Joe Calzaghe was not on the level of.....Jones, Hopkins, Toney

[bsrizpac]

It actually doesn't seem to matter too much right now as it's winter anyway, but when it comes to summer and 8 out of 10 days it's pissing it down I'll agree with you.


Yeah, I do still like Toney, but I kinda felt let down by him, you know? A bit like that time when Danny Williams didn't try and unify the belts after TKOing Vitali for four years.

Weather in England is a funny thing. I remember one of the first summers I came down long long ago and there was a freakin heat weave in London. I was like uh this sucks, I thought it was cold here.

Then I realized it wasn't that Hot by American standards, just that non of the cars had cold air conditioning in em. Good times.

No one. Which is what makes 2006 funnier, with perhaps the gem of the bunch in my sig quotes right now.

[bsrizpac]

No one. Which is what makes 2006 funnier, with perhaps the gem of the bunch in my sig quotes right now.

You forgot Robin Reids aged corpse.

Hey I mean to be fair, those guys were loud and angry but Joe hadn't exactly faced top flight competition himself other than old Eubank.

Lacy just seemed scary I'm sure and the hatred of Joe's goofy image and style....well....

Unless I'm not extolling the virtues of Branko Sobot or David Starie enough.

I'm pretty sure a similar thing happened with Tito vs. Bernard. In fact I know most people thought Tito was going to mow down Bernard easy.

[IMDAZED]

Lacy was never a pound for pounder or even close to it.

Trinidad wasn't some newbie on the scene. He had been a ranked pound for pounder since 1995, culminating in being ranked #1 or #1a during 2000-2001, when he went on amazing run.

At the time he fought Hopkins, he was 40-0 (33), a three-division champ who had Fernando Vargas, David Reid and Oscar De La Hoya their first L's. And after his stunning performance over Joppy, was a huge favorite to topple Hops.

Bernard's victory over him - especially the manner in which he did it - can never be overstated.

[bsrizpac]

Lacy was never a pound for pounder or even close to it.

Trinidad wasn't some newbie on the scene. He had been a ranked pound for pounder since 1995, culminating in being ranked #1 or #1a during 2000-2001, when he went on amazing run.

At the time he fought Hopkins, he was 40-0 (33), a three-division champ who had Fernando Vargas, David Reid and Oscar De La Hoya their first L's. And after his stunning performance over Joppy, was a huge favorite to topple Hops.

Bernard's victory over him - especially the manner in which he did it - can never be overstated.

But Lacy beat ROBIN REID AND SYD VANDERPOOL DUUUUUDE.

AND tons of Fat Yanks thought he'd win so obviously THAT MEANS HE WAS GOOD.

You forgot Robin Reids aged corpse.

Hey I mean to be fair, those guys were loud and angry but Joe hadn't exactly faced top flight competition himself other than old Eubank.

Lacy just seemed scary I'm sure and the hatred of Joe's goofy image and style....well....

Unless I'm not extolling the virtues of Branko Sobot or David Starie enough.

I'm pretty sure a similar thing happened with Tito vs. Bernard. In fact I know most people thought Tito was going to mow down Bernard easy.

I think some of 'em are better than touted - a prime Reid wasn't too shabby - but obviously not stellar.

The most embarrassing thing is my mum pointed out the holes in Lacy's boxing makeup when watching him against Pemberton (who clearly didn't bother getting back up and was just there for the $$$$$$). It's embarrassing that my mum knew more than 80% of NSB.

[bsrizpac]

I think some of 'em are better than touted - a prime Reid wasn't too shabby - but obviously not stellar.

The most embarrassing thing is my mum pointed out the holes in Lacy's boxing makeup when watching him against Pemberton (who clearly didn't bother getting back up and was just there for the $$$$$$). It's embarrassing that my mum knew more than 80% of NSB.

Robin Reid ain't so bad except until you factor in Joe looking like ****e against him.

I mean you literally have in his prime Years between Eubank and Lacy where there should have been no excuses that he was too green and untested a guy hanging behind his WBO trinket, and facing monsters like:

Evans Ashira (decent fighter I guess))
Mario Veit
"iron" Byron Mitchell (widely touted as about to lose his title at any second and on the slide before joe fought him. Nevermind that he was never that good to begin with).
Kabary Salem (insn't this a cigarette brand?)
Mger Mkrtchian (wtf don't jobbers use vowels in their names?)
Tocker Pudwill (funniest name ever)
Miguel Angel Jimenez (who?)
Charles Brewer (epic fail)
Will McIntyre (yeah okay)
Mario Veit (fail)
Richie Woodhall (more like Richie FAILhall)
David Starie (starie > ricky frazier. Yeah. okay)
Rick Thornberry (too easy)
Juan Carlos Gimenez Ferreyra (do i even need to make a comment)
Branko Sobot (TRANFORMERS. MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE)
Robin Reid (decent fighter but Calzaghe barely beat him)
Omar Sheika (decent fighter. very average though)

Keep in mind this is from 98-2005. I mean come on.

Sure we had the occasional Robin Reid or Omar Sheika ( the only two i left out here) but really...he pissed a lot of years away with this crap. Even struggling against some of these clowns like Kabary Salem and the mighty powerpuncher Byron Mitchell by being knocked down. All while mostly at home in Ice Rinks, and the welsh local YMCA with guys like Dave Parris reffing and all the comfort in the world to rack up title defenses.

You want to know what impresses me the most out of Joe other than the longevity of always pulling out a win at a high level? It's the fact that despite that subhuman ridiculous crap resume he was able to beat good fighters like Kessler and aged Bernard. Or even hang with them.

Looking over these names I'd expect a protected guy that would get blown out at the first sign of trouble and while I don't think he ever really stepped up or took a MAJOR challenge (closest being Kessler who still has yet to beat ANYONE worth two ****s)- still with that resume I'd assume even an old old old fighter or a young gun would take him out.

He ain't no Danny Williams, that's for sure.

Incidentally, the statement you made about Reid is contradictory, no?

[bsrizpac]

He ain't no Danny Williams, that's for sure.

Incidentally, the statement you made about Reid is contradictory, no?

By the time Lacy faced him I'm sure we can agree Reid was pretty done.

I think obviously Joe faced a prime Reid but had quite a bit of trouble with him. Where was the contradiction. I think he was decent in his prime.

[bsrizpac]

He ain't no Danny Williams, that's for sure.

Incidentally, the statement you made about Reid is contradictory, no?

You know what's sad (other than his pathetic ballgrabbing fanboys) is that Joe has shown a lot of heart in the ring. Constantly getting up off his ass to KO a guy that knocked him down or to at least come back out and eek a decision and win the fight.

That shows heart. I just don't think he showed much outside of the ring.

By contrast Ricky Fatass shows tons of heart inside and outside the ring. Shame about his one dimensional style and lack of skills (unless you count the wrestling which gives him two dimensions) or the face herpes (for a total of 3 dimensions in the ring).