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I'm not a big fan of Calzaghe, well to be honest I hated the guy up until recently. But he's grown on me more and more to the point that I somewhat like him now.
Anyway, I believe Calzaghe now stands at the threshold of true Greatness and GOAT/ATG status.
You see even up until now Calzaghe's done enough to deserve a respectable ATG status and even #1 status in the supper middleweight division. So, should he retire tomorrow, his legacy is secure, leave no doubt about that.
However as most of you know his legacy is stained with what the non-fans regard as mediocre/over the hill competition.
Calzaghe, like Hopkins after the Tito fight, stands at the peak of his dominion and stands at the threshold of a major decision, one that could tarnish his great legacy or propel him to the top as one of the greatest fighters of all time p4p of any weight, color, or creed.
The dominant performances he's exhibited recently against Hopkins and Jones have caused him to contemplate on what I'm saying. He knows that he has enough left in the tank to still take out a few big YOUNG names to truly elevate his legacy to the rarified stratosphere of GOAT/ATG. He knows though there is a big risk because of his age but, with luck and precision of timing and skill, he can knock off a string of 2-3 more wins against big names like Chad Dawson.
If he does so, his achievements could literally be UNPRECEDENTED. He could be the first boxer to ever retire as P4P #1 (a status he'll easily earn should he defeat Dawson and one or two other big names, especially given that he'll earn it by default soon after Oscar KO's Pacman anyway). Not only that but he would be nearly or positively 50-0, and a dominant champion for over 10 years.
Calzaghe truly stands at a very fragile threshold that can either greatly tarnish his "perfect career", or it can catapult it into an unseen and unprecedented realm that would see him regarded by posterity as one of the greatest fighters that ever lived, placed in the immortal annals of history along names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Ali, Leonard, et al. It would be a huge achievement not only for whites in proving that they too can reach the pinnacle in a black dominated sport (yes whites are a minority in terms of being considered for "skills" rather than brute force or longevity or entertainment factor ala Gatti), but also for Europeans in for the first time securing a truly dominant place in history in a top tier dominated exclusively by American ATG's.
I for one hope Calzaghe goes for History over the safe route, he can do it all within one year if he plans and times the fights right. He is getting on in years and is probably at 80% to 85% of his prime self, but even that could be enough to handle a few top young hungry champions like Dawson.
I truly hope the rumors about his rematch with Jones are not true as that will greatly stain his legacy.
Anyway, I believe Calzaghe now stands at the threshold of true Greatness and GOAT/ATG status.
You see even up until now Calzaghe's done enough to deserve a respectable ATG status and even #1 status in the supper middleweight division. So, should he retire tomorrow, his legacy is secure, leave no doubt about that.
However as most of you know his legacy is stained with what the non-fans regard as mediocre/over the hill competition.
Calzaghe, like Hopkins after the Tito fight, stands at the peak of his dominion and stands at the threshold of a major decision, one that could tarnish his great legacy or propel him to the top as one of the greatest fighters of all time p4p of any weight, color, or creed.
The dominant performances he's exhibited recently against Hopkins and Jones have caused him to contemplate on what I'm saying. He knows that he has enough left in the tank to still take out a few big YOUNG names to truly elevate his legacy to the rarified stratosphere of GOAT/ATG. He knows though there is a big risk because of his age but, with luck and precision of timing and skill, he can knock off a string of 2-3 more wins against big names like Chad Dawson.
If he does so, his achievements could literally be UNPRECEDENTED. He could be the first boxer to ever retire as P4P #1 (a status he'll easily earn should he defeat Dawson and one or two other big names, especially given that he'll earn it by default soon after Oscar KO's Pacman anyway). Not only that but he would be nearly or positively 50-0, and a dominant champion for over 10 years.
Calzaghe truly stands at a very fragile threshold that can either greatly tarnish his "perfect career", or it can catapult it into an unseen and unprecedented realm that would see him regarded by posterity as one of the greatest fighters that ever lived, placed in the immortal annals of history along names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Ali, Leonard, et al. It would be a huge achievement not only for whites in proving that they too can reach the pinnacle in a black dominated sport (yes whites are a minority in terms of being considered for "skills" rather than brute force or longevity or entertainment factor ala Gatti), but also for Europeans in for the first time securing a truly dominant place in history in a top tier dominated exclusively by American ATG's.
I for one hope Calzaghe goes for History over the safe route, he can do it all within one year if he plans and times the fights right. He is getting on in years and is probably at 80% to 85% of his prime self, but even that could be enough to handle a few top young hungry champions like Dawson.
I truly hope the rumors about his rematch with Jones are not true as that will greatly stain his legacy.
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