skill wise who is better, calzaghe or mayweather?

[bsrizpac]

Mayweather is a more technically skilled all round orthodox boxer. Defence is better, no major weaknesses.

Calzaghe has better skills in using wide angles, different styles.

I voted for...........Mayweather.

Thanks for the faith

Crack kills.....

[Chase8400]

But if we are thinking that way, we would have to put Floyd at his best weight, which was at lightweight. As he moved up, got older, and his mindset changed, he became cautious and defensive. Back in the day he fought to win from the start; he doesn't do that anymore; everything is carefully planned just to get by without getting hurt.

Agreed, but he never had the workrate of Calzaghe and we know he couldn't hurt him. It's not a diss, it's just that if Oscar and Castillo can almost beat him, Calzaghe would do the trick in my opinion.

[Dawerlzgreatest]

typical calslappy fan. calslappy cant even throw a punch correctly and got his ginny ass dropped by jones and hopkins.

guinea
....

[j.razor]

Mayweather & cal-slappy should NEVER be put in da same sentence again!!

[Benny Leonard]

Agreed, but he never had the workrate of Calzaghe and we know he couldn't hurt him. It's not a diss, it's just that if Oscar and Castillo can almost beat him, Calzaghe would do the trick in my opinion.

He had problems with Castillo in the first fight, but Floyd was injured, so it is understandable...especially since this was a prime Castillo. The second fight Floyd did fine.

With Oscar, this is when Floyd became more cautious and I think it had to do with not wanting to lose the "O" as well as being the smaller man. He said he started to fight cautious because he has kids and has a different mindset than when he was younger. I think it was prior to him fighting Hatton he said this; or maybe it was Oscar. Somebody will remember on this board.

I can just see the Mayweathers coming up with a game-plan to beat Calzaghe. Calzaghe's main weapon is to keep attacking with flurries, but when he does this, he leaves himself open. One thing about Floyd, he doesn't panic, which I think would be key. In addition, he also seems to know when to counter, when to hit, even when he is up against the ropes. Of course he can get caught like everybody else, but he is so good, so smart, the he gets away with it. He would have to fight like his lightweight self in my opinion because he would have to take risks, as well as bring back his combinations and punch-out-put, instead of the pot-shot version that declined with his jab, similar to Roy Jones Jr. Floyd became like Roy; both took risks and fought better when they were younger.

Floyd back then also had a nice jab as well as that quick left hook. Of course, he also had the right cross, the sweet uppecut etc. to go along with his arsenal.


I do think P4P that Calzaghe's style is nice and I think he is hell for anybody to fight...but I often wonder if he, like some others that didn't move up, if he had to fight some of the greats at LH how would he have done?
Remember, 168 is a fairly new division given the long history of boxing...that's why I wonder.

[Chase8400]

He had problems with Castillo in the first fight, but Floyd was injured, so it is understandable...especially since this was a prime Castillo. The second fight Floyd did fine.

With Oscar, this is when Floyd became more cautious and I think it had to do with not wanting to lose the "O" as well as being the smaller man. He said he started to fight cautious because he has kids and has a different mindset than when he was younger. I think it was prior to him fighting Hatton he said this; or maybe it was Oscar. Somebody will remember on this board.

I can just see the Mayweathers coming up with a game-plan to beat Calzaghe. Calzaghe's main weapon is to keep attacking with flurries, but when he does this, he leaves himself open. One thing about Floyd, he doesn't panic, which I think would be key. He would have to fight like his lightweight self in my opinion because he would have to take risks, as well as bring back his combinations and punch-out-put, instead of the pot-shot version that declined with his jab, similar to Roy Jones Jr. Floyd became like Roy; both took risks and fought better when they were younger.

Floyd back then also had a nice jab as well as that quick left hook. Of course, he also had the right cross, the sweet uppecut etc. to go along with his arsenal.


I do think P4P that Calzaghe's style is nice and I think he is hell for anybody to fight...but I often wonder if he, like some others that didn't move up, if he had to fight some of the greats at LH how would he have done?
Remember, 168 is a fairly new division given the long history of boxing...that's why I wonder.

I can def see where you are coming from and I respect that opinion. You acually might be right. But, if I had to bet on it, I would have to say that Calzaghe's work, in and out will be too much for Floyd to deal with the whole fight and eventually will cave in from it. The jab is the key to beating Calzaghe and while Floyd has a great one, I don't see PBF being able to use it effectively enough. When Jones jabbed fast and acurate, Joe had no clue how to come in. I think he would have came in after the jab anyways and got caught had Jones stayed with the gameplan. Unfortunately Jones is old and never commited to the jab like Floyd has. This being said, if Floyd could keep a jab on Calzaghe's chin all night and i mean ALL NIGHT, he has a chance to win. Otherwise, Joe's workrate takes him to a UD, that is allot closer than the Kessler-Calzaghe fight. Take from this what you will.

Afterall, I still picked Floyd as the better, more skilled fighter. I just don't think he could beat Joe best fight to best fight.

[Benny Leonard]

I can def see where you are coming from and I respect that opinion. You acually might be right. But, if I had to bet on it, I would have to say that Calzaghe's work, in and out will be too much for Floyd to deal with the whole fight and eventually will cave in from it. The jab is the key to beating Calzaghe and while Floyd has a great one, I don't see PBF being able to use it effectively enough. When Jones jabbed fast and acurate, Joe had no clue how to come in. I think he would have came in after the jab anyways and got caught had Jones stayed with the gameplan. Unfortunately Jones is old and never commited to the jab like Floyd has. This being said, if Floyd could keep a jab on Calzaghe's chin all night and i mean ALL NIGHT, he has a chance to win. Otherwise, Joe's workrate takes him to a UD, that is allot closer than the Kessler-Calzaghe fight. Take from this what you will.

Afterall, I still picked Floyd as the better, more skilled fighter. I just don't think he could beat Joe best fight to best fight.

I always thought a great jabber would give Joe trouble. Imagine a Hearns type fighter against Joe. Hearns was out-boxing Sugar Ray Leonard...which is also why I wanted to test some people on this board a while back just to see if they thought Floyd would beat Hearns at 147. In my opinion, and this isn't a P4P type thing we are talking about, if Floyd fought Hearns, he would lose. I know it's not fair given Floyd's weight wasn't a natural welter, but people were getting ahead of themselves I thought with Floyd being a "great" Welter.

Sometimes work-rate can over-come great talent. I think this was the case in the first fight between Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta in their first match, although; it’s not quite the same because SRR was a welterweight moving up to fight Jake, a middle. Plus, SRR would have future fights with him and adapt to win. Tough fights though. And I wouldn't count Frazier vs. Ali (I) given Ali's decline in overall ability.

One thing that is different than the SRR and JK fight, and I don’t think we mentioned it yet is that Joe is kind of a tall fighter. I’m not quite sure how we work it out P4P wise since bigger weight guys tend to be taller, and I’m not sure what the average height is for a lightweight and a Super-middle.
One fight that could have solved this is a fight between Floyd and Paul Williams. It wouldn’t be exact given Floyd is a naturally smaller man and Williams is basically a dieted down middle, as well as being taller than everybody at the weight class, as well as Joe, but it would have given us an idea. The height, speed, even power, and punch-out-put from Williams would be difficult for Floyd and would be his toughest challenge; even Roger said that.


Angles: I think if Floyd would move around and use angles he would give Joe problems. It's what I think a young Roy would have done, even though Roy still sometimes liked going up against the ropes and use his counters.

[roundingace]

Mayweather > JC. Nothing more needs to be said.

[JAB5239]

Floyd.......by far!!