Default Joe Calzaghe : "probably the best 168 pounder there

[Marc Anthony]

According to John David "Action" Jackson top trainer and former world champion

MA: I wanted to get your assessment of Joe Calzaghe now that he is retired?

You have to give Joe his due. He is undefeated. He beat everybody in front of him. Joe’s style was and I used to joke about it and I told Bernard that he better watch it because he might slap you to death. Joe may have had brittle hands. I am not sure if Joe’s hands were really truly always healed up but I know his hands were bad. But Joe would slap you to death. Joe had this type of rhythm that if you let him get into this rhythm, once he got into it, and you can’t off set him he will just slap the heck out of you. And that’s would he did to most fighters.


What he did was rather than say he slapped them to death he would overwhelm them with volume punching. Joe would hit you with four-five –six punch combinations and most fighters can’t deal with that. When he fought Roy? Roy started out in a good manner by walking him down and keeping his hands up high. As the rounds began to mount the volume punches was so great that Roy couldn’t keep up with him and pretty much had Roy on the defense and he was on the offense.


Same with Bernard, it was me Freddie and Nazim Richardson in his corner but that wasn’t my fight strategy honestly. I would have had him fight differently being that he was a south paw. But they let Freddie be the lead guy so I just stepped back and let Freddie do his thing. They had no fight plan for that kid. He is a tough guy. You have to at least rank Joe amongst the greatest 168lbs in boxing of all time. He might be the best. You might not like him and his style might not be the most appreciated you have to give him his just due. He fought and beat 2 hall of famer’s, probably more in his career and he went undefeated so hey you have to give him his just due. He is probably the best 168 pounder there is because he walked away on top of his game. Was he my favorite fighter? No, but I have to give him the respect he deserves

read more: http://ringsidereport.com/?p=16862

[Blodhemn]

He was very good but he could've gone out in higher standing. Yes, he beat an always tough Hopkins - but he could've schooled Dawson, and also the 168lb division just got the strongest it's ever been just after he retired. So it's a bit shit that he retired when he did.