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

[Dan...]

What Benn is saying is not outrageous at all.

Calzaghe would probably beat most or all of them, based on size advantage. Leonard's prime was at 147 lbs. Calzaghe's was at 168 lbs, and also under different weigh-in rules, so he'd likely have been an 175 lb fighter under the old weigh-in rules. That also gives him a considerable size advantage over Hagler, who wasn't an especially big MW either. The Hearns of 1987 at light-heavyweight might beat Calzaghe, but it's pretty unlikely the early 90s Hearns does.

Calzaghe is certainly not better/greater than Leonard/Hearns/Hagler, he's just bigger.

There's a point where skills/talent cannot overcome the size advantage. Calzaghe is not some bum at 168/175. He is a very good fighter.

As always dude you raise some excellent points. Do you think Joe's size advantage would have been enough to get past Marvin? Hagler may not have been a huge MW but he had exceptional strength.

[Thread Stealer]

As always dude you raise some excellent points. Do you think Joe's size advantage would have been enough to get past Marvin? Hagler may not have been a huge MW but he had exceptional strength.

You never know how a guy will perform when he moves up in weight, but some of it you can predict based on styles. Fighters who rely more on strength and power are more likely to suffer than stylistic boxers. In this regard, Hagler shouldn't suffer too much, because he was a very good boxer. His power would suffer some, but he was versatile, and generally liked to box behind the jab and open with combos anyway. He parried shots well, and Calzaghe is not a big puncher anyway (especially later on with the hand problems).

It's anyone's guess really how Hagler deals at a higher weight. We've seen Leonard at SMW (against a drained Lalonde), and he didn't look impressive at all.

[Edward Hitler]

Good. So I'm free to say that I think that if a primed Roy Jones Jr. was in the ring when he knocked Calzaghe in the first round... Calzaghe wouldn't have made it to the second round. But again..it's just my opinion, I don't even want to prove you wrong, I will respect what you believe. After Roy and Joe's fight, Joe even admitted that he would not come close to beating a primed Roy... and that is what respect is. I respected Joe and I respect his decision to retire.
I also believe that Joe has nothing but respect for the 80's fighters and not unless I hear him say that he could beat those all time greats I won't have a problem with it.

It's really a good experience here at boxingscene, we get to analyze fights and fighters. We should examine first what we're about to post...we must base it on facts, reality, and not just assumptions.

So if for example if Joe says he believes that Ivan Calderon would have beat him, Wladimir, Vitali, Valuev, and even Butterbean! you would not just believe him because he is a great boxer, would you? well that is the case here, we are educating ourselves here, that is why this is called a forum... we share knowledge in boxing.

our post will easily determine if we really are pure boxing fans, haters, nuthuggers or even at some case ******s.

lol nice post yeah i think a prime jones could and would have beaten joe but unfortunatly didnt as ive said jones is one of my fave fighters of al time his style was great to watch and im not a calzaghe arse licker i jst think ppl should respect him for what hes achived even if hes a bit or a cry baby hes undefeated in 46 fights been one of the longest champs ever maybe he beat past it ppl but u dont acomplish what he has been **** like so many say i just think ppl should give the guy some respect im not askin for them to suck his **** or nothin lol but hes achived things even legends of the ring havent and even the biggest of legends loses to a bum from time to time thats all im saying

[realheavyhands]

dont beat mcclellan though

[xfiles]

He means if Calzaghe fought those guys now like he wanted to. He couldn't lure any of them in the ring so he is retiring....

[-EX-]

Tell Nigel Benn I said say no to drugs. Hagler losing to Calzaghe? Lmao.

[MatteoAlderson]

I finally conceded to Joe's greatness with his win over Kessler, i do it berudgingly. 6 years ago Hopkins and Jones dominate him and Hagler beats him. He might have been too big for Sugar Ray, but he wasn't half the fighter that ray was.

[-Antonio-]

This isn't an outragious thing to say imo.

[Gatti456]

"when he stepped up in class and fought the likes of Jeff Lacy"??......Jeff Lacy are you kidding me? Nigel Benn is on crack. Now he's putting Jeff Lacy in the same class as Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler?? What is this world coming to? Calzaghe's career will be tainted for not giving Hopkins a rematch. Very similar to the way Lennox's career is tainted for ducking Vitali's rematch, and Floyd's career is tainted for ducking the big boys WW a la Paul Williams and Miguel Cotto. That's the problem today with boxing and what seperates fighters from the 80's era, everyone today is WAAAAAAY too scared to catch that "loss". A world champion losing to another world champion is no big deal, it's respectable. In the 80's and prior they knew that, they accepted that.

[¿?枯葉剤¿?]

No disrespect but your opinion isn't quite as respected as Nigel Benn's though, so what's it matter?

Nice one, Nigel.

Considering the punishment McClellan and Eubank gave him, "next in line's" opinion is probably backed with more logic. He might beat Benn possibly Duran, but definitely does not beat Hagler, Hearns, or Leonard.