Calzaghe the greatest - McGuigan

Barry McGuigan has backed Joe Calzaghe's credentials as the best boxer Britain has ever produced. The Welshman extended his unbeaten record to 45 fights by beating Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas on 20 April. "His record alone tells us that he's probably the best fighter we've ever had," former featherweight world champion McGuigan told BBC Sport. "Also the amount of world champions he's beaten and the way he's conducted his life, he has to be up there." McGuigan claimed the IBF featherweight title with a famous victory over Eusebio Pedroza at Loftus Road in 1985 and has a decent claim to the title of Britain's best boxer of the modern era. But the 'Clones Cyclone' reckons Calzaghe, who has not suffered defeat in 18 years and who has made 21 world title defences at super-middleweight, could hold his own against any boxer from these shores, past and present. "There'll be those old-timers who say he wasn't as good as Jimmy Wilde or Benny Lynch or Jim Driscoll or Randolph Turpin or Nigel Benn, whatever. "Boxing's about styles and his style may not appeal to everybody, but he could well be the best boxer this country has produced." .... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7369798.stm

Comments (20)

hardmanbrit

Word up! Loving that. Thank you very much man.

18y ago

abadger

For a tiny little island the size of Kansas we produce quite a few World Champions! Word up! Loving that. ________ YAMAHA XS750 HISTORY

18y ago

hardmanbrit

For a tiny little island the size of Kansas we produce quite a few World Champions!

18y ago

Kris_Silver

Christ I've seen double before, but after the bottom of pg 3, top of 4, I'm seeing quadruple. It's an insult to British fighters to call Joe the best ever.. He's better than Randy Turpin and Henry Cooper?? C'mon now.. If Joe is the best ya'll ever produced then that is PATHETIC Barra, that's your low opinion of Calzaghe dude. It's a little amusing in McGuigans words in the article plain to see, he says; "There'll be those old-timers who say he wasn't as good as Jimmy Wilde or Benny Lynch or Jim Driscoll or Randolph Turpin or Nigel Benn, whatever."

18y ago

abadger

It's an insult to British fighters to call Joe the best ever.. He's better than Randy Turpin and Henry Cooper?? C'mon now.. If Joe is the best ya'll ever produced then that is PATHETIC Tell you what, I respect McGuigan's opinion more than yours. ________ MERCEDES-BENZ OM603 HISTORY

18y ago

hardmanbrit

Yea he has British Citzenship, hes Northern Irish just leave it at that. McGuigan is not from Northern Ireland you moron.

18y ago

hardmanbrit

Yea he has British Citzenship, hes Northern Irish just leave it at that. McGuigan is not from Northern Ireland you moron. Also, please learn English.

18y ago

hardmanbrit

Yea he has British Citzenship, hes Northern Irish just leave it at that. McGuigan is not from Northern Ireland you moron.

18y ago

hardmanbrit

Yea he has British Citzenship, hes Northern Irish just leave it at that. McGuigan is not from Northern Ireland you moron.

18y ago

bubbles1

Yea he has British Citzenship, hes Northern Irish just leave it at that. Sorry man, but he's not Northern Irish, he's Irish! He was born in Clones, and he lived Clones, which is in the Republic of Ireland! He may have lived in England for the last twenty off years so it's possible, more like probable, that he has taken up dual citizenship. "Once again, I was just stating the fact that people from Northern Ireland are British. That is why they have British passports." This statement isn't fact! People from the north can either have irish or british or dual passports! So to say that the people of Northern Ireland are British doesn't paint the full picture.

18y ago

hardmanbrit

Sorry what i meant to say is Uk is living in Wales or England. Am i right? I might be wrong? But yes i did know British was Scotland, ENgland, Wales and and Ireland. Great Britain is made up of three countries; England, Wales and Scotland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is made up of four countries; England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. No need to say sorry man, I was just surprised that you did not know that.

18y ago

hardmanbrit

This is my first time posting here, even though i've been visiting this site for a long time. I think Calzaghe has earned the right to be considered one of te greatest Bristish boxers of all time. the length of time he has been world champion and remained undefeated is remarkable. Just wanted to point out to you that Northern Ireland isn't part of Britain. It's part of the UK. And to clear it up about Barry McGuigan, he's not part of Britain or the UK, he was born and reared in Clones which is in the Republic of Ireland.....which makes him Irish. Once again, I was just stating the fact that people from Northern Ireland are British. That is why they have British passports. I did not say "Northern Ireland is in Britian." By the way, I may be wrong here but I have been told that McGuigan lived in England for many, many years and so got a dual passport.

18y ago

hardmanbrit

Northern Ireland isn't in Britain. Where did I say that Northern Ireland was in Britain? I am just stating the fact that people from Northern Ireland are British, which is why they all have British passports. Being a Brit, on my passport it says "A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND"

18y ago

RichCCFC

18y ago

hugh_grant

I hope you are joking. You are either joking or you have a really surprising lack of geographical knowledge. To be British you either have to be from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Or Gibralter or the Falkland Islands of course! Sorry what i meant to say is Uk is living in Wales or England. Am i right? I might be wrong? But yes i did know British was Scotland, ENgland, Wales and and Ireland.

18y ago

bubbles1

This is my first time posting here, even though i've been visiting this site for a long time. I think Calzaghe has earned the right to be considered one of te greatest Bristish boxers of all time. the length of time he has been world champion and remained undefeated is remarkable. I hope you are joking. You are either joking or you have a really surprising lack of geographical knowledge. To be British you either have to be from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Or Gibralter or the Falkland Islands of course! Just wanted to point out to you that Northern Ireland isn't part of Britain. It's part of the UK. And to clear it up about Barry McGuigan, he's not part of Britain or the UK, he was born and reared in Clones which is in the Republic of Ireland.....which makes him Irish.

18y ago

denboy

To be fair, he has criticised Calzaghe whenever he has churned out a bad performance, which of course has been very rare. Yer I know he tries not to make it obvious and is honest most of the time, but he still has that bias. I think that Calzaghe could be one of the greatest British boxers however people should know that McGuigan is in cahoots with Warren.

18y ago

hardmanbrit

Barry McGuigan is Frank Warrens sock puppet I would take everything he says about Warren's fighters with a pinch of salt. To be fair, he has criticised Calzaghe whenever he has churned out a bad performance, which of course has been very rare.

18y ago

denboy

Barry McGuigan is Frank Warrens sock puppet I would take everything he says about Warren's fighters with a pinch of salt.

18y ago

hardmanbrit

barry only speaks the truth calzaghe is the greatest Succint and true!

18y ago