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BENN
NIGEL BENN is convinced Joe Calzaghe would have bashed up all the super middleweights in the 90s golden era.
Former WBC champion Benn led the British assault on the world’s 12-stone division along with Chris Eubank, Steve Collins and Michael Watson.
But Benn says Calzaghe, who bids to unify the IBF and WBO titles when he fights American Jeff Lacy in the early hours of Sunday morning, would have more than held his own.
Benn, now living in Majorca, said: “I’d have loved to have fought Joe.
“I reckon he’d have given all of us a good going over. He is as good as we were, but the shame is he’s had no one really to test himself against.
“It will be different this weekend because I rate Lacy.
“He has fast hands and packs a heavy punch but his chin has yet to be tested — Joe will do that.
“Lacy reckons Joe’s a slapper in the ring but I can tell you that Joe’s slaps hurt.
“Joe craves respect but you only get that by beating the best. Don’t get me wrong, I rate Joe highly, he’s without doubt the best but I wish he’d been busier.
“The occasional fighter has had a good go at Joe and it’s in these bouts Joe has shown his outstanding boxing ability and finished them off with the killer instinct of a top, top performer.
“It’ll be good to see Joe in with a real livewire and I believe it will be a real cracker of a fight — one of the best for years.”
Calzaghe was due to fight Lacy last year but it was postponed when he damaged a hand.
Hand and elbow injuries have dogged 32-year-old Calzaghe’s career, restricting him to six bouts in the past three years.
Some say those injuries have helped prolong unbeaten Calzaghe’s career but Benn would have liked to have seen him in action a lot more.
Benn, 42, added: “In my time, Joe would hardly have had time to draw breath.
“If it was not me, Eubank would have been at the top of the queue and then Collins, backed up by Watson.
“If he didn’t fancy any of us Brits, then the Yanks would have been willing to give him a pay day, fighters like Iran Barkley.
“When Joe beats Lacy, people will say they always knew he could fight like that — only it should have been more often. One of them will go down, that’s for sure.
“I am predicting a real hammer and tongs fight, toe to toe because Joe wants respect and Lacy ain’t gonna give it to him for free.”
NIGEL BENN is convinced Joe Calzaghe would have bashed up all the super middleweights in the 90s golden era.
Former WBC champion Benn led the British assault on the world’s 12-stone division along with Chris Eubank, Steve Collins and Michael Watson.
But Benn says Calzaghe, who bids to unify the IBF and WBO titles when he fights American Jeff Lacy in the early hours of Sunday morning, would have more than held his own.
Benn, now living in Majorca, said: “I’d have loved to have fought Joe.
“I reckon he’d have given all of us a good going over. He is as good as we were, but the shame is he’s had no one really to test himself against.
“It will be different this weekend because I rate Lacy.
“He has fast hands and packs a heavy punch but his chin has yet to be tested — Joe will do that.
“Lacy reckons Joe’s a slapper in the ring but I can tell you that Joe’s slaps hurt.
“Joe craves respect but you only get that by beating the best. Don’t get me wrong, I rate Joe highly, he’s without doubt the best but I wish he’d been busier.
“The occasional fighter has had a good go at Joe and it’s in these bouts Joe has shown his outstanding boxing ability and finished them off with the killer instinct of a top, top performer.
“It’ll be good to see Joe in with a real livewire and I believe it will be a real cracker of a fight — one of the best for years.”
Calzaghe was due to fight Lacy last year but it was postponed when he damaged a hand.
Hand and elbow injuries have dogged 32-year-old Calzaghe’s career, restricting him to six bouts in the past three years.
Some say those injuries have helped prolong unbeaten Calzaghe’s career but Benn would have liked to have seen him in action a lot more.
Benn, 42, added: “In my time, Joe would hardly have had time to draw breath.
“If it was not me, Eubank would have been at the top of the queue and then Collins, backed up by Watson.
“If he didn’t fancy any of us Brits, then the Yanks would have been willing to give him a pay day, fighters like Iran Barkley.
“When Joe beats Lacy, people will say they always knew he could fight like that — only it should have been more often. One of them will go down, that’s for sure.
“I am predicting a real hammer and tongs fight, toe to toe because Joe wants respect and Lacy ain’t gonna give it to him for free.”
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