I would score it for Toney since I score for quality, hurtful work over lickity clit flurries. The actual scores would be close. If Calzaghe used his legs and fought like he did against say Lacey he could give Toney some definite difficulties.
Let me start by saying I think James is WAY better than Calzaghe at his peak. But the James that actually fought at 168? I hate to say it, but give me Calzaghe clear.
Give me Calzaghe close. Counter-punching is an awful tough game when your opponent virtually never stops throwing punches for you to counter from, but Toney was crafty, cagey & resourceful --- he'd tighten up his defense & almost get there...but in the end, Calzaghe eeks him out. Something like 6-5-1, or 7-5 would suit me.
I agree with you but I think a crisp Toney counter or two would plant Joe on his butt and that would be the difference. I think Toney wins by a whisker.
Joe's not chinny but Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins and Byron Mitchell dropped him early in fights and I could see Toney doing the same thing. I think it would be a close fight and flash knockdown could be enough to get Toney the nod. I think people remember the Roy fight and it colors their memories of Toney at 168. He was pretty solid at 168 and I think he'd be more than capable of giving Calzaghe hell at that weight.
Calzaghe had, at worst, a very decent chin, but he could indeed be caught cold early doors. He had tremendous recuperative powers, though; I can't recall him ever being seriously hurt in any single fight. MTF
If there's one type of opponent Toney always thrived against it was volume guys, IMO. I think people mischaracterize Toney's style quite a bit (like many of us did with Mosley's) - i'd him a back foot slugger, not a counter puncher like say Bernard Hopkins, who definitely was flummuxed by volume a bit. Toney thrived on somebody coming to him and giving him openings for those sharp little bombs he would throw. He wasn't looking to dissect you or neutralise you, he was looking to hurt you, constantly. Calzaghe of course had more to his game than say Charles Williams or Vassily Jirov and could also use his legs and box outside. He would have use that aspect of his game and be really quite disciplined with his volume to to compete with Toney, IMO. Toney would almost certainly have him on his ass at some point & a Toney stoppage isn't out the question, i don't care what anyone says. He's a vastly more dangerous fighter than anyone Joe ever stepped in with. Again, I would score this fight for Toney.
Close fight. Calzaghe sneaks it in a fight Toney says he won. Except it would actually be close, unlike Bernards false claims.
I scored that fight for Hopkins at the time. A large % of the British press did as I remember, too. Given B-Hops shenanigans Joe pretty much got a moral victory, but he never proved himself a better fighter, only a younger fitter one. Toney ain't gonna fade even slightly.
If you want to talk about a genuinely contentious calzaghe decision then bring up the Reid fight. He came alot closer to doing the job than bernard
The Toney that beat up Barkley, and Charles Williams was simply a better fighter than Calz. He would pick him apart down the stretch, and likely drop Joe on his way to a decision win. Anything less than those versions of Toney, and Calz out points him. Simple as that.
Toney would thrash calzaghe. Assuming toney actually trains fo the fight, i dont see this as a competitive fight at all. Barely beating a geriatric, pre hgh, hopkins is not the same thing as beating a prime toney.
