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With one fight Joe Calzaghe has transformed his career. Before his defining night of triumph he was derided by American fans, critics and boxers alike. Even loyal British fans had a hard time justifying how Joe’s career had fizzled out and was starting to become one big anti-climax. Since gaining the WBO belt from Chris Eubank in 1997 Joe Calzaghe has fought and beat no.1 contenders and former world champions alike, but seemingly none of his defences have added anything to his legacy. His detractors have said he is protected, that he has ducked the big name fighters like Roy Jones Jnr and Bernard Hopkins and simply concocted excuses to avoid fighting Glengoffe Johnson. They quote his unwillingness to fight in America, his fragile hands, his “slapping” punches and his defences against fighters they rate as bums. Yet after his dominating performance against Jeff Lacy on Saturday night these criticisms are forgotten. Now Joe is pound for pound one of the best in the world, his unbeaten record being taken seriously and his defeated opponents taken a little less lightly.
Jeff Lacy was the man who had come to expose Calzaghe, the mini-Mike Tyson who was going to knock Joe out within three or four rounds. As it turned out it was Jeff Lacy who was cruelly exposed in the ring and left in there by his corner to take a beating when the more humane act would have been to save him from the physical and (probably more significant) mental suffering he took at the fists of Joe Calzaghe. Now the same people who were supporting Lacy pre-fight are talking about his shortcomings, his reliance on his one punch power, his neglect of the jab, his lack of head movement and his slow footwork. Now they are saying Jeff Lacy was overrated and Joe Calzaghe was underrated.
How fickle boxing is that one fight can change how a whole fighters career is viewed. Just as Roy Jones Jnr was derided as soon as he got knocked out by Tarver, going from legend status to a china chinned, big fight dodging fraud. Just as Hatton changed (after beating Koysta Tszyu) from another protected British fighter with no chance against the big names to being a true champion and the man who is most likely to test Floyd Mayweather. Joe Calzaghe has been transformed from a man stuck in his comfort zone fighting nobodies and avoiding big fights, to a top ten p4p skilled boxer who took on the best challenger and completely dominated him. A man who is undefeated and who put on what his opponents trainer called the best performance of any boxer he has ever seen.
Jeff Lacy was the man who had come to expose Calzaghe, the mini-Mike Tyson who was going to knock Joe out within three or four rounds. As it turned out it was Jeff Lacy who was cruelly exposed in the ring and left in there by his corner to take a beating when the more humane act would have been to save him from the physical and (probably more significant) mental suffering he took at the fists of Joe Calzaghe. Now the same people who were supporting Lacy pre-fight are talking about his shortcomings, his reliance on his one punch power, his neglect of the jab, his lack of head movement and his slow footwork. Now they are saying Jeff Lacy was overrated and Joe Calzaghe was underrated.
How fickle boxing is that one fight can change how a whole fighters career is viewed. Just as Roy Jones Jnr was derided as soon as he got knocked out by Tarver, going from legend status to a china chinned, big fight dodging fraud. Just as Hatton changed (after beating Koysta Tszyu) from another protected British fighter with no chance against the big names to being a true champion and the man who is most likely to test Floyd Mayweather. Joe Calzaghe has been transformed from a man stuck in his comfort zone fighting nobodies and avoiding big fights, to a top ten p4p skilled boxer who took on the best challenger and completely dominated him. A man who is undefeated and who put on what his opponents trainer called the best performance of any boxer he has ever seen.
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