is calzaghe one of the best fighters ever

well lets reword it as "lewis wasn't one to take a chance".

 

You can re-word it anyway you like, so long as you aren't trying to say 'he fought scared'. Anyone who gets into a professional boxing 'takes a chance'. Those who take needless 'chances' end up turtle shaped, like one Amir Khan, to cite a recent example...

MTF

 

You are on pretty thin ice [(c) Karl] if you let the fact how a guy looks like affect the way you rank him. Results against proven opposition should be all that matters, not how it is done of how hot thighs the fighter has. Same with Calz of course, he doesn't always look textbook but he is almost impossible to beat.

 

no..

euro bum who mostly feasted on german dishwashers and cab drivers..

he is decent but mostly a phoney

 

But he has been fed so many dishwashers that now he has enough material to shit on anybody's chest.

(^LOK-language, meaning that during his career Calz has proven he can beat them all even though his opposition wasn't the best all the time)

 

Lewis did fight scared. Look at the absurd way he fought in both holyfield fights against a guy half his size. He packpeddled the whole way, pawing out his defensive jab, throwing the odd tentative right hand.

It was a hideous display. Worse than Wlad against Bragimov.

 

If Calzaghe lost to Roy, how much do you think it would tarnish his legacy at this stage?

 

This is the thing about 'resumes' though,... let's take Hopkins for example...

First and foremost, for 95% of his career he's had a 'Joe Calzaghe' of a time at middleweight, but lost 4 fights along the way,... he then persues Tarver at 175, fair enough, he beat Tarver at what is supposed to be his optimum weight,...

....then he pulls up 'names'... who have never achieved anything 170lbs and above, .....can either Winky and Pavlik beat any other top Lightheavyweights, the closest subscribed weight that Hopkins enforced them to fight at?...

Or is it more of a challenge and a greater achievement, to fight and beat lesser know LEGITIMATE Light heavyweights? ....."WHO?"..

Ah, it would not appear so... ... p4p4p4p4p4pp4p4p4p4p4p $$$$$ :shit:

 

So?

Hopkins beat Pavlik but I think his face is ugly. It was hideous to watch and tarnished his legacy

 

No it wasn't. Lewis threw more jabs in the first three rounds of either Holy fight than Wlad threw in the entire Ibragimov fight.

MTF

 

Considering that Joe is hardly the most popular chap to begin with, it might very well destroy it...

MTF

 

AgREED :bears:

 

dsimon writes:

a lot of merit to vitrually all the perspectives described on this thread... even lok's point is worthy! I will add this comment: When Joe fought Lacy, prior to many people described his style as antiquated.... like out of the boxer's gazette circa 1908 or so! At that time it was noteworthy because prior to Lacy, he had to prove he could fight internationally.. and now a bit later this conversation is being had.

I feel tha Joe is the conflux of a few things. He deserves to be lauded, he does win. His win over Kessler is showing itself to be more impressive everyday (as the Dane does better). It was a DOMINANT victory over what appears to be a real good guy! It was of the calibre of one of Jone's wins early in his career against Toney or Hopkins.

To me this was in a sense his most impressive victory because it was incontravertable. I actually came up liking Joe, what bothers me at times is his way of winning based on the judges etc.

Regarding a comparison to Lewis:

Well it depends how yu judge it doesn't it? Lewis lost a few and fought much better comp in the process. Calzighe has recently rectified some of that problem and kudos for him for doing that.

Here is what would make me declare Joe the best thing since butter inthe boxing and English fighting echelons: I know JOnes is washed up but lets see Calzighe dominate him. I dont mean a concession that the judges see his way like Hopkins I mean dominate! If he does this, even against a shot JOnes I will feel better against his Hopkins win and consider him one of the best ever English fighters.

 

Even if he scrapes past Jones he will still be one of the best UK fighter's ever, IMHO.

If he dominates Jones, then it won't count for much anyway, because unlike Hopkins who has just proven once more that age has slowed him none, Jones is quite clearly shot to ribbons.

This is why (besides money) I think it's a really, really dumb fight for Joe to take- he could have fought Pavlik at 168 and, judging by last week, he would have beaten him handily (as I had said all along: bad style match for Kelly) and enhanced his reputation no end, instead of letting Hopkins do the job...

...However, if (and when) he beats Jones, he gains very little at this stage whilst taking the chance that Jones might, just might, be able to summon up some of the old magic and ruin (perhaps in total) Joe's legacy.

So strange- I guess money really does talk

MTF :dunno:

 

dsimon writes:

THe point to me is that Joe should show dominance then. Look a similar scenerio IMO happened when Lewis fought Holyfield. Holyfield was, under no circumstances the fighter Lewis was at that time. Holyfield had said during the first fight that Lewis should have tried to knock him out if he was so dominant. I actually thought that despite Lewis obviously winning that fight that Holyfield had a point. Why shouldn't Lewis show his dominance and ko Holy?

I just think that for Joe this is important. Yes Pavlik would have been a good fight for him! Believe me MTF.... Best believe Joe and company are kicking themselves for that one!

What will be interesting is hw Calzighe responds to Jone's speed and craft is Jnes can summon it. Which is why a dominant performance would be important imo.

 

i still think it's a risky fight, even if jones is shot he's still not exactly a bum.

it's a complete no win situation for calzaghe.

i think these choice of matchups come down to the overall lack of intelligence of joe and his dad.

 

I disagree. Even though all of us know Roy is on his last legs Calzaghe will still be able to claim the scalp of a legend.

Also you're not factoring in one other major component.

$$$$$

 

Couldn't agree more mate...Joe and his father are two of the dumbest fuckers ever to walk the earth. The Neanderthals had something on that pair...

MTF

 

I confidently predict that Calzaghe will flurry his way to as comfotrable a decision victory win as he can...he knows that Jones can't really pull the trigger himself anymore and is gunshy after those brutal KTFO's in 2004.

He's in it for the money as much as Joe is, though he at least is in a no-lose situation- he if somehow wins then his legend is increased, whilst if he loses (and he will) then he simply says that everyone knew he was miles past his best and that Joe ducked him back in the day when he wasn't.

It's a terrible fight, generally, and a terrible fight especially for Joe. He has to stretch Roy in short order to take any credibility from the fight, and though I think his power is underrated somewhat, he won't even try to do that.

MTF

 

Here's the thing though brother Dsimon- do you really have to KO someone to show dominance? Lewis showed his dominance by using his superior physical attributes and his high skill levels- why does he NEED to KO Evander?

Even Joe's two most significant (or at least his most impressive) wins over Lacy and Kessler went to the cards, but there was no doubt who had won a dominant victory, was there?

Really- how many KO's are there in truly elite level fights? I'd wager the percentage is lower than that of judges decisions. Much lower.

MTF :dunno:

 

Roy is gonna rape Calzage.. I mean a BEATING

 

Sig bet?

 

He already has one with me; as does BigDawg and maybe one other person, I'm not sure...

MTF

 

Lok, you crack me up bud... ::

MTF

 

he's the best 168 pounder i've seen after roy jones. probably the best european fighter in the last 2 decades or so.

 

What? Who is better than Calzaghe two decades ago?

 

Why wouldn't Calslappy fight Ottke?

 

didn't robin reid beat ottke?

in fact robin arguABLY beat calzaghe too.

 

....i think what makes Calzaghe stand out is his incomparable fight-style....it is unique.......he is also one of the most adaptable boxers in recent years.....

of course, time will be the judge.....but with Hopkins proving how capable he remains.....Kessler, inspired by his defeat to Joe and looking sharp this weekend, has much of career ahead of him and you can only feel Calzaghe's victory will be increasingly appreciated with each of the Dane's future successes

....this really is a thread for a couple of weeks time.....i got a bad feeling about the Jones fight

 

....after much head-scratching i can only think it must have been Svenny's formidable punch power