Were all of the guys you listed really rated top 5 during Calzaghe's reign? I'm guessing most of them were top 10. Calzaghe has fought several top 10 guys. Kessler, Lacy and Bika were certainly rated top 10 by the Ring magazine, Kessler and Bika are still. He fought, Brewer and Mitchell within 18 months of "losing" their belts to Ottke, I'm pretty sure they were ranked in the top 10 at the time. Robin Reid was ranked in the top 10 by the Ring when he lost to Lacy in 2005, so I'm pretty sure he would have been ranked in 1999, about a year after he'd lost his title. He fought Woodhall a year after he'd lost his world title so he was likely to still be ranked in the top 10. Even Peter Manfredo was ranked in the top 10 by the Ring when he "challenged" Calzaghe.
I'm not saying they are all the cream of the crop but they were top 10 ranked at the time of facing Calzaghe, and better than some of the guys you listed.
I'm not saying Calzaghe is top 100 ATG pound for pound, just that he's the no 1 Super-Middleweight of all time. Honestly name me a Super-Middleweight with a better CV.
I'm not saying they are all the cream of the crop but they were top 10 ranked at the time of facing Calzaghe, and better than some of the guys you listed.
I'm not saying Calzaghe is top 100 ATG pound for pound, just that he's the no 1 Super-Middleweight of all time. Honestly name me a Super-Middleweight with a better CV.
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