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Originally posted by mspiegelo
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The Johnson win was very impressive, it was his most impressive performance of his career IMO, Johnson definitely didn't have any excuses for that one.
I think the Lipsey win is about the level of Calzaghe's win over Sheika, both unproven but hyped up.
I give him credit for unifying the division but he didn't fight everyone there was to fight, he did fight a lot of the top guys in the division though.
in their title reigns, joe fought less spectacular competition than b-hop banking off the chris eubank fight for name recommendation for years. joe was in a division where some big fights loomed, but he did not make any effort to cross the atlantic to get these fights. recently, warren the weasel planted this absurd seed that roy ducked joe, but it was indeed joe who said he wanted no part in fighting superman at that unstoppable period of his career. he's said it in interviews and its well-documented. he also said that it wasn't until the first tarver fight that roy looked human... now he wants to face him to seal his legacy?!?
I believe that Calzaghe wanted to cross the Atlantic but Warren didn't make the fights for him.
I don't really like that he's fighting Jones now either, it's a few years too late to have any significant meaning for him.
prior to lacy, joe only met up with one undefeated "prospect." he did not hand him a devestating, career-ending/altering beating as a prime-hopkins would, but nevertheless, beat him convingly. this was not a glen johnson-caliber fighter though. this was a guy who never left germany and had no interest in truly testing where he stood on a world-wide stage.
joe's biggest wins were against lacy, who was over-hyped and had not been tested, and kessler, who built has fame off "being ducked" by calzaghe. He was a legitimate threat though, and the best fighter joe had faced at that stage, so I won't belittle that performance. i though joe handled him very well and showed how adaptable he can be, but then again Kessler is no B-Hop.
i don't want to criticize joe to harshly here. i still consider his accomplishments great and he is world class, no doubt about it. i just feel that b-hops resume is much more impressive though...
joe's biggest wins were against lacy, who was over-hyped and had not been tested, and kessler, who built has fame off "being ducked" by calzaghe. He was a legitimate threat though, and the best fighter joe had faced at that stage, so I won't belittle that performance. i though joe handled him very well and showed how adaptable he can be, but then again Kessler is no B-Hop.
i don't want to criticize joe to harshly here. i still consider his accomplishments great and he is world class, no doubt about it. i just feel that b-hops resume is much more impressive though...
He also fought Sheika, who was a pretty highly touted prospect at that point.
I think when all things are considered, their resume's on who they beat are at about the same level.
). 5 year separation between the fights and both times allen was ranked #1 and his mandatory. Bhop tried hard to land big fights and took a while before he finally got that shot. Trust me, if you go back and watch the fights during the post-fight interviews he always mentioned this. He fought all his mandatories and fought everyone they threw in front of him.
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