Comments Thread For: Calzaghe Laments Abandoned Tradition

[wildman]

I agree completely. I hate this modern era trend of guys winning some alphabet belt, defending it once or twice against mediocre opposition, then moving up and looking for the weakest link to win another belt
Guys like Tank Davis, Shakur, Navarette, etc.
Whatever happened to Monzon, Hagler, Duran, Pedroza, Cervantes. Guys who established dominant legacies at one particular weight?

[PittyPat]

Ahhh, I miss ol' Zags. Calslappy... Slapzaghe... I don't care about careers, he was so fun to watch especially in those later ITV/Setanta years. He was one of the big names that got me watching boxing properly when it was on free TV (I'd seen the Benn–Eubank years, but then cable came along and took all the fights off free TV in the UK).

2007–2008... Just great, great times to be alive. Boxing was healthy, *I* was healthy, and the world was still kinda healthy. Now, where's my DeLorean?

[Sid-Knee]

Lmao fresh coming from calzaghe who till every relevant American boxer his weight was over 40 before he came across the pond to challenge them smh

Calzaghe not only beat every relevant American his weight class, but had Jones and Hopkins duck him years earlier. The only time Calzaghe could get them in the ring, the fight happened straight away.

Calzaghe was willing to travel as well when they both duked him too. However, i do see this lie constantly being spewed. And that's all it is, a lie.

[Sid-Knee]

I agree. I am far more interested in long and active reigns in a single division than inactivity and picking off weak belt holders in different weight classes.

As to Calzaghe, he unfortunately held the WBO when it didn't mean much and probably held it too long. Plus he didn't defend the belts after he beat Kessler.

He was wrong about his second fight with Veit not being televised in the UK. Eurosport picked it up and I remember watching live (see below). I loved Steve Holdsworth's commentary and he talked about Joe's situation with the WBO during the fight.

The Veit rematch was shown on Eurosport as can see. But it wasn't a live broadcast. It was shown i think 2 weeks after the event. Maybe even a bit longer if i remember correctly. But definitely not live.

[Slip jab]

I have big respect for Joe. Unfortunately I missed his reign but I became a big boxing after he retired and the smw lineage was wide open at the time. I agree with him here and I believe a fighters legacy would be more long lasting if they stayed in one division . Jumping weights just contributes to excusable losses imo

[MulaKO]

I had an hour with him 14 weeks before the Kessler fight , airport lounge, he was off to Sardina for a break before his 12 week camp. He wanted to finish his career with two big fights in America and retire , never to return with an unblemished record , he did all. Straight talker , no silly delusions , good guy and I suppose that's why the statement above makes the sense it does.He would have hammered Canelo to Froch and more but there comes a time!

Yes , his grandparents were Sardinian
Calzaghe was a true fighter all in all

[DougalDylan]

Lmao fresh coming from calzaghe who till every relevant American boxer his weight was over 40 before he came across the pond to challenge them smh

Like Jones etc ever crossed the pond in their prime , they asked Jones in an interview why he never fought Eubank he said too hard a fight for the money. Calazghe hands were shot when he fought Jones and Hopkins who would never cross the pond in their primes and lose "home advantage" world champs who wouldn't fight in the world .. lol, Joe still won with shot hands and far from his prime nearing retirement but he went while he could still fight unlike Jones .. just sad.

As a casual in those days I watched SMW fights watch fights like Benn Eubank with 1/2 billion others (16.3 million in the UK) and on one day I distinctly remember someone mentioning an American Jones Jr something who might be good (one line mention but the Jr bit stuck with me) .. it wasn't until Joe beat him I learned who he was (true story) ... all time great don't make me laugh .. would Tiger Woods, McEnroe, Carl Lewis, Mike Tyson , Ali all insist on all their competitions being with "home advantage" .. just sad. I don't follow golf , tennis etc but I know who those guys was, everyone knew Tyson and Ali

Steve Collins wrote in his book about chasing Jones across the States for a fight he was promised, think of all the SMW's those guys ducked ... just sad .. all he had to do was beat one to get some credibility.

In the UK Joe was labeled stay at home till he went over and beat someone in the States (that's how you prove you're a world champ) where was the energy from the States .. was Jones better than just basic North American level .. why not prove it .. because when he did fight Joe he lost and all we get is excuses.

Honestly, I think it was that era in the States that started boxings decline before that we had less belts and actual world champions.

[IronDanHamza]

The only yank who was over 40 when he fought Calzaghe was Bernard Hopkins, who was still a world champion 10 years after losing to Joe.

More like 6 years.

I mean there isn’t much choice is there. He only fought 3 fighters in the Top 5 in his career and a one of them was over 40.

[Sosay]

Calz was great and beat Hop and Roy, but no one would Rank him over either as they fought when none were in their prime. He did what he was supposed to do but quit mentioning Lacy. He wasn't that good folks. He was Wilder before wilder.

[Mick Higgs]

Probably one of the best articles that I have read on nsb in a very long time, lots of knowledge in this piece.

So many examples of modern, boxing's weight blunders and bonehead moves - Canelo fighting Mayweather at a weight depleting, 152 catchweight, Mikey Garcia ruined his career when he moved to 147 from 135 to fight Spence, Rigondeaux moving up 2 weight classes to fight Lomachenko, Kell Brook moving up 2 weight classes to fight GGG at 160 (Canelo was at 154 at the time, why Kell didn't move up just one weight class and fight Canelo is beyond me) and getting his face caved in etc...

Joe is right, stay in your own weight class and make that legacy, only move up in weight when your body can't make it anymore and never go back down after you move up.

Joe's right on this one it was good enough for Monzon & Hagler, so who can argue. Sadly the emergence of the IBF & WBO havan't helped the situation!