Who Should Calzaghe Have Beat?

[Sweet Pea 50]

Top 10 ATG? WOW....

[abadger]

Before we all get sidetracked into the usual bitchfest:

Which fighters should Joe Calzaghe have beaten in order to prove himself?

[Guest]

He should have tried to unify 168 way earlier than he did. He had like 17 defenses before he finally grew the balls to fight another titleholder (Lacy). When there was absolutely no one at 168, he should have moved up to 175 and fought some decent contenders like Harding, Johnson, Tarver, etc. and forced a fight with RJJ. There's a ton of **** Calzaghe could have done rather than face mismandatory after mismandatory with handpicked opponents sprinkled in between. Calzaghe was content making a living fighting bums rather than trying to prove to the world he's a great fighter. He is still in that mode as he's busy cherry picking guys with names who are past their primes rather than going after the best...

[bsrizpac]

Before we all get sidetracked into the usual bitchfest:

Which fighters should Joe Calzaghe have beaten in order to prove himself?

Honestly? IN HIS Division? Not many, since SMW historically has been a **** division.

You can put these two on that list since they were SMW for about a minute:

Jones
Toney

[Burning Desire]

And heres 20 boxers not in order who are all higher than Calzaghe in ATG's list.

Willie Pep
Sugar Ray Robinson
Julio Cesar Chavez
Joe Louis
Jimmy Wilde
Henry Armstrong
Benny Leonard
Jack Johnson
Joe Gans
Archie Moore
Micky Walker
Harry Greb
Ezzard Charles
Sugar Ray Leonard
Archie Moore
Eder Jofre
Stanley Ketchel
Pernell Whitaker
Roy Jones Jr
Jack Dempsey

And that was just off the top of my head theres at least another 10 who have a case as well.

Ruben Olivares
Alexis Arguello
Bob Fitzsimmons
Floyd Mayweather Jr
Gene Tunney
Sandy Saddler
George Foreman
Marvin Hagler
Carlos Monzon
Thomas Hearns

[~Lucky13~]

burning desire

the current era is much more developed than the older one, today's fighters have developed never-seen-before fighting techniques and they would all have an easy night with a champion that fought decades ago, today's fighters are fitter, stronger and smarter!

don't you believe in evolution/progress?!

[abadger]

He should have tried to unify 168 way earlier than he did. He had like 17 defenses before he finally grew the balls to fight another titleholder (Lacy). When there was absolutely no one at 168, he should have moved up to 175 and fought some decent contenders like Harding, Johnson, Tarver, etc. and forced a fight with RJJ. There's a ton of **** Calzaghe could have done rather than face mismandatory after mismandatory with handpicked opponents sprinkled in between. Calzaghe was content making a living fighting bums rather than trying to prove to the world he's a great fighter. He is still in that mode as he's busy cherry picking guys with names who are past their primes rather than going after the best...

Alarmingly, that is the best post in the thread so far $in. I can agree with you that it would be nice to have seen him try to unify the title before that, but I would imagine there were two sides to that story, as I'm sure very few of the titleholders would have fancied losing their straps to Calzaghe. Also, who during that time, realistically, would Calzaghe not have beaten? I'm not an expert on the global SMW scene during the 90s by any means so I'd love to hear more about what were and were not the best fights out there.

As for moving up to 175, I can't agree with that. Again, it might have been nice but Joe was a natural SMW and I think the notion that he SHOULD have moved up to a higher weightclass is a little disingenuous. I do see what you're saying though, the name boxers were a division above him.

[Silencers]

There are many fighters worthy of being in the top 10 ATG list over Calzaghe. Calzaghe is a very good fighter but saying he's top 10 much less top 5 greatest of all time is stretching it.

He should have came over to the US to fight Jones when they were both in their primes, he should've tried to unify the titles earlier and perhaps move up in weight a few years ago.

168 hasn't exactly been a great division, it's been used as a stepping stone between 160 and 175 for most of it's existence.

[Burning Desire]

burning desire

the current era is much more developed than the older one, today's fighters have developed never-seen-before fighting techniques and they would all have an easy night with a champion that fought decades ago, today's fighters are fitter, stronger and smarter!

don't you believe in evolution/progress?!

I think your an idiot to be honest and you don't respect the older era of boxing, because if the older fighters fought in this era would they not be training in the new modern era of techniques as you put it ?? making them better ?? and for you to put Calzaghe in ATG top 10 is laughable and you obviously haven't got a clue about the history of boxing, even if your just basing it off skills theres plenty of fighters who have been more skilled then Calzaghe.

And as for evolution/progress that didn't happen to the Cruiserweights/Heavyweights did it ??

[bsrizpac]

I think your an idiot to be honest and don't respect the older era of boxing, because if the older fighters fought in this era would they not be training in the new modern era of techniques as you put it ?? making them better ?? and for you to put Calzaghe in ATG top 10 is laughable and you obviously haven't got a clue about the history of boxing, even if your just basing it off skills theres plenty of fighters who have been more skilled then Calzaghe.

Dude, stop responding to him. He's mentally handicapped. It's like trying to debate quantum theory with Forrest Gump. Stop wasting your time.