Who Cares if Calzaghe Slaps?

[abadger]

Seriously what the **** do people on here have against Joe Calzaghe? It's quite funny really. As the threadstarter points out, say what you want about his punching technique, he's still doing the business better than anyone bar Mayweather and Pacquiao.

Maybe grow up a bit?

[Vladimir303]

Explain how it's possible to hit with the inside of your hand with the way gloves are designed.

Maybe I phrased it the wrong way.

You have the backhand/pimp slap and then you have front - a bitches slap.

Calzaghe punches with fists half closed and doesn't hit with the knuckles part of his gloves. More where the Finger tips are located.

[Vladimir303]

Seriously what the **** do people on here have against Joe Calzaghe?

He is just an easy target to poke fun at, that's all.

[Jim Jeffries]

Maybe I phrased it the wrong way.

You have the backhand/pimp slap and then you have front - a bitches slap.

Calzaghe punches with fists half closed and doesn't hit with the knuckles part of his gloves. More where the Finger tips are located.

The way gloves are designed, I still don't see how it's possible not to hit with either the knuckles, inside of the fist, or if you punch past them, the heel of the hand, all of which are dangerous punches.

[Dirt E Gomez]

I dislike Joe Calzaghe the same reason I dislike Ouma, Spinks, Paulie, or any other fighter who can't put together a decent punch together.

I think it's taking away from what the sport is supposed to be. A jab is one thing. Hit and be hit is another thing. But throwing "power punches" that are less than most fighter's jabs in some ****ty attempt to stay busy in the ring bothers me.

[Fox McCloud]

The reason for the criticism (or at least the valid criticisms of Calzaghe's punches) is that people say that he shouldn't get a lot of the close rounds he gets, because his punches are so far from effective or damaging.

[Pullcounter]

People often ***** how he slaps in his fights. Whether its true or not thats a different story but if he does who gives a ****. It has worked 45 times hasn't it?

it works but it's poor punching technique and ugly to watch.

[pfcwintergreen]

I've not heard many people making this point, so here it is:

Sometimes Calzaghe "slaps". Sometimes he puts much more umph on 'em. He used to be pretty heavy handed in his prime (at least during the prime of the structural integrity of his hands)...but even then he would often "slap". Eventually, though, he would load up and often knock the guy out. Its just his style.

Obviously boxers put varying degrees of power on their punches...its just that the contrast is rarely as stark as it is was with Calzaghe.

He throws much more in the way of "slaps" now, and as far as I can tell he can no longer throw true bombs. This is simply unavoidable...he simply must throw lighter punches now, to protect his hands. Its either that or retire. So I don't see how you can give him **** for that; he is fighting in the only style he knows and in the only way he can win without destroying his hands and leaving himself vulnerable.

Critics of Calzaghe should therefore either call for his retirement, or cease commenting on the power of his punches; his "slaps" are a product of the physical reality of fragile hands, and this is unalterable.

[bsrizpac]

People often ***** how he slaps in his fights. Whether its true or not thats a different story but if he does who gives a ****. It has worked 45 times hasn't it?

I don't care. But it's ugly amateurish and not fun to watch. Also the point of pro boxing is to eventually inflict damage. With his late career slapping style, that's much harder.