Calzaghe - best boxer in the world?

by **gethine** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:01 pm

Joe Calzaghe is about to defend his super-middleweight belt for the 20th time!
has anyone in the USA ever even heard of him?
think that there is anyone better(at any weight)?
does manfredo stand a chance tonight?
discuss!

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:19 pm

calzaghe is a very good boxer. However his number of defenses is quite a bit puffed up and for a long time he really didnt put himself in much danger of losing the belt. He will probably have his way with manfredo tonight, who really is not of the same class as joe is. However if he got it together and fought kessler or beyer i think he would be in quite a bit more trouble. I think kessler could certainly beat him, though it will be tough for anyone to beat calzaghe in front of his home crowd.

Other boxers who might be lb for lb better than joe....Hopkins (though he might be a little too old at this point) mayweather, barrera, pacquiao, rafael marquez, possibly either mosley or oscar de la hoya and possibly even (those arent in any particular order)

by **gethine** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:22 pm

hopkins has been dodging calzaghe for a while now...so i don't think he should be on your list!

and to be honest it isn't much of a weight division anymore, but calzaghe has always fought whoever was put in front of him. the list of fighters that would not fight calzaghe without the benefit of an unrealistic purse is pretty extensive.(i guess that it would be their retirement pay)

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:23 pm

considering hopkins fights a weight class below calzaghe for most of his career....and calzaghe until a year ago had dodged anyone and everyone who posed a threat to his title...i really dont think thats a qualified statement.

by **gethine** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:26 pm

got tonkaed wrote:considering hopkins fights a weight class below calzaghe for most of his career....and calzaghe until a year ago had dodged anyone and everyone who posed a threat to his title...i really dont think thats a qualified statement.

i quess the press we get is different over here with regard to dodging fights!

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:28 pm

to be fair i think the american stage is slightly bigger and the press is better by comparsion to the welsh stage. Hopkins has fought pretty much everyone you can fight, he is a hall of famer. Joe for years hasnt fought the cream of the crop, and has at times has been injured in the face of what seem to be bigger fights for him to get off the board. Hes turning it around now...but he should have fought kessler long ago.

I dont dislike joe, but hes still got to fight the best of his division before we can really include him with some of the best in the world.

by **gethine** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:31 pm

doesn't jeff lacey count?
mario veit?
eubank?

by **gethine** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:32 pm

hopkins is fighting at light-heavy, joe is fighting at super-middle at the moment i thought

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:35 pm

jeff lacey did count...but truth be told would have counted a lot more in 2 more years. Eubank also was really never a threat to calzaghe and just looks better on a record, as evidenced by teh fact he is 0-3 in his last few fights. Veit was pretty good but at the same time not on the class of kessler or beyer.

Thats the thing with joe, he does fight some decent competition, but top class world fighters fight the best in the division not guys who are good, but not quite the best.

by **gordon1975** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:38 pm

just about to start i say calzaghe will stop him in 6 rounds

by **gethine** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:40 pm

got tonkaed wrote:Thats the thing with joe, he does fight some decent competition, but top class world fighters fight the best in the division not guys who are good, but not quite the best.

there really aren't the fighters in this division who are great like 10-15 years ago.
Roy Jones refused a fight, calzaghe has tried stepping up to light heavyweight to try to tempt the likes of Glencoffe Johnson or Antonio Tarver. no luck there!

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:41 pm

lol get...come on now, yes hopkins has fought 1 fight at light heavy...but hes fought his entire career at a weight lower than joe.

Gordon... you probably are pretty close on with your prediction. Im not gonna be able to catch the fight on tv sadly. Joe should be more than capable against a puffed up contender fighter.

by **Guiscard** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:50 pm

Yeh he'll take tonight's fight easy. The Amir Khan fight was just as predictable.

Just about to nail him as I post, I think

by **Guiscard** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:52 pm

... yep

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:52 pm

amir khan has tons of potential, probalby other than andy lee the biggest prospect out of the uk i would think.

by **gethine** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:55 pm

khan looks a lot stronger and faster than any one else in his weight in europe
round three - not a lot coming back from manfredo at all.

35,000 in the crowd at the millenium stadium, but i guess calzaghe will have to fight in america to get a coupla defining fights

by **Guiscard** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:57 pm

got tonkaed wrote:amir khan has tons of potential, probalby other than andy lee the biggest prospect out of the uk i would think.

Definitely. Got a lot of backing too. A lot of people think he's set to become one of the best.

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:58 pm

i think he will fairly soon....but truth be told it would be very difficult for anyone to beat joe in front of 35,000 supporters, it might be a different story against kessler if they fought outside of the uk.

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:59 pm

apparently it already got stopped....something about a silly ref intervention....what happened?

by **gordon1975** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:00 pm

contender dude wasnt hitting back and getting pumeld.stopped a bit early though

by **Guiscard** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:00 pm

gethine wrote:35,000 in the crowd at the millenium stadium, but i guess calzaghe will have to fight in america to get a coupla defining fights

Looking forward to some good fights over the pond. Something to test him properly. I think I'll be able to call him the best boxer in the world this autumn once he makes a mess in America a couple of times.

by **gethine** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:01 pm

apparently frank warren says that jermaine taylor is next in july, followed by kessler later in the year

by **Guiscard** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:01 pm

got tonkaed wrote:apparently it already got stopped....something about a silly ref intervention....what happened?

Yeh was a bit early. He was just sitting there taking it, and he'd probably have gone down soon, but the ref made a bit of a snap decision.

by **Guiscard** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:02 pm

gordon1975 wrote:contender dude wasnt hitting back and getting pumeld.stopped a bit early though

Listen to Manfredo now moaning on about not being hurt and how Calzaghe's punches had no power in them

by **got tonkaed** on Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:03 pm

calzaghe needs to fight kessler next really...though if he got a shot at taylor that would probably be a brillant move for him. Taylor even after 3 fights with Emanuel Steward does not have the boxing skills necesary to fight against joe. Unless joe pulls a winky wright and decides to box on the exact terms that help taylor.

Calzaghe - best boxer in the world?

Calzaghe - best boxer in the world?

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