If Calzaghe had been American

[Pastrano]

I should have sopped reading after the bolded part......

Explain to me how Calzaghe has done more than Lennox Lewis to be a legend.....

He's undefeated, for starters. He didnt get knocked out by RAHMAN of all people when he was supposedly on top of his game. He never got saved by a doctor's call like Lewis did in his last fight. Joe's legacy may not seem as strong as Lewis's, coz Joe didn't fight as many good fighters, but the fact that he didn't lose or get any really questionable decisions, like Lewis did over Mercer and Holyfield in the rematch, helps his case.

[Scott9945]

How did calzaghe lose when he won on every card by a far margin except for Chris byrd's wife ( who is black and a judge )?

It was a terrible fight, but calzaghe clearly beat him to a pulp.

I hope you were just joking about Chris Byrd's wife, who is neither black or a boxing judge.

[boxingboy86]

Calzaghe retired 2 fights too early in my opinion.

[Toney616]

Joe didn't DESERVE a fight with Hopkins or RJJ in 2002

No one wanted Hopkins Hakkar, which was seen as a massive mismatch. After it was turned down by both HBO and Showtime, King would talk Showtime into buying it as a package deal. The fights Showtime wanted were Harry Simon and Calzaghe. Hopkins turned it down and walked around from a 3m purse

[physiker]

Re Cal vs Bhop: I never could understand those who said Bhop won or was robbed.

On one hand, Cal did not look good. Many slappy punches, many missed punches. But he did land some and went afer him.

After a good Rd 1, Bhop was desperately holding, doing little, and those 2 or more fake ball shots from Cal were a disgrace. How could anyone think Bhop won or be a fan of a guy who gets on all fours in front of the world from a ball shot that never happened?!

And he is the greatest actor ever in boxing--just not being embarrassed afterwards when everyone knows that Cal didn't hit him in the nuts.

[Rockin']

if Calzaghe had been American he surely would have been taught to turn his punches over............Rockin'

[Toney616]

if Calzaghe had been American he surely would have been taught to turn his punches over............Rockin'

Its strange that, that flaw was never fixed

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

If Calzaghe was American hed have 7 losses.

[physiker]

I bet everyone would go crazy over/about him. Thats a fact, a cold, hard fact. But since he's British/European, he gets very little respect, like Lewis before him. But in contrast to Lewis, Joe really is worthy of being called a legend. Look at Pavlik, 2 wins over Taylor and he was already the NEW BIG THING in America. Just to remind you once again, here's a list of notable boxers Joe beat, listed more or less cronologically:

Chris Eubank
Robin Reid
Richie Woodhall
Charles Brewer
Omar Sheika
Byron Mitchell
Jeff Lacy
Sakio Bika
Mikkel Kessler
Bernard Hopkins
Roy Jones

To answer the original question, I don't think it is a racial thing or a regional thing.

I think it is a televison thing.

Most people alas think if something is on TV it is real and true (when the opposite is usually the case); and if they don't see it on TV, it isn't real.

I used to tell fellow American fans to see anything they could of the fights with Benn, Eubanks, Collns, Watson. Many American fans didn't get to see them because they weren't on TV in the USA when they fought each other over in Europe.

So I think it is a televison thing. Calz was unappreciated in the US before the Lacy fight because he was unknown mostly. After that, he had many or some American fans.

Now thanks to streaming, youtube etc, people can see fights from around the world, either live or soon thereafter--even if they can't afford SHO or HBO live.

Real boxing fans appreciate the art and science of a great or good fighter reagardless of where he comes form or what "race" he is of.

We are all of the human race.

Well, maybe with the exception of Valuev. But that's a whole 'nother story...

[Pastrano]

To answer the original question, I don't think it is a racial thing or a regional thing.

I think it is a televison thing.

Most people alas think if something is on TV it is real and true (when the opposite is usually the case); and if they don't see it on TV, it isn't real.

I used to tell fellow American fans to see anything they could of the fights with Benn, Eubanks, Collns, Watson. Many American fans didn't get to see them because they weren't on TV in the USA when they fought each other over in Europe.

So I think it is a televison thing. Calz was unappreciated in the US before the Lacy fight because he was unknown mostly. After that, he had many or some American fans.

Now thanks to streaming, youtube etc, people can see fights from around the world, either live or soon thereafter--even if they can't afford SHO or HBO live.

Real boxing fans appreciate the art and science of a great or good fighter reagardless of where he comes form or what "race" he is of.

We are all of the human race.

Well, maybe with the exception of Valuev. But that's a whole 'nother story...

Good point. Your whole post makes sense and I know, its the sad, blunt reality. Americans believe only what their tv tells them, most of em anyway...