Nigel Benn: "Calzaghe Beats Me, Hagler, Hearns, Sugar"

[Dan...]

Calzaghe has been one of my least favorite fighters due to his amazingly ugly and sloppy style, but I dislike ******ity and ignorance far more than gay looking slaps.

People writing off his chances against the prime WELTERWEIGHT Leonard, prime WELTERWEIGHT/JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT Hearns, and prime MIDDLEWEIGHT Hagler is ridiculous. Calzaghe would be a light-heavyweight in those days.

Losing to Duran? What did Duran do above 160 lbs besides win a hometown decision (or so I've been told) to Jorge Castro? Duran was a friggin LIGHTWEIGHT when he peaked, who was wholly inconsistent above 147. Leonard looked like **** for the fights he had above middleweight, one of them against a weight-drained Lalonde, and the other a gift draw against a declining Hearns whom was seen as shot after his KO loss to Barkley and struggle against Kinchen.

I agree. Ppl going on like he would get destroyed by all three are clearly just being ridiculous. I have him beating Ray and Tommy and dropping a decision to Marvin. It seems a lot of ppl think he would have got the better of Marvin also so there you go. I can't see it...or maybe I just don't want to.

[nathan_nall]

I agree. Ppl going on like he would get destroyed by all three are clearly just being ridiculous. I have him beating Ray and Tommy and dropping a decision to Marvin. It seems a lot of ppl think he would have got the better of Marvin also so there you go. I can't see it...or maybe I just don't want to.

Its impossible to know what would happen. But people are always going to say what they are going to say about Joe. You can't blame the guy for moving on. Joe had something to prove to Joe, and apparently he did. Joe doesn't have to prove a ****ing thing to me or any other fan. When all is said and done, its Joe that laces up the gloves while I simply type on a keyboard....

[Thread Stealer]

I agree. Ppl going on like he would get destroyed by all three are clearly just being ridiculous. I have him beating Ray and Tommy and dropping a decision to Marvin. It seems a lot of ppl think he would have got the better of Marvin also so there you go. I can't see it...or maybe I just don't want to.

There's less to go by from Hagler. We've seen how Leonard performs above 160, and he didn't look good. He was also older by then, in his 30s. With Hearns, you at least have some evidence of him at the higher weights. He had some success, even the older version in 1991, although I suspect that Calzaghe wouldn't freeze up like Hill seemed to. Still, I want the younger version of 1987 matched up with Calzaghe.

With Hagler, there's nothing to go by to gauge his performances against bigger guys. It's anyone's guess, and I have little problem with either pick, so long as the reasoning is sound ("Calzaghe is a gay sissy and Hagler is a scary bald man who knocks him out in 1 does not apply, nor does "Hagler was a slow guy who was easy to outbox like Leonard showed").

The misconception of Hagler, as I've said many times before, is that he was a pressuring brawler. In actuality, the fact that he was not that type of fighter the great majority of the time, makes me think he'd do better at higher weights.

[tommy boo boxer]

I agree. Ppl going on like he would get destroyed by all three are clearly just being ridiculous. I have him beating Ray and Tommy and dropping a decision to Marvin. It seems a lot of ppl think he would have got the better of Marvin also so there you go. I can't see it...or maybe I just don't want to.

but if Tommy catches him flush with a right in the 1st round... ooohh i dont wanna think about it!!!!

[Dan...]

but if Tommy catches him flush with a right in the 1st round... ooohh i dont wanna think about it!!!!

Joe can take a punch. He would pressure Tommy hard all night. As I said earlier in this thread I don't want to do it, because Hearns is in my top 5 all time faves and I am not a Joe fan, but if pushed I would have to pick Joe to beat him on points.

[tommy boo boxer]

Joe can take a punch. He would pressure Tommy hard all night. As I said earlier in this thread I don't want to do it, because Hearns is in my top 5 all time faves and I am not a Joe fan, but if pushed I would have to pick Joe to beat him on points.

Just do it... we're speculating here. i know Joe can take a punch, IMO Joe wouldn't get up like he did against Bhop and Rjj. but then who knows.

[jvsnypes]

What do they be smoking over in the UK?Calzaghe beats Leonard,Hagler,Duran,and Hearns?First of all,the only two that probably would have fought him in their prime would have been Hagler and Hearns.Leonard was a natural welterweight in his prime and Duran peaked at 147 too.They both fought past that weight class but were never the same fighters.Hagler vs Calzaghe?Does Nigel truly remember Hagler at his best?I'll give Joe his props, he has good speed and alot of heart.But Hagler in his prime was a beast! He could box or slug it out.He wasn't the slow guy we saw in that last fight with Leonard. He had very good speed and power in both hands.He had an iron jaw and great stamina.(I don't recall him ever getting knocked down his entire career.)He always came in great shape and loved to go to war.Plus, fights went 15 rounds back then.I could imagine the fight being highly competitive for 9 rounds.But Haglers a machine,and any round after that would go to him.I see him knocking Calzaghe out in the 12th.As far as Hearns go,a style like Calzaghe's would be tailor made for him.No he didn't have a great chin, but Joe has never been a knockout artist.Hearns would keep him at bay with the jab then crack him with what argueably could have been the best right hand ever.So if Joe gets dropped by a Hopkins right and a Roy forearm,he goes to sleep against Hearns'.And Nigel, those guys would have put you on your ass too!!!

[¿?枯葉剤¿?]

Calzaghe has been one of my least favorite fighters due to his amazingly ugly and sloppy style, but I dislike ******ity and ignorance far more than gay looking slaps.

People writing off his chances against the prime WELTERWEIGHT Leonard, prime WELTERWEIGHT/JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT Hearns, and prime MIDDLEWEIGHT Hagler is ridiculous. Calzaghe would be a light-heavyweight in those days.

Losing to Duran? What did Duran do above 160 lbs besides win a hometown decision (or so I've been told) to Jorge Castro? Duran was a friggin LIGHTWEIGHT when he peaked, who was wholly inconsistent above 147. Leonard looked like **** for the fights he had above middleweight, one of them against a weight-drained Lalonde, and the other a gift draw against a declining Hearns whom was seen as shot after his KO loss to Barkley and struggle against Kinchen.

I agree about Duran, but thats about it.

1.) Leonard recovered from career threating eye injuries (the punch you don't see) and had a ******* addiction. Aaron Pryor wasn't the same fighter after battling a ******* addiction.

2.) Hearns is a stylistic nightmare to Calzag. Tall, fast, great boxing ability, power, he even beat a undefeated Virgil Hill at lightheavyweight. His (joe's) chin wasn't the thing keeping him from being knocked out it was his boxing ability, like I mentioned before he was dropped by a shot Roy Jones Jr. with a grazing forearm (check the gif on the previous page).

[letsgobrady]

joe is very underrated and alot of past fighters are overrated but could calzaghe beat most of those opponents maybe

[Thread Stealer]

1.) Leonard recovered from career threating eye injuries (the punch you don't see) and had a ******* addiction. Aaron Pryor wasn't the same fighter after battling a ******* addiction.

Well that's definitely part of the reason why I think Leonard loses. By the time he fought above 160, he'd already had the retina/drinking/coke problems. You can say, "well let's match up the Leonard of the early 80s at his peak" against Calzaghe, but he hadn't grown into the weight anyway. He'd probably be bloated if put on weight to face a much larger man like Calzaghe.

2.) Hearns is a stylistic nightmare to Calzag. Tall, fast, great boxing ability, power, he even beat a undefeated Virgil Hill at lightheavyweight. His (joe's) chin wasn't the thing keeping him from being knocked out it was his boxing ability, like I mentioned before he was dropped by a shot Roy Jones Jr. with a grazing forearm (check the gif on the previous page).

I think more of Calzaghe than Hill, especially with his resolve/mental outlook in the ring. I think Hill was tenative and sort of froze up against Hearns. I saw it as an 8-4 type fight, so it wasn't like Hill was outclassed. Calzaghe and Hill fight different styles anyway.

I actually can see Tommy winning, more so the younger version that fought at 175, but nothing that Hearns did at such a high weight makes me think Calzaghe has little or no chance.

These are not p4p matchups, in which I'd pick Hagler, Hearns, and Leonard with a ton of confidence to beat Calzaghe. This is straight up where size does matter.