Joe Calzaghe's retirement

[Clegg]

I don't think anyone was calling for Calzaghe to Dawson since he looked bad against Johnson but he is now coming off an impressive performance against Tarver.

Dawson and Calzaghe are the two top fighters at LHW, the fight should happen but I agree that it probably won't.

I wouldn't criticize Calzaghe much for not fighting Dawson since he is getting up there in age but beating a past prime Jones for his last fight is a disappointing way to go out.

Same here. He seems to be in the same stage of his career that Mayweather was before the end: tired of it and wanting the biggest money, easiest fight that's realistically possible before retirement.

Not really what I wanted to see.

[MickyHatton]

Lacy was never ****. Grow up. Kessler has fought no one. Good win for Joe. But keep being a fanboy.

Thats my ****in point. Lacy was a very good fighter but Joe dismantled him easily and he has never been the same since (injury as well) and just because Kessler hadn't fought a so called big name before JC didn't mean he wasn't or isn't a good fighter (anyone with an once of boxing knowledge can see he is).

The point is, they became overrated after Calzaghe had beaten them. Hopkins was way too old apparently until he takes apart Pavlik a year later???

See the trend here?

BTW My 'boy' days are long behind me, what about you?

[azza21]

I don't even dislike him man. I am sick of saying that he would lose to hagler and then some dude with 8 posts and a name like UK_Jon who is obviously 16 quoting me and saying "LMAO you bitter Aussie ****** joe would easily beat Hagger! Too fast! PWN! You Aussies have no good fighters LMAO!"

That sort of comment is just how the yanks act about there fighters in this forum. It works both ways son.

[Kris Silver]

I don't think anyone was calling for Calzaghe to Dawson since he looked bad against Johnson but he is now coming off an impressive performance against Tarver.

Dawson and Calzaghe are the two top fighters at LHW, the fight should happen but I agree that it probably won't.

I wouldn't criticize Calzaghe much for not fighting Dawson since he is getting up there in age but beating a past prime Jones for his last fight is a disappointing way to go out.

Yer I know it's not ideal, but it's not awful either. We can't have everything we want in boxing, there's match ups that don't come on left right and centre at all, and loads this year. They don't seem to draw the same amount of criticism as Joe does. Jones is still top 10 LHW and is looking different but better with what he has, and who can blame him for wanting a piece. It's his last fight before retirement, in NY, RJJ, big draw and main stream attention, and their both past prime fighters. If he was a few years younger with the big name he has now, no doubt he'd face Dawson but that's what happens.

I also think once Dawson won, there wasn't really calls for Calzaghe to face him. It was only once Pavlik was beaten a few have mentioned it, and I reckon people will progressively use it to criticise Joe. A bit lame when you consider it was all on Kelly before, so it's clear for some people it just goes down the line, they'll always be someone really they'll next mention whom Joe didn't face.

[bsrizpac]

Thats my ****in point. Lacy was a very good fighter but Joe dismantled him easily and he has never been the same since (injury as well) and just because Kessler hadn't fought a so called big name before JC didn't mean he wasn't or isn't a good fighter (anyone with an once of boxing knowledge can see he is).

The point is, they became overrated after Calzaghe had beaten them. Hopkins was way too old apparently until he takes apart Pavlik a year later???

See the trend here?

BTW My 'boy' days are long behind me, what about you?

So let me guess... you are upset that people are saying they were good now bad. Great. Who cares? Lacy never was that good. At all. Period. So pumping that up is pretty sad.

Kessler is a good fighter. He seems to be. He still has fought no one yet. Again, this would be like Tito fighting David Reid (remember him) and ONLY having that and a few old people on his resume as his big wins and all his fans going ATG based on that. That's what pisses people off. If kessler falls apart or never fights anyone he will be a guy who LOOKED good against **** competition.

David Reid = Kessler. Basically.

[TheGreatA]

Yer I know it's not ideal, but it's not awful either. We can't have everything we want in boxing, there's match ups that don't come on left right and centre at all, and loads this year. They don't seem to draw the same amount of criticism as Joe does. Jones is still top 10 LHW and is looking different but better with what he has, and who can blame him for wanting a piece. It's his last fight before retirement, in NY, RJJ, big draw and main stream attention, and their both past prime fighters. If he was a few years younger with the big name he has now, no doubt he'd face Dawson but that's what happens.

I also think once Dawson won, there wasn't really calls for Calzaghe to face him. It was only once Pavlik was beaten a few have mentioned it, and I reckon people will progressively use it to criticise Joe. A bit lame when you consider it was all on Kelly before, so it's clear for some people it just goes down the line, they'll always be someone really they'll next mention whom Joe didn't face.

Roy Jones might be ranked top 10 by some but that has a lot to do with how weak the division is (the bottom half of top 10). Not sure if he should even be ranked over some of the fighters below him such as Diaconu.
RJJ is ranked in there because of his name alone, he has done nothing since he was KO'd by Tarver and Johnson.

The Pavlik fight is out of the window now but I don't see why he should not fight Dawson except age/lack of motivation. It would be a good way to go out.

People say there will always be another one but will there? I don't see anyone except Dawson for Calzaghe to fight.

[Clegg]

Not that it matters, but damn, Tito-David Reid was a brutal fight.

[MickyHatton]

Yer I know it's not ideal, but it's not awful either. We can't have everything we want in boxing, there's match ups that don't come on left right and centre at all, and loads this year. They don't seem to draw the same amount of criticism as Joe does. Jones is still top 10 LHW and is looking different but better with what he has, and who can blame him for wanting a piece. It's his last fight before retirement, in NY, RJJ, big draw and main stream attention, and their both past prime fighters. If he was a few years younger with the big name he has now, no doubt he'd face Dawson but that's what happens.

I also think once Dawson won, there wasn't really calls for Calzaghe to face him. It was only once Pavlik was beaten a few have mentioned it, and I reckon people will progressively use it to criticise Joe. A bit lame when you consider it was all on Kelly before, so it's clear for some people it just goes down the line, they'll always be someone really they'll next mention whom Joe didn't face.

Exactly, of course if Joe fights every new big name every year at some point soon he will obviously lose because he is now approaching 37 and has to be on the slide.

Dawson was hardly mentioned until Pavlik was beaten so....

[bsrizpac]

Not that it matters, but damn, Tito-David Reid was a brutal fight.

Yes it was. Great fight. Tito ruined Reid who COULD have been very good. Hence my comparison.

Tito was a monster back then.

[MickyHatton]

So let me guess... you are upset that people are saying they were good now bad. Great. Who cares? Lacy never was that good. At all. Period. So pumping that up is pretty sad.

Kessler is a good fighter. He seems to be. He still has fought no one yet. Again, this would be like Tito fighting David Reid (remember him) and ONLY having that and a few old people on his resume as his big wins and all his fans going ATG based on that. That's what pisses people off. If kessler falls apart or never fights anyone he will be a guy who LOOKED good against **** competition.

David Reid = Kessler. Basically.

I'm not upset no, I couldn't care less really.

Lacy was a good fighter, it wasn't the defeat, it was the manner of the defeat. 1 minute prior to the fight most of the boxing world had Lacy winning easily probably by KO.

The ATG tag is a personal thing, its not just because of the Lacy, Kessler and Hopkins wins its because of the 10 year + reign as a Super Middleweight Champion as well as good wins against some very good (perhaps not great fighters) however others fighters from other countries received adulation for fighting 'names' albeit past the prime or fighting way outside their weight category.

I am not a Calzaghe nuthugger in fact I have been critical in the past but credit where it is due.