Calzaghe v Kovalev @175 lbs

[Cloutov]

Somehow ... Kessler = Kovalev?

Kovalev has Kessler by a significant power edge and he fights much more menacing. Joe's win over Kessler gives no insight to a hypothetical Calzghe/Kovalev matchup.

I wasn t comparing Kessler and Kovalev but Joe would have fought Kovalev the same way he fought Kessler. Start low and slow pace and gain momentum by the fight gets longer... Kessler was a great fighter at his prime and say Kovalev is way in front is a non sense at this point. Maybe on power but what about speed and desire... Kovalev has beat Hopkins who was 50 years old. This is the biggest name he has on his resume .

[hurricanemitch14]

Somehow ... Kessler = Kovalev?

Kovalev has Kessler by a significant power edge and he fights much more menacing. Joe's win over Kessler gives no insight to a hypothetical Calzghe/Kovalev matchup.

I wasn t comparing Kessler and Kovalev but Joe would have fought Kovalev the same way he fought Kessler. Start low and slow pace and gain momentum by the fight gets longer... Kessler was a great fighter at his prime and say Kovalev is way in front is a non sense at this point. Maybe on power but what about speed and desire... Kovalev has beat Hopkins who was 50 years old. This is the biggest name he has on his resume .

Kessler was a good fighter in his prime not a great fighter....

[SNG]

Somehow ... Kessler = Kovalev?

Kovalev has Kessler by a significant power edge and he fights much more menacing. Joe's win over Kessler gives no insight to a hypothetical Calzghe/Kovalev matchup.

I wasn t comparing Kessler and Kovalev but Joe would have fought Kovalev the same way he fought Kessler. Start low and slow pace and gain momentum by the fight gets longer... Kessler was a great fighter at his prime and say Kovalev is way in front is a non sense at this point. Maybe on power but what about speed and desire... Kovalev has beat Hopkins who was 50 years old. This is the biggest name he has on his resume .

Kessler was a good fighter in his prime not a great fighter....

More proven than Kovalev.

[hurricanemitch14]

I agree, tha'ts why I posted earlier that I'd like to see Kovalev in with some more elite fighters before I say who can beat who.

[Blodhemn]

50 year old Hopkins would still have a good chance at beating a prime Kessler, who is far more robotic and one-dimensional than Kovalev. Froch doesn't even want to face today's Hopkins... Kessler wouldn't fight him either, as he knows he'd lose at this point.

Kessler vs Kovalev, head to head, who wins? Lol.. Kessler gets knocked out.

[Cloutov]

50 year old Hopkins would still have a good chance at beating a prime Kessler, who is far more robotic and one-dimensional than Kovalev. Froch doesn't even want to face today's Hopkins... Kessler wouldn't fight him either, as he knows he'd lose at this point.

Kessler vs Kovalev, head to head, who wins? Lol.. Kessler gets knocked out.

Lol at you... i think Kessler would also lost to Kovalev but he would be the biggest name on his list next to Hopkins. You guys just are way overhype with him... He s not going to be on top for long. did Chad Dawson looked unbeatable vs the same Bernard...

[Blodhemn]

It's more the other way. Calzaghe's best weight class wasn't 175. He didn't even look that good against the ancient RJJ. Joe let his foot off the gas and just coasted down the stretch, and he barely stayed half a step ahead of Hopkins, where most of the rounds were close. And he got dropped in both fights. He clearly won both fights but they were anything but inspiring victories.

Funny you brought up Dawson, as he said he'd goto the UK to fight Calzaghe, but Joe wasn't interested. I think he would've beaten Dawson, but it wouldn't have been a cakewalk, and the man didn't even try for it.

Kovalev is a big LHW, who can box and punch with both hands with underrated timing and speed. He's got some unorthodox methods as well - not just a straight up, one-dimensional Kessler type. But hey, most people thought Cleverly was a higher level boxer, so the discussion is pretty worthless.

[Perseus]

I don't mean to be insulting or disrespectful but some people really don't understand boxing.

For over ten years people under-rated Calzaghe and insisted he'd get beaten as soon as he faced "a name but he then went and beat Kessler, Jones and Hopkins. No excuses, no if's, no but's, the facts are there.

I accept when you watch Calzaghe fight he doesn't look infallible because he's not a defence minded fighter he does take risks but whoever he faces he finds a way to win end of story.

The most under-rated fighter of the last 25 years. Most people STILL don't realise how good he was.

So anybody who doesn't completely agree with you simply doesn't know sh*t about boxing, eh?

I've always been a Calzaghe fan, he was underrated, but so is Kovalev. He's been doubted every step of the way. The UK crowd called Cleverly the better boxer between the two for crying out loud(so did HBO). This site had the Hopkins fight polled at 50/50(so did the press). He went on to defeat both with ease. Now Calzaghe, who's prime weight wasn't 175, and never faced a boxer/puncher as hard hitting or anyone the size of Kovalev, is supposed to have his way with him as well? Someone getting dropped by ancient RJJ and Hopkins really doesn't have a great shot at beating someone like Kovalev, if we're honest here. Since Joe was a great fighter, he could find a way to win, but he shouldn't be favored in any sense. It's not like Joe would've fought Sergey either.

That's the key right there.
Anybody can avoid losses when they constantly go out of their way to avoid real challenges.
Kovalev can't beat him when there is just no way Joe takes the fight to begin with.

History shows us that Calzaghe dealt Hopkins his third loss in five fights. What a great win to hang your hat on.
Joe almost equaled the best work of the very forgettable Jermain Taylor. I say almost because Taylor had the sack to give Hopkins a rematch while Calzaghe did not.
If Joe had thought Hopkins had anything left at 43 he would not have been in the ring with him. The fight wasn't going to happen before Hopkins made a racial comment straight to his face ffs.

[Blodhemn]

Yep. Dawson was too big of a threat for comfort at that point of his career to even consider. On what planet does this Kovalev fight take place? Is the Alien Hopkins going to fly them out to Mars and take on the winner?

[Purse Bid Shakedown]

More proven than Kovalev.

Beyer, Mundine, Andrade and Lucas is not really any tougher than Kovalevs schedule starting from Campillo

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Calzaghe is the perfect example, being undefeated meens sh.t when you fight people when all the ace's are up your sleeve[judge's,home town etc etc etc] if the fights not in the UK kovalev wins.

[ikorolev]

50 year old Hopkins would still have a good chance at beating a prime Kessler, who is far more robotic and one-dimensional than Kovalev. Froch doesn't even want to face today's Hopkins... Kessler wouldn't fight him either, as he knows he'd lose at this point.

Kessler vs Kovalev, head to head, who wins? Lol.. Kessler gets knocked out.

Exactly. Comparing Kovalev to Kessler reminds me comparing him to Pavlik before the Hopkins fight. Kovalev is too big and powerful for JC. That plus him being a good boxer leaves little chance to Calzaghe.

[Roars Like Me]

Hard fight...........Calzaghe is very overrated........don't get me wrong Calzaghe was a very good fighter but he has 1 win that sticks out mid forty yr old Hopkins. He couldn't stop a completely shot RJJ and got dropped in the fight. He did beat Kessler but it was a good scrap and we all saw Ward toy with Kessler.......thats it on his resume. Eubanks was not prime so don't mention him.

I'd like to see Kovalev in some more elite dudes before I start saying who beats who.

In context fella, JC was past it in his last 2 fights too. His fight with Kessler was more impressive than Ward's. Ward wins over Kessler was a mess, with the infamous head butting going on spoiling the fight for many. I'll go with you a touch with Eubank but Joe was young and green so that was good win too.

Joe can deal with most styles so being a murderous puncher makes no difference. Kov comes forward a bit more than Kessler but no more skilled than him so I see no different an outcome than Joe on points.

[SNG]

More proven than Kovalev.

Beyer, Mundine, Andrade and Lucas is not really any tougher than Kovalevs schedule starting from Campillo

I hope that's a joke?

[Batley18]

I really rate Kovalev, but those saying he would destroy Calzaghe aren't on this planet. Joe was quick with his hands, feet, and mind. A very clever boxer who didn't need to rely on power in order to overcome an opponent. Krusher does carry some great power, but he would be going in the ring with someone completely different to anything he has faced before.

Calzaghe by UD.

[hurricanemitch14]

Ward completely dominatex kesslet how can u say calzaghe win is more impressive.

[Purse Bid Shakedown]

More proven than Kovalev.

Beyer, Mundine, Andrade and Lucas is not really any tougher than Kovalevs schedule starting from Campillo

I hope that's a joke?

Wtf?! You're trying to tell me these 4 are a class above Kovalevs comp? Whats the standout win here?

[SNG]

Wtf?! You're trying to tell me these 4 are a class above Kovalevs comp? Whats the standout win here?

A class above no, but far more proven and are better fighters than some of Kovalev's, three world champions and Andrade has some decent wins. Hopkins was 49 and passed it years ago, Clev never proved he was upto much, the other two don't even belong in the conversation with the four Kessler fought.

[Purse Bid Shakedown]

Wtf?! You're trying to tell me these 4 are a class above Kovalevs comp? Whats the standout win here?

A class above no, but far more proven and are better fighters than some of Kovalev's, three world champions and Andrade has some decent wins. Hopkins was 49 and passed it years ago, Clev never proved he was upto much, the other two don't even belong in the conversation with the four Kessler fought.

Andrade didn't have a single decent win at the time. See Agnew, Caparello. Hopkins despite being well past prime was still a better scalp than any of those Kessler wins, unified champ, last embarrassing a (paper) beltholder. And you forgot Campillo, who was a former champ, and should have been unified champ at the time as he got robbed blind vs both Shumenov and Cloud. So that's 3 world champs for Kovalev as well. In fact, Kovalev's comp was probably a little better.

[crusader]

Ya, I don't really see how that group of Kessler opponents was clearly tougher than Kovalev's group from Campillo on, which is why I thought SNG made the 'joke' comment because Froch was omitted and he's obviously a relevant opponent when discussing how proven Kessler is.

And someone like Campillo, who should've been unified champion after the Cloud bout, doesn't belong in the same discussion as someone like an Eric Lucas who had been stopped in 6 rounds three bouts prior to facing Kessler and was stopped shortly after (past his best perhaps)? He doesn't belong in the same discussion as the Markus Beyer, who lost to Christian Sanavia two years prior and was getting dropped by people like Yoshinori Nishizawa? What about Mundine losing to Siaca at home a year before facing Kessler, does that put him in a different class to Campillo?

[Purse Bid Shakedown]

Ya, I don't really see how that group of Kessler opponents was clearly tougher than Kovalev's group from Campillo on, which is why I thought SNG made the 'joke' comment because Froch was omitted and he's obviously a relevant opponent when discussing how proven Kessler is.

I wasn't sure Froch would be included in Kessler's prime. That was after he got beat by Calzaghe and Ward, and him sitting out with promoter issues. I'd say Kessler's record pre Calzaghe was comparable to Kovalev's now, if not slightly worse

[Baby Face Finster]

Kovalev destroys Calzaghe, Joe doesn't have the power to keep Sergey off of him; sure he has the speed advantage but that's about it.

I see a brutal KO within 5 rounds.

Wrong as always.

[IKSRTFO]

Bump