It's crazy to think that in Calzaghe's...

[robertzimmerman]

Why fight tough fights when you can fight bums and get to Oscar? That was Hopkins thinking. He also ducked James Toney at this time and the rematch with Roy Jones.

But how would he have known that Joe would have been a tough fight in 2002? He'd hardly done anything then. His biggest wins were against a faded Eubank and Robin Reid. He was relatively unknown then outside of Europe.

In 2008, Why would a 43 year old want to be messing with a super fit southpaw, who'd crushed Lacy?

Surely there were easier fights, to make decent money.

I respect your opinion, but I don't think Bernard ducked him in 2002.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

But how would he have known that Joe would have been a tough fight in 2002? He'd hardly done anything then. His biggest wins were against a faded Eubank and Robin Reid. He was relatively unknown then outside of Europe.

In 2008, Why would a 43 year old want to be messing with a super fit southpaw, who'd crushed Lacy?

Surely there were easier fights, to make decent money.

I respect your opinion, but I don't think Bernard ducked him in 2002.

It makes it all the more strange that he turned down $3m to fight him if he didn't think it was a tough fight.

When he was 43, the Calzaghe fight was his biggest fight. He didn't have Oscar to fall back on.

[IMDAZED]

... first 25 fights, 23 of them ended in a knockout.

A 92% KO ratio lol.
Anyone else ever notice this?

I'd also like to add that only 2 of those 23 were actual KO's.

Now I've only really watched Calzaghe's second half of his career in spurts, but he was regarded as pretty feather-fisted at that point.. which to me, is the crazy part.

Was his decline in power due injuries/surgeries?

If so, I think it's still rather impressive to go from being a guy who can end a fight like that, then turn around and revamp his style to become a boxer who just completely out-fights, out-throws, and out-boxes his opponents (Regardless of a lack of top tier competition we in the SMW division like we have today).

He didn't decline in power. He just faced better opponents.

[IMDAZED]

It makes it all the more strange that he turned down $3m to fight him if he didn't think it was a tough fight.

When he was 43, the Calzaghe fight was his biggest fight. He didn't have Oscar to fall back on.

Perhaps it had nothing to do with Calzaghe. Perhaps it had everything to do with what Hopkins said it had to do with.

[Jack Napier]

nobody gives a crap about Calzaghe
he did well at the end, but was lackluster most of his career
he had talent but didn't make the most of it
scrutinizing his KO percentage is pointless

[Box-Office]

Lets put it this way if Khan had a Joe Calzaghe "styled" career he too wouldve been an ATG.

He was just matched TOO well.

[Godsfly]

the amount of defending that dirk diggler will have to do in this thread will be ridiculous..............

[Spray_resistant]

he also used to be a devastating body puncher as seen in this video

Out of the playlist shown in 20 vids 18 of them were Calzaghe stoppages I can only see 2 of the stoppages being justifiable.......he should have 16 at of his kos at the very least stricken from his record.

[Russian Crushin]

The amount of BS stoppages that slappy had was rather remarkable

[Spray_resistant]

The amount of BS stoppages that slappy had was rather remarkable

All I know now for certain is that I regard just 2 I have seen as legit so rather than point to the bs ones lets see how many legit stoppages he actually recorded.