The Joe Calzaghe leagacy. Why it could have been greater.

[THE REED]

Do you really think Paz was a legitimate opponent at 168? He was a decent fighter at 135, but come on, at 168? And sure Paz was ranked higher than Calzaghe in 1996, what is that supposed to prove? Calzaghe hadn't even won a title at that time.

if he fought paz, who was ranked #4.... what the hell was joe? who was ranked #10...

[BattlingNelson]

No, it's the list for the year before. And he was scheduled to fight one of them before he "retired". In fact I dare say that list would have been completely different in 1997 and 1998 as you'll notice a lot of those names were coming to the end of their career.

Calzaghe's main issue is, was and always will be timing. He came in at the end of a very good era for the SMW and ruled during a pretty average one where he fought everyone who really mattered within the division and won. Ironically there are some good names in the SMW division now - many more than there have been in the last decade - but none of them are remotely ready to challenge him (Froch, Inkin, Bute even Pavlik) or good enough (Kessler, Lacy).

Some of them fought on for years though and Joe didnt fight any of them. Some tougher matchmaking for Joe earlier would have done wonders for his legacy.

Of course today he's enjoying widespread recoqnition, but it's a shame it came about when Joe's in his mid-thirties.

[SHB]

Some of them fought on for years though and Joe didnt fight any of them. Some tougher matchmaking for Joe earlier would have done wonders for his legacy.

Of course today he's enjoying widespread recoqnition, but it's a shame it came about when Joe's in his mid-thirties.

After the obligatory starter in Sobot, Calzaghe fought Giminez (who only dropped close decisions to Benn and Eubank), Robin Reid (WBC champion who was robbed vs Ottke in the most criminal officiating performance of all time), Thornberry (aye, that was horrible), Starie (horrible again, but a live opponent who cleared our Clinton Woods), Woodhall (no annotation necessary) and the unbeaten Veit - who was THE next big thing until Lacy came along, and got as comprehensively beaten, albeit by first round stoppage instead of systematic beatdown. That's a pretty solid start really. A few duff opponents in the next half dozen intermingled with the barnburners with Mitchell and Brewer but you have to factor in a lack of decent opponents with rank bad matchmaking and his own divorce problems at the time.