JERMAIN TAYLOR is BETTER then CALZAGHE

[Kilrain]

Taylor is the better technical fighter, I much prefer his style also, he has style, that's the thing. Too often Calzaghe just walks in without technique. Will over technique. Which you kind of grudgingly admire sometimes, but the fact is, that doesn't overcome most great fighters. Early on that worked terribly for Joe against Hopkins. When the Executioner started losing his legs and began to spoil it paid dividents for Joe because he was the one working and throwing punches. But in the first few rounds he was walking into counters and getting nailed. Against a prime Hopkins the clinic would have continued and Bernard would've won a painfully lopsided decision, we all know it. Against Taylor though Calzaghe's workrate would pay a little better than against a prime Hopkins, as Taylor has a habit of fading bit by bit down the stretch. And Calzaghe makes you WORK. So I'd see Joe coming on strong and winning much of the second half. It'd really depend on how much Jermains counters took a toll on Cal in the first half of the fight. Because the boys a huge middleweight, and he has a mean right hand. And he's one of the most economical boxers out there.

[Dorian]

This point is not too relevant here, but Pavlik-Taylor II was not even close to being close. See the scorecards for proof. It was close until about the 8th round when Taylor's Stamina suffered. From then forward was all Kelly P. I just watched the fight again last night, not knowing this conversation came up at all.

Still, it was a poor performance from both fighters, Pavlik didn't look great that fight and Taylor had the fear in him....

[letsgobrady]

I guess I'll get a lot of flack for this, but it think Taylor is undeniably the more talented fighter, and if they were ever to fight, i dont see how you could pick Calzaghe.

Taylor has a great jab and Calzaghe literally does nothing to overcome a good jab. He just runs in there.

Jab, Straight right hand, all night for Taylor. He avoided the ropes brilliantly against Pavlik in that rematch. No doubt he is terrible fighting off the ropes, he is no james toney, but he has become very good at avoiding them.

So in the center of the ring, i think Taylor outclasses Calzaghe with Calzaghe floundering around like a ****** for the much of the fight.

Does anybody honestly believe that Calzaghe would have beaten HOpkins if HOpkins had the legs to avoid the ropes???

I still get a chuckle when people call Calzaghe a good boxer. He is a good FIGHTER. He has very limited boxing ability, and it'll take a guy like Taylor with his quick jab to expose that.

Calzaghe-Pavlik is a much more even and close fight. Id pick Taylor by stoppage over Calzaghe in the late rounds.

kessler has a better jab and is an all around better fighter than taylor is and joe beat him

[ExecutiveOutlaw]

i think if they fought taylor would deserve a decision but calzaghe would probably steal it cause he would get some points he wouldnt deserve cause of the slapping

[kayjay]

This point is not too relevant here, but Pavlik-Taylor II was not even close to being close. See the scorecards for proof. It was close until about the 8th round when Taylor's Stamina suffered. From then forward was all Kelly P. I just watched the fight again last night, not knowing this conversation came up at all.

Indeed. It wasn't a close fight at all. JT put on an honest display but he lost 8-9 rounds very cleanly and stumbled to the finish line.

[x-PeROxiDE-x]

Prime Hopkins humiliates Joe?

Think about that statement for a moment.

The fight Joe has looked at his worst? Hopkins, but why?

Because the styles matched up badly for Joe.

As we are constantly reminded Hopkins in his prime fought much differently, and whether you like to admit it or not, his old style was not suited to beating Joe as well as his new one.

When Hopkins was in his prime he also dodged Joe, an offer was made to fight him in America. Hopkins is a smart fighter, he knew the styles didn't gel well enough for him to have a shot at winning.

Prime Hopkins would also have come up against prime Joe, and very few Americans have ever see a prime Joe, so all their claims are pretty much worthless.

Hopkins reduced Joe's workrate with counterpunching and headbutts. His old style didn't use headbutts or counterpunching as much, and that's the only way he kept the fight close.

Joe would have enough pop to make Hopkins wary of throwing too often.

It's not as close as it was, Joe wins wider, probably UD if the judging is fair.

[Stickman]

Taylor gasses in nearly EVERY fight.

Pavliks' work rate beat him in the second IMO. Calzaghe doesn't need an iron punch to beat Taylor, just a lot of punches and push him on the ropes. Kessler is a lot better than Taylor and a lot bigger, Calzaghe bossed him around.

Taylor will be no different.

I'd actually rather see a Kessler rematch, over any other matchup for Calzaghe. Kessler is a smart kid and I really think he'd have answers on a second go 'round. The first 3 rounds were wonderfully competitive, before Calzaghe started making his adjustments. I believe the kid, and his camp, can make the changes they need to turn it into a different fight than the last one, and I think it would be one of the best fights of the decade.

I honestly don't think anyone else has a chance of beating Calzaghe right now. Pavlik and Taylor are both too small, and Roy is too old. So is Hopkins, as we all saw by the breaks he kept taking and his almost non-existent work rate.
Here's how I see these three fights;

Taylor/Calzaghe: Calzaghe by mid-round TKO. Taylor will punch himself out, again and Calzaghe will catch him on the ropes, gassed, with no way to defend himself and the ref stops it, some time after the 6th.

Pavlik/Calzaghe: This is a somewhat tougher fight than Taylor, but because of his size and work rate, Calzaghe walks through 12 arounds to a comfortable, but not embarrassing decision win.

Jones/Calzaghe: Only one of the three with near the handspeed to match Calzaghe, but without the gas in the tank to keep up with Calzaghe's work rate. He'll be more active than HOpkins was, and grab FAR less, but it'll still be a decision win for Calzaghe, though there is the possibility that Jones will become gassed by 8 or 10 and end up like Taylor.

[Stickman]

I guess I'll get a lot of flack for this, but it think Taylor is undeniably the more talented fighter, and if they were ever to fight, i dont see how you could pick Calzaghe.

Taylor has a great jab and Calzaghe literally does nothing to overcome a good jab. He just runs in there.

Jab, Straight right hand, all night for Taylor. He avoided the ropes brilliantly against Pavlik in that rematch. No doubt he is terrible fighting off the ropes, he is no james toney, but he has become very good at avoiding them.

So in the center of the ring, i think Taylor outclasses Calzaghe with Calzaghe floundering around like a ****** for the much of the fight.

Does anybody honestly believe that Calzaghe would have beaten HOpkins if HOpkins had the legs to avoid the ropes???

I still get a chuckle when people call Calzaghe a good boxer. He is a good FIGHTER. He has very limited boxing ability, and it'll take a guy like Taylor with his quick jab to expose that.

Calzaghe-Pavlik is a much more even and close fight. Id pick Taylor by stoppage over Calzaghe in the late rounds.

I certainly wouldn't give you **** over your opinion, but I've got to disagree completely.

Taylor won't even be standing late. If he matches Calzaghe's work rate, he's gassed by 6 or 8 and is TKO'd. If he doesn't, he loses a very lopsided decision. Taylor is a good boxer, but is very unimaginative in the ring, and will not make ANY adjustments during a fight. He'll tell the corner "Yes sir" or "Ok, I will", or whatever, and then go right back out and do the same ****ing thing he was doing before.....lose. And he sure as hell doesn't have the power to KO Calzaghe.

[Stickman]

Kessler beats both Taylor and Pavlik for me

Yup. And I'd love to see those fights. Maybe, after Calzaghe retires.

[Stickman]

Well outside of OUMA, every single fighter TAYLOR has fought has been significantly BETTER then KESSLER. Especially Hopkins and Wright, and yes, even Spink is better then Kessler although an extremely soft hitter and pretty boring

I think the only one better than Kessler right now, is Calzaghe. Spinks is quicker, and slicker defensively, but without any serious offense, at least against these bigger guys. Hopkins has OK power and a beautiful quick right, but is too inactive (I.E. Too old) and counts too much on the judges charity. Wright is the best in the business at standing right in front of you and beating you up with a jab, but he gets caught constantly when his opponent throws from odd angles like Calzaghe does, and he's also just too small. And I'd pick Kessler over any of these three you mentioned. He's got great power, is very solid technically, is always in shape and is very, very quick. Only one that is close to Calzaghe's handspeed, in my opinion.