Joe Calzaghe v Steve Collins and Nigel Benn.

[IRLangmaid25]

How would Joe Calzaghe done against Steve Collins and Nigel Benn the other two of that fantastic Super-Middleweight trio of the 1990s. We know Calzaghe beat Chris Eubank Jnr but how would we have done against Collins (who I believe he was meant to have fought instead of Eubank) and Nigel Benn.

[stevedoc]

I see calzaghe beating them all ,eubanks could be out worked ,benn would get stopped around the 10th and Collins outboxed , the calzaghe that beat eubanks had power to and could well ko all of them

[Rexob]

 Calzaghe beat Chris Eubank Jnr ? News to me!

[Tuan_Jim]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nigel Benn KOd Calzaghe in 1.

[Bodyshot3]

Massive, massive Benn fan but I remain fairly adamant that Joe would have handled Nigel...could actually seeing it be a sort of inverted version of Joe's fight with Eubank. In other words Benn getting off to a flyer, storming in and getting to Joe early but then gradually getting picked-off and Calzaghe coming on very strong in rounds 8-12.

Joe's stamina and work-rate was elite-level and he would have surely treated Benn with upmost respect - no macho stuff like his fight with Mitchell - and maybe he'd apply the same sort of gameplan developed and executed in the Lacy fight? Nigel could be patient in the later part of his career - using intelligent pressure and pacing himself better - but even this approach would not have pipped Joe in my opinion.

Calzaghe's hidden strength was what was between his ears; he had the knack of knowing when to bomb (Veit) when to box (Lacy/Kessler) and he worked this stuff out either before a fight or on the night. Joe was a smart cookie.

Somewhat weirdly, I think Collins might be the surprise package for Joe. For sure, Steve C took a look at Calzaghe's credentials and a relatively small pay cheque and said 'no thanks, that's me done' but during his prime I think his own colossal workrate, swarming aggression and sheer bloody awkwardness would have been a problem for Joe. Holding-off a marauding, stong man like Collins was perhaps the fight Joe is pleased he never had.

[stevedoc]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nigel Benn KOd Calzaghe in 1.

More chance the other way round I think benn was hurt early by Logan,Watson and the G man ,Joe got decked by Hopkins and Jones early but was never hurt .

[littlepug]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nigel Benn KOd Calzaghe in 1.

More chance the other way round I think benn was hurt early by Logan,Watson and the G man ,Joe got decked by Hopkins and Jones early but was never hurt .

I don't know mate Joe seemed quite shaky after Jones knockdown, although from what I could see Jones glove missed and was actually the wrist part of the glove that connected.

[Tuan_Jim]

Mitchell and the Egyptian had Calzaghe down heavily & hurt. Needed a bit of hometown help to escape that scary Mitchell run in.

The idea of Calzaghe blowing anyone significant out early is laughable.

The skills and workrate he demonstrated were exercised on such poor opposition it has exaggerated his standing in a lot of fan's minds. No one raves over what Omar Sheika or Jermain Taylor did with Lacy.

[IRLangmaid25]

Joe Calzaghe got to Jeff Lacy first before Jermain Taylor did and for much bigger stakes. As Calzaghe was seen as both an opportunity to dethrone an ageing champion and establish himself as the Premier 12stone fighter of at that time.

However Calzaghe exposed and dismantled Lacy so you argue Calzaghe had softened him for Taylor.

[Tuan_Jim]

If Calzaghe didn't expose Lacy someone else would have. All the hype beforehand bears no relation to analysing fighter's results in the ring. Lacy was a belt holder waiting to flop on the big stage. Why cling to that win as some sort of great victory? Because without it Calzaghe's record is even more suspect. A 10 year, two division 'champ' and all you have is Kessler and three relics? That's absurd.

[IRLangmaid25]

If Calzaghe didn't expose Lacy someone else would have. All the hype beforehand bears no relation to analysing fighter's results in the ring. Lacy was a belt holder waiting to flop on the big stage. Why cling to that win as some sort of great victory? Because without it Calzaghe's record is even more suspect. A 10 year, two division 'champ' and all you have is Kessler and three relics? That's absurd.

Roy Jones was pretty much on his way down by the tiMe Joe Calzaghe got him, so I will let you have that one. As for Bernard Hopkins, he then went on to dismantle Kelly Pavlik, beat Jean Pascal at 46, however he did lose to Chad Dawson and more recently to Sergei Kovalev. And I didn't expect Kovalev to dominate Hopkins in the way he did.

[Syntax Error]

I'm confident that Calzaghe would have beaten Collins, however he fought, but Benn is a bit more difficult for me.

Calzaghe, especially earlier in his career, before his hands were made out of balsa wood, could be goaded into a war & that would play into Benn's hands.

If Calzaghe resisted the temptation to get into a war, he beats Benn on points comfortably.

Benn could be outboxed quite comfortably with the right tactics: Sugar Boy Malinga managed it twice, but was robbed the first time around.

[stevedoc]

Mitchell and the Egyptian had Calzaghe down heavily & hurt. Needed a bit of hometown help to escape that scary Mitchell run in.

The idea of Calzaghe blowing anyone significant out early is laughable.

The skills and workrate he demonstrated were exercised on such poor opposition it has exaggerated his standing in a lot of fan's minds. No one raves over what Omar Sheika or Jermain Taylor did with Lacy.

So the calzaghe that floored eubanks inside 20 seconds couldn't do that to benn? If I remember right calzaghe KO'd 21 of his first 22 fighters

[expe]

Mitchell and the Egyptian had Calzaghe down heavily & hurt. Needed a bit of hometown help to escape that scary Mitchell run in.

The idea of Calzaghe blowing anyone significant out early is laughable.

The skills and workrate he demonstrated were exercised on such poor opposition it has exaggerated his standing in a lot of fan's minds. No one raves over what Omar Sheika or Jermain Taylor did with Lacy.

So the calzaghe that floored eubanks inside 20 seconds couldn't do that to benn? If I remember right calzaghe KO'd 21 of his first 22 fighters

Mitchell put Calzaghe down and was stopped in the same round. Not like Benn's chin was the best either, down and badly hurt against Logan, stopped by Watson, down against DeWitt, stopped by Eubank, down twice against McClellan and quit on his stool twice against Collins.

[gregor]

Not like Benn's chin was the best either, down and badly hurt against Logan, stopped by Watson, down against DeWitt, stopped by Eubank, down twice against McClellan and quit on his stool twice against Collins.

Being down in the opening round against ancient Hopkins and shot RJJ does not indicate great chin either.

[IRLangmaid25]

Not like Benn's chin was the best either, down and badly hurt against Logan, stopped by Watson, down against DeWitt, stopped by Eubank, down twice against McClellan and quit on his stool twice against Collins.

Being down in the opening round against ancient Hopkins and shot RJJ does not indicate great chin either.

Or be a slow starter and or to adjust. Calzaghe didn't start that quickly against Jeff Lacy, and was the same with Kessler, and he didn't look that bright against a few others.

[Othro]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nigel Benn KOd Calzaghe in 1.

More chance the other way round I think benn was hurt early by Logan,Watson and the G man ,Joe got decked by Hopkins and Jones early but was never hurt .

Nah Jones actually hurt him.

[Crease]

We know Calzaghe beat Chris Eubank Jnr

Sure, no matter what he'll always have that win on his record. But, it was Eubank past his best days. It's plausible that it would be a completely different fight if Chris was in his prime.

[Crease]

Somewhat weirdly, I think Collins might be the surprise package for Joe.
I think his own colossal workrate, swarming aggression and sheer bloody awkwardness would have been a problem for Joe. Holding-off a marauding, strong man like Collins was perhaps the fight Joe is pleased he never had.

I would tend to agree. Collins, on his best days was and would have been a handful for any Super Middleweight. Calzaghe's workrate isn't exactly a iron-clad guarantee for him to win any fight, and I believe Steve's pressure-style of fighting would have been a bad match for Joe.

For sure, Steve C took a look at Calzaghe's credentials and a relatively small pay cheque and said 'no thanks, that's me done'

I wouldn't necessarily describe it like that. It's important to remember that Steve had already defeated his two biggest rivals (Eubank & Benn) twice each. And after beating Benn the second time, Steve campaigned for a fight against Jones Jr - but Roy never took the fight...

Apart from that fight, realistically, there was nothing left for Steve in the division. No-one could have predicted the professional record that Joe Calzaghe would have ended up with.

I wonder if - in the future - you will discredit Froch for not fighting DeGale.

[Bodyshot3]

@Crease...some fair comments and I was not being disrespectful to Collins, in fact, always held him in the highest regard. Basically, I support his line which was that he did not need a high risk fight for not much of a payday. In no way was he chicken - that was not the Collins style - more of a case of I don't need to take this type of fight anymore and Jones is the only bloke worth sticking around for.

After the career Carl as had....I would not blame if he called it a day tomorrow and if he does not face DeGale it won't represent a missing chapter for him. The series fights he has had back-to-back looks good now and will look immense as time goes on. He has earned the right to end up with a big fight in the US against B-Hop or Chavez.

Think we agree on the threat Collins would have posed Calzaghe....Collins was a good tactician as well and I loved his attitude in the ring which was faultless.