America, Roy Jones, Finally See Best of Joe Calzaghe

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Cliff Rold - For years, many in America refused to acknowledge the exceptional gifts and rugged professionalism of Joe Calzaghe. Even in recent years, as questions about his quality of competition were cast aside in spectacular victories against undefeated Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler and in an intellectual duel with the legendary Bernard Hopkins, there remained doubters.

Let them doubt no more.

While it may not have been the prime version, 36-year old Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight titlist Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KO) took apart the most motivated and steady version of Roy Jones Jr. (52-5, 38 KO) the world had seen in years on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. The unanimous decision was a mere formality and Calzaghe overcame an early knockdown to win almost every round thereafter, leaving the 39-year old Jones, a former champion at Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight, beaten and bloody at the end of twelve rounds. [details]

[TURKOGLU]

Yanks thought Floyd KOing Ricky didn't come with a price.

[K-Nan]

Look, I'm not a guy who picked Roy to win this fight. I didn't. But to say that THIS fight, of all fights, is the one that affirmed Joe's dominance? I mean, get the **** out of here.

Roy Jones is probably my favorite modern fighter, ever. And not once did I ever feel like he had a chance in this. Did I root for him? Sure. But for Joe Calzaghe to win a fight in which he was the 5 to 2 betting favorite is by no means a screaming endorsement of his status (whatever that may be).

Sorry, but people are gonna have to try harder if they want to put Joe on that pedestal. Stop grasping at straws and pick something legitimate to reward him with.

[K-Nan]

Yanks thought Floyd KOing Ricky didn't come with a price.

Floyd knocking Ricky out was much more of a "Best of" kind of fight than this was.

[venerablefist]

Yanks thought Floyd KOing Ricky didn't come with a price.

it's just roy isn't as good as he fooled the world into thinking he was when faces a little adversity and can't come back floyd had the will he got better as ricky pressured him

[K-Nan]

it's just roy isn't as good as he fooled the world into thinking he was when faces a little adversity and can't come back floyd had the will he got better as ricky pressured him

Lets do a little causal relationship analysis:

a) Roy is old

b) Roy finally faces adversity.

Conclusion: Roy's age contributed to his having to face adversity.

[No*Ordinary*Joe]

you yanks make me lough! So shud he have fought Pavlick?

Then wen Joe beats him winning every round u yanks wud say, pavlick wasent that good a fighter blah blah blah blah blah

blah blah blah blah blah

[ACHlLLES]

you yanks make me lough! So shud he have fought Pavlick?

Then wen Joe beats him winning every round u yanks wud say, pavlick wasent that good a fighter blah blah blah blah blah

blah blah blah blah blah

That is the fight I wanted, but too late for that since Hopkins exposed Pavlik. I wanted Calzaghe to be the first to expose Pavlik. But no matter, this fight was entertaining to me personally, I enjoy it when Joe beats the piss out of the other fighters.

[venerablefist]

Lets do a little causal relationship analysis:

a) Roy is old

b) Roy finally faces adversity.

Conclusion: Roy's age contributed to his having to face adversity.

he should have faced it at a younger age like when your put agaisn't someone to spar that is in there 20's while your in your early teens it builds chracter

[darkman]

you yanks make me lough! So shud he have fought Pavlick?

Then wen Joe beats him winning every round u yanks wud say, pavlick wasent that good a fighter blah blah blah blah blah

blah blah blah blah blah

You brit cheerleaders make me laugh. There is no doubt that Joe is a great fighter of his era. Perhaps the best british fighter of all time, But THAT WERE IT STOPS! To call him one of the all time greats is reaching too far. He just beat a Roy that was just as Joe has stated before " A shadow of the boxer he use to be". Roy has been washed up for years now. He looked old and even the commentators who are American by the way stated repeatedly that this was not the old ROY. The roy who was dominating with phenomenal speed and power. The Roy I saw today was A SHADOW OF WHAT HE ONCE WAS. Not even close. Pavlik on the other hand is at his prime and Joe has avoided him for a while. Hopkins took care of him and I hope Joe has the balls to face Hopkins again. I think he will be forced too. I can see that Hopkins still bugs Joe. Joe went out of his way to demean Hopkins by calling roy a bigger Legend. That is a ***** move. I smell rotten apples from joe. To hold another fighter nuts to just trash another one is what I call A ***** MOVE. Beyond that I thought Joe fought a great fight and showed a lot of heart to get up after being dropped and just dominate Roy. I actually thought Roy would make it more interesting but that just shows how far gone he is. At the end of the day Joe waited too long to face legitimate competition to be considered an all time great. That question will always be there. Hopkins vs Joe II I would love to see that fight. Now BERNARD HOPKINS is truly one of the all time greats. That's undisputed.