See how full of shit Calzaghe is? He's delusional.

"I've been at the top for ten years, with 20 world title defenses and faced the best around and when the pressure's on that's when I perform to my best ability."

Does anyone think he actually believes this? Does he think if he keeps saying it somehow people will believe it?

 

he's obviously speaking the truth. he's been the best supper middle since the late 90s.

can you dispute that? dont tell me you think ottke was better.

 

"....and faced the best around...?"

that's the part i'm disputing. and i don't think it's so.

 

who hasnt he fought at 168? beyer? mundine? ottke? that's a trio of elite fighters there.

 

ok. you're right. he "has" fought the best around. sorry. thanks.

 

what will you say when/if he beats kessler? that he beat another overrated euro?

 

His career wins are against Jeff Lacy and a faded Chris Eubank, that's nothing out of the ordinary.

He's just a pretty good champion who fought mediocre to good opposition in his title reign.

 

you're talking like Calzaghe deserves as much credit for beating Veit as he'd get for beating Kessler.

Kessler is the the best guy in Calzaghe's division who he can fight. Aside from Lacy, he's never taken on his division's best. so don't act like this fight is just another in a long string of defenses against the best. and that's really my point.

so to answer your question, i'll give Calzaghe credit if he beats Kessler. but as i said before, it will depend largely on "how" he wins.

 

i guess it really takes a lot to impress the great double l. ::

 

maybe. but it's worth it. ::

 

dsimon writes:

I would bet dollars to donuts that Joe is planning on matching Kessler, going tit for tat and getting a hometown decision on a tough fight. But even so he deserves the props for taking this fight its just that simple.

I am curious Double L how else he could beat Kessler. I would call Joe one of the top middleweights ever if he actually dismantled Kessler.

Kessler is solid and strong. Lacy was strong but couldn't punch against a guy who out finessed him. But hey I was wrong about Lacy

 

So who's been the best at 168 that Calzaghe hasn't fought?

MANY people picked Lacy to knock Joe out, and Calzaghe made him look like a complete bum, do you not give him credit for that?

If he wins a convincing decision in a non action packed fight, would you give him credit for beating Kessler?

 

he deserves kudos because he's taking on the best guy in his division for jut the second time in his career? gimme a break. that's what champions are supposed to do. everytime they fight. you act like he's going above and beyond because he's taking on the top threat in his division. oh my.

 

I don´t like Ottke much, but if you thinK Calzaghe would have had an easy time with the bastard you are mistaken. Ottke knows how to stink out the joint against anyone and if necessary he had the big equalizer just ask iron-chinned Anthony Mundine, who went twelve rounds with punchers like Kessler, Green, Siaca and Echols. :stir:

 

who was there to fight him? Ottke? calzaghe was willing to fight hopkins but hopkins priced himself out of the fight. that's a fact.

 

If he beats Kessler (barring a home town decision or shady officiating), he will have beaten the best in his division and should be considered P4P no arguments.

 

Like it or not, this is the second year in a row that Calzaghe is fighting the guy EVERYONE wants him to fight.

 

i'd like to see calzaghe beat kessler then fight glenn johnson at light heavy.

 

Calzagne never proved he was the best at 168.......while Otke was around people were split between the two
________
Aromed Vaporiser

 

Interesting point...

Ottke accomplished everything Calzaghe did, by beating him to the punch. He even unified two major titles before Calzaghe did. Now that he's retired it's a bit moot, but style is nt the same as substance; just because people preferred the way Calzaghe beat his opponents doesn't mean that he always was the better fighter.

 

Calzaghe deserves credit for dominating Lacy. No doubt.

IF he beats Kessler, he should be elevated to top 5 p4p status.

But the fact is for almost 10 years he fought the who's who of mediocrity. The fact he never did fight Beyer, Mundine, and even Ottke shows his lack of wanting to fight the best.

 

:crafty: Kessler's fought 2/3 there,..

 

How you beat a guy is certainly important though. Calzaghe on the whole, was a lot more of a dominant fighter than Ottke. In fact if Ottke had gotten a loss or 2 that he deserved, this wouldn't even be a debate. Not that it necessarily means Calzaghe would have beaten Ottke but in ranking the guys at the time it was a factor.

 

There's no doubt in my mind Calzaghe would have hammered Ottke.

 

oh. ok. that settles it then.

 

I think so as well to be honest. Regardless, in the end Calzaghe has gone on to test himself a lot more than Ottke ever did. Ottke took his little record and retired without ever having a career defining fight.

 

Calzaghe hasn´t had a career-defining fight to this day either. :dunno:

Otttke fought the better quality of opposition to this day.

 

That changes later this year though.

 

Hopefully it does, but then Calzaghe has a loss, and Ottke is still undefeated. ::

 

Technically speaking of course.