Joe Calzaghe = One Of The Best Boxers Ever

[jrosales13]

so wheres that mean in atg skillwise then

Just skill alone. We talking about Oba Carr would be higher. Carr is did not accomplished what Joe did. And, ATG list overall Calzaghe would be higher. But, just skill alone then you talking about Oba Carr and Casamayor would rank higher than Calzaghe.

I don't know where he ranks all time skill wise exactly. Cuz I have not made a list that is just skills alone. But, of the top of my head Oba Carr, Casamayor, Mayweather, Hopkins, Toney, Finito, Whitaker, Leonard, Duran, Carnizalez, Wilfredo Benitez, Wilfredo Vazquez, Carlos Ortiz, Salvador Sanchez, Azuman Nelson, Oscar, Mantequilla Napolez. I mean this is all of the top of my head right now who I say have better skills than Calzaghe. I didn't even mentioned anybody from the early 1900's. So I don't know where he would land skills alone. Honestly not that high.

But, if we are talking about ATG overall. He might be top 100. But, no way in hell is he top 20 or 30 all time. I am not trying to hate on Calzaghe like Mangler said he is a for sure HOF'er. IMO easily top 3 greatest SMW of all time. And, maybe the best but Jreckoning made a great point saying that the SMW division has only been around for lil bit over 30yrs. Which means is quite easy to make the top 10 cuz it does not have the history of the original 8 divisions has. And, I am not trying to hate on Calzaghe. But, saying top 20 or 30 is just absurd.

[jrosales13]

And rightfully so. Finito was simply a bad ass.

Finito was a lil beast. And, I also heard he never lossed a fight as an amateur either. But, I don't know how true that is. I don't kno why fights with Carbajal and Chiquita Gonzalez never happened...

[Tmb04]

Top 100 maybe

[Degsy]

Beat a faded Chris Eubank and then coasted off that win for the next 6 years until his first 'meaningful' win over Byron Mitchell.
Que: another 3 years of piss-easy, killing-himself-to-make-168-and-not-go-to-175lb and home-turf-only defenses against complete bums until the win over, heh-heh-heh, Jeff 'Left-Hook' Lacy (the clue to that win is in the nickname, lol).

Two final wins over old man Hopkins and old-shot-man Jones Jr and you have a big-mouth Welsher who will go down in history as never leaving the shores to fight prime guys.

Easily the most overrated 'I've-never-been-beaten' fighter of the last 10 years.

Not heard of Sven Ottke then??

[Degsy]

Its always difficult to compare eras, as sports science, training methods, nutrition etc have all moved on. My main beef with Joe is that we didn't really get to see him fight at full pelt due to: a) Frank Warren being overprotective, b) he ****ed his hands early on in his career and lost the power shots he was capable of c) I really think he lacked confidence in his skills and himself, aparently he had last minute jitters pre Lacey d) His trainer, I know they have a great relationship, but I wonder what a Freddie Roach could have done with him straight out of the Ams.

I think the old 15 rounder would have suited him because all but the blindest haters would struggle to deny that he had an amazing workrate, underrated handspeed, a despite what some moron said earlier, a pretty good chin - being caught seemed to actually get him going and he had an amazing recovery rate when he was hit flush.

[Check]

Obviously this is a sarcastic thread so it's not even meant to be take seriously. If you want a serious answer though any historian or anyone that has followed the sport would struggle to slot Joe Calzaghe in their top 100. He would probably fall in the 110-130ish range. That might not sound great but for the era he fought in, 90s and 00s there is less than 10 top 100 fighters from those two decades.

The only thing that is remotely serious is Tunneys post and its pretty laughable. Saying Joe is a top 20 fighter and if you don't agree its because he's white, is ridiculous. That is an unbelievable and appalling statement.

[mathed]

so how is he an all time great? based on what if's? do you think ike ikebuchi the best heavyweight ever?

No, I think he is an ATG based on what I saw of him fighting. He did not have the prettiest style and I don't think a pretty style earns people a great status. He had an undefeated record before gaining any International exposure and people said Lacy would beat him up, well Lacy got schooled.

People said he would never come to America and fight, guess what he moved up in weight and fought the only other guy to have similar achievements in the same weight division that he did in Hopkins- it was close but he made Hopkins resort to tactics that he would never had done against anyone else.

He then defended the title against the guy that at one time was the P4P best in the sport in Jones and dominated him. People can say he fought people past their prime but he was around the same age as them.

He beat Kessler, who I believe will win the Super 6 and then people will see just how good Calzaghe really was. If Kessler wins the entire thing, people can no longer say he is a "Danish Robot" with no skills. Calz fought who he had to fight; it isn't his fault that the division he fought at was not stacked with notable names like the welterweight division and he could not go back in time to fight the all-time greats of past eras, so what should he have done that he didn't do?

[shyboirank#1]

whos Joe ???????? he retired for a reason hes a ***** and scarred

[blaze778]

where would you put him skill wise

Same. That's why I ranked him top 150 was because of his skills and title reign, not for his resume. At least Marciano, beat more than two over the hill fighters.

[Blue Heffner]

He is an all time great, certainly a top 30 and probably top 20.

But the sad truth is, he doesn't receive the recognition he deserves because he's white.

It's has nothing to do with his race. Joe is top 100 maybe but not top 30, no damn way.