainly B and C class opposition.

 

I don't need to a view a poll.

Most of those guys have a deep dislike of Andre Ward.

Yes, I know that Joe would never have fought Kovalev.

He wouldn't move up to LHW even when he knew Ottke wouldn't unify and there was nothing else for him to fight.

Instead of having a crack at LHW, he literally starved himself to make SMW, coming down from 196 pounds, to fight the Sobot's and the Mkrtchyan's of the world.

He had zero interest in fighting the likes of: Tarver, Pavlik or Dawson, yet he was happy to fight guys like Kabary Salem.

Anybody who thinks he'd have fought Kovalev, is living in a fantasy, and they never saw his career unfold.

His sole objective was to retire undefeated. Which is why he clung on to his WBO belt like a drowning man at sea clinging on to a life raft.

 

Yes, it was worse.

Andre had just beaten Kovalev twice.

Joe had to fight Manfredo because he still needed some much needed U.S. exposure as he'd refused to fight in the U.S. earlier on in his career.

 

“Shrinking himself down”?? Lol False. He cut some weight but it was FAR from shrinking himself down.

And Ward spent the majority of his career breaking the rules, fighting ONLY on his home soil and literally in his backyard, bringing corruption, and NOT putting boxing in a positive light.

Imagine if Joe fought Hopkins in the UK with ALL UK judges and a competent UK ref that would have rightfully deducted points for Hopkins “crafty” BS! I mean that’s the kind of table that had to be set for Ward! Joe would have won a REAL 118-110 type of decision.

 

LOL

Have a look, Johnson has fought 16 fights and only 3 had winning records, he's not even top 50 in the world.

 

He had a walking around weight of 192-196 pounds.

By his own admission, he literally had starve himself to make 168.

Look who he starved himself to fight.

Look who fought at LHW during his SMW reign.

If you think Andre was lucky against Kovakev, fine. I don't agree, but your opinion is fair enough. But at least give him credit for taking the fight in the first place. Again, Joe did not take those kinds of fights. It took him 14 years to get to LHW.

 

I'm not comparing Manfredo with Johnson.

I'm comparing the circumstances.

Andre wanted an easy touch after beating the most feared man at LHW for the second time.

Joe had to fight Manfredo at that stage, because he was still looking for career defining fights at 35.

 

But it's still no excuse, Johnson hasn't even fought a British level opponent let alone European or world.

Ward has some excellent wins but also wins over sub par opposition of the level you call out Calzaghe for.

 

I voted calzaghe its close but wards insistence on only fighting in America and as close to home as possible is , was and will always be a bit chicken ****

 

No, it has to depend on the circumstances.

Andre wanted to fight a guy like Johnson, AFTER he'd had career defining fights against a much feared LHW who was in his prime.

Whereas Joe was happy to fight lowly ranked WBO opposition, even when he was in his 30's, and he hadn't any career defining fights.

You can excuse guys for fighting the odd lowly ranked fighter. But Joe decided to remain at SMW to fight guys like Mkrtchyan, after he knew that Ottke wouldn't fight him, but before guys like Lacy and Kessler were on the scene. You can't defend those actions.

 

No there's no excuse at all for wanting to fight a guy who's not even fought for an area title.

Have an easy fight but the fighters you just named and "shamed" Calzaghe for fighting had still faced better opposition than Johnson.

 

Look at HOW Ward had to ‘fight’ Lol Headbutts... ducking at the waist.. hugging... single leg takedown attempts after getting his brain scrambled... the list goes on for how disgusting your boys fighting style was. And again... where were Joe’s marquee fights and where were Wards?? Exactly Joe went into hostile territory to get those wins without DEMANDING all the judges be from his country

Fact of the matter is Joe won ALL his fights within the rules of boxing and had to resort to shady crap. And you have the nerve to sit there and type about Calzaghe like he was a coward for “STARVING HIMSELF” to fight at 168. LooooL!! Ward was naturally bigger than Joe was and that was before the shady back ancne started up on Andre’s back. Lol