Who was the greater fighter Wilfredo Gomez or Joe Calazghe?

Gomez and it isnt close.

 

Gómez. Because he could. Joe was a slapper.

 

He doesn't need me. He needs to have not been born in a country full of Limeys who don't respect and honor his great accomplishments.

 

Calzaghe arguably has just as many decent or significant 'name' wins as Gomez overall, but Gomez's very best wins (Zarate and Pintor) are a clear cut above Calzaghe's (Kessler and Hopkins), both in terms of the quality of opponent (considering that Hopkins, while still an effective performer, was 43 and decidedly past his best) and also the manner in which those victories were achieved. Gomez completely dominated Zarate - albeit with some disgusting behaviour - and blasted him out, while Calzaghe won a competitive fight against Kessler on points. Gomez fought a Fight of the Year contender with Pintor and eventually stopped him, while Calzaghe laboured to a very ugly split decision in a stinker against Hopkins.

Besides that, Eubank, Reid, Woodhall, Lacy and Bika etc. for Calzaghe isn't a mile away from Yum, Kobayashi, Cruz, Laporte and Lockridge etc. for Gomez, but I'd still give Bazooka the edge. But regardless, those wins against Zarate and Pintor give him a big early lead over Calzaghe.

In terms of all-round ability it's a bit closer. Both had fantastic engines and workrate at their best - although Calzaghe might have the edge here - and both could put combinations together excellently when they wanted, though again Gomez sometimes got a little too reliant on trying to find the one shot. Calzaghe a bit more durable and a shade faster. Gomez obviously the more devastating puncher with nimbler footwork and more upper body movement. Both were pretty hittable. One area where Calzaghe was lacking was his inside game, and Gomez is clearly the superior operator here. He refused a lot more clinches than Calzaghe and had a wicked uppercut when he chose to use it. From a personal point of view I'm more of a fan of Gomez's all-round style (minus the rule breaking) but it's a subjective thing.

The only obvious thing Calzaghe has going for him here is the unbeaten record, but that's not particularly relevant as Gomez's losses for the most part were against absolute peak all-time greats, the kind that Calzaghe never fought, much less beat in his career. The Layne loss is a different kettle of fish, of course, and regardless of being past his best that's a considerable blemish on Gomez's record...But in terms of comparing him directly to Calzaghe I think he still has enough in his favour to give him a bit of a pass on that one.

Super-Bantam wasn't a particularly star-studded division while Gomez was there, but neither was Super-Middleweight during Calzaghe's reign. The difference is that there was never really any doubt that Gomez was the premier 122 lb fighter in the world right throughout his reign, whereas Calzaghe took donkeys years to earn that consensus recognition at 168. Gomez caught a hiding from Sanchez at Featherweight, but at least he took the risk whereas Calzaghe was nowhere to be seen at 175 when Jones and Michalczewski were still relevant, and only stepped up when the division had become a comparative wasteland.

I don't quite rate Gomez as highly as I did a few years back, but I don't see much of a case for Calzaghe here. Gomez was definitely the greater fighter for me, by a clear margin.

 

Gomez, but it’s not that lopsided. I feel Calzaghe gets sold short.

 

Calzaghe found a way to win all the time- Gomez good fighter but I remember the way Sal sanchez dismantled him ....Joe Calzaghe is better IMO

 

Gomez would also knock out Calzaghe

In all seriousness Calzaghe needed a fight against Ward to solidify himself as an ATG imo. Whoever won that fight wouldve ended up on my top 100 p4p, but sadly neither fought each other and both left their resume lacking of the best opponent.

Gomez has a wonderful resume. Therefore i take him to be the greater, though i believe everyone agrees with me on that.

 

46-0.

'nuff said.

 

H2H it's very close IMO. I would favour Gomez at his 'peak' which wasn't long before he devolved.

Calzaghe is Welsh, man. I have to support him.

In all seriousness, I would say Calzaghe was the smarter fighter.

 

Gomez is a vastly superior talent with a vastly superior resume. Not even remotely in the same class

 

Outside of Zarate, the "vastly" part of Gomez' resume are the fighters who beat him.

46-0. Jones, Hopkins, Eubank, Lacy, Kessler, Woodhall. 46-0.

FOURTY-SIX AND ZERO.

 

Easily Gomez. It all comes down to competition really and Calzaghe has nothing worth bragging about. Unless of course, his fans are desperate enough to roll on the floor in tears of disbelief as he did for beating someone with 20 professional fights even though he had 40.

 

I would go Calzaghe by a very slim margin. I think it is much closer than it is being made out to be....the same criteria that is being used to poke holes in ones resume can be reversed as well. Both great but I think Joe edged him for me

 

I thought this thread had produced a shutout until @PhillyPhan69's post!

I'm still going with Gomez though.

 

I believe this to be the truth. I personally do not like either fighter: I simply can't stand Gomez. But Calzaghe definitely gets sold short. He's a legitimate great fighter.