I am not just saying this because Joe Calzaghe was born in the same London hospital as me (my only claim to fame) but surely someone deserves credit if they become the UNDISPUTED World Champion of their weight division, as Joe did.
Kessler, Roy Jones Jr, Chris Eubank Bernard Hopkins and Jeff Lacy were not bums, either.
In fact, some may react scornfully to this, but I believe that Hopkins is currently the best American fighter on the planet.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00472/calzaghe3_472552a.jpg
If that was a photograph of any other great American fighter I would label you disrespectful, but because it is a picture of that racist Hopkins I think it is awesome.
http://allboxing.ru/img/calzaghe_lacy_kd.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44216000/jpg/_44216828_kessler_slip416.jpg
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/02XrbPAa7x6Ej/610x.jpg
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/07bU9ksgE7d6Y/610x.jpg
That last picture is slightly distasteful.
Roy is one of the greatest American boxers of all time.
http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/04/20/21d2d.jpeg
http://www.ianswatson.com/images/cat_kicking_dog.jpg
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/3631/boxing.jpg
Nice pic. I wouldn't normally disrespect a boxer in such a way, but seeing as Hopkins is a racist and a convicted felon I am not too bothered.
I remember that punch - Joe caught him as cleanly as is possible.
There is no comparrison, you cannot compare them because it's completley different scales.
Yeah, it is like comparing the United Kingdom with Africa, or Asia; just completely futile. Or comparing Detroit or some other city with the UK.
In terms of size, the USA is a f**king continent! It's way bigger than Europe, for example.
I have to admit, though, the USA is still by far and away the greatest boxing nation on the planet.
It is truly ludicrous to compare the UK to the USA. You could fit around two or three of my nation in your state of Montana. Your country is bigger than my continent!
Also, our population is no where near a sixth of the size of yours, even though our nation is ridiculously densely populated nowadays.
You Yanks win hands down.
Wlad is a great man who does an incredible amount for so many African and South American charities, but the guy bores me to death!
I will be watching the fight tonight in the hope that the American knocks him out.
I doubt he'll complain about Khan's steroid use if Khan does indeed 'own' him. I mean, surely Malignaggi is expected to be defeated by Khan.
Hatton was the wrong side of 30 when he annihilated the loquacious New Yorker, and that was some time ago now.
I think that the former Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion of the World needs to fight someone of note in the heavyweight division before going after the two main men, Vitali and Vladmir.
He does not deserve a shot at the title yet.
I hope Ricky wins. I have met him several times and he is very unassuming and a really aggreeable fella.
I cannot see him beating the greatest boxer on the planet, though. Not now. Anyway, I suppose he had a good career, beaten some great fighters (Castillo, Collazo etc.) and been a World Champion at two different weight divisions, so he can retire happy.
The only reason i rate Hatton is because he has limited skills as a boxer but he seem to have achieve more than the skills he has at his disposal.
Same here.
For me, his greatest ever wins came against John Ruiz and Antonio Tarver.
I would have to agree with that.
Obviously Tarver is a very good fighter and to win the Heavyweight Championship of the World after being a middleweight world champion is truly incredible and will never be replicated again.
Yeah...someone has to cover your(Britain) ass. Cuz you honestly, u guys don't rank anywhere militarily, and you have lots of enemies due to your Imperialistic & Colonial history....just saying....If i was you guys, i would watch my back too, ain't nothin' wrong with that...And you guys do a good job kissing up to us. We 'ppreciate that.
Another ludicrous post aimed at stirring up hatred.
Despite our horrendous, left-wing government we still officially have one of the most powerful militaries on the planet.
Even now our armed forces are doing the fighting that NATO should be doing, in the only dangerous part of Afghanistan; Helmund Province.
Not only that, but we are in Iraq in huge numbers too!
By the way, despite being a tiny island we have the 6th largest economy on Earth as well. We don't do so bad.
Anyway, how on Earth can you talk about colonialism? White people are native to Britain. Can you say the same about your nation? If you want to go on and on about stuff that happened hundreds of years ago, then let's talk about the Native Americans.
America is in a better position that England....militarily and economically. we're not better than you..infact, you're the snobbish ones, but we're in a better position globally....while you guys are shit out of luck. and frankly it's a good thing you keep good relations with us....cuz with China, India and many nations coming up, i'd be skeptical...India might still be a yes-man to England, but China does not forget past trangressions. She will eventually exert her influence once she fully becomes a World Power. We can probably deal that....you cannot...and that's why you make all these affliations...England-U.K-European Union...Nice blankets.
To compare the United States of America to the United Kingdom in that way is ludicrous.
Texas (which is in fact just one of your many states) is far larger than our entire country and your population stands at three hundred million for God's sake!
You are being silly now.
Jones = awesome.
No question about it.
Oddly enough, I was never really a fan of his showboating, but damn, what a fighter. Speed like I've never seen.
The fact that Roy Jones Jr. is one of the greatest fighters that ever walked this planet is veritable.
I feel that it is a shame that Joe Calzaghe was in his late thirties when he finally faced the great Roy Jones Jr., as was Roy Jones Jr.
Would have been great to see them figth each other in their primes.
Has the great man (Roy Jones Jr.) not retired yet?
At least when Oscar De La Hoya got destroyed by a superior fighter he realised that he should end his career.
after his loss to calzaghe, Roy showed pure class and respect. calzaghe was a complete asshole during the fight
When a man is trying to knock you out, it is difficult to be gentlemanly.
huh?
The Falkland war! Get serious, that was not a war...if i was you, i wouldn;t boast about that..we're talking about 1980s Argentina here. compared to Great Britain....
hardmanbrit may have talked some rubbish on this subject, but I feel I have to back him up right now.
Errr..... we are also talking about 1980s Britain here as well!
Argentina is a vast land with massive amounts of natural resources and it is a nation that had a huge amount of French military technology at its disposal when it attacked British land in the eighties. Are you suggesting that Great Britain was so great militarily then that it was inconceivable that Argentina might beat us in the Falkland's War?
By the way, I know that hundreds of years ago we did some truly terrible things, but don't forget that we were also the first nation on Earth to abolish slavery. Our navy actually fought and killed many hundreds of slave traders around the nineteenth century!
Don't forget also that we delivered railway systems and education systems to places such as the Indian subcontinent and Africa, and how many tens thousands of vital things have we invented as a nation, from the telephone to the tank?
I know Britain has done some terrible things for this Earth, but show me a nation that hasn't and I will show you a liar.
surely Britain would shoulder more of the blame for that than modern Americans
More of the blame?
Was it the British who marginalised the Natives? Didn't allow them to vote?
Lynched people? Burned crossed on lawns?
At least Britain was the first nation on Earth to abolish slavery, and around two hundred years ago Britain even sent their navy to fight those who were trying to buy slaves in West Africa.
The only reason that Kostya Tzyu is not highly rated by us Westerner boxing fans is down to xenophobia and, in some cases, racism.
It is as simple as that.
I tend not to like whiteboys, especially British, but I don't mind Joe Calzaghe.
Not many guys have been World Champion for well over a decade and retired undefeated. Also, for him to unify his division, then go and win a World title at Light-Heavyweight against the great Bernard Hopkins (long before Bernard destroyed Kelly Pavlik) is kinda impressive.
Incredibly, I actually tend to agree with that!
How the hell can Mayweather be accused of ducking the best fighters on the planet?!
Luis Castillo and Philip Ndou are two of the greatest P4P fighters of our generation and he faced and beat both of them.
I like the man because he does so much for various African (and British) charities, but he should not be following the example of Cotto. He may have won three different World titles in two different weight divisions, but he will now never win a meaningful fight ever again.
In order to attain longevity in boxing like British ATGs like Joe Calzaghe and Lennox Lewis, you must look after yourself and watch what you put into your mouth.