BoxRec

Came pretty close to dropping Clinton in their second fight I remember, really had him on stiff legs for a good minute.

I've always liked Johnson, and always fancied him to give Calzaghe quite a rough old tussle if they had fought. Johnson's not easily deterred, and whilst Calzaghe would have had the edge in handspeed, I doubt he'd have liked catching the top of Glen's bald noggin all night.

That is one hard head. When he fights with a bald head, the top of his noggin looks like a giant walnut.

Indeed, it actually looks like he has no skull, a bit like braniac.




Braniac




Glen Johnson

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Came pretty close to dropping Clinton in their second fight I remember, really had him on stiff legs for a good minute.

I've always liked Johnson, and always fancied him to give Calzaghe quite a rough old tussle if they had fought. Johnson's not easily deterred, and whilst Calzaghe would have had the edge in handspeed, I doubt he'd have liked catching the top of Glen's bald noggin all night.

He had Woods at sea in the third fight aswell.... that was probably the worst trouble I have seen Woods in (barring Roy Jones of course).

Think its a few years too late for Glen now, who is pretty much an excellent 8 round fighter.

Final Fight.
I agree, there isn't too many who like the straight right hand, but its got to be that punch and that punch really alone. I still think Joe is quite easy to figure out and I'm still (despite some wonderful displays in his reign) flabbergasted that the 0 hasn't gone. He's still so open for the right hand down the middle.

Kessler did it vs Beyer, I just wander if he can do it against a faster fighter like Joe.

Froch is just about the next fighter who could give Joe some problems. He was a well schooled amateur and he's surely would be able to throw a straight right hand when up against it.... Thus far he hasn't really needed to.

The rest of the fighters are really to authodox to do it. Not sure on Chad Dawson.... I've really liked what I have seen thus far, he could have the tools but would need to adapt his thinking quite a bit.

Woods would be too slow and as you said, I don't think Joe is particularly open for his pet punches.

Bernard Hopkins is still awkard enough to make it interesting with Joe. Sure these days Hopkins tends to throw wide looping shots and charges in like a novice.... but he is still fantastic defensively and could frustrate Joe into make uncharacteristic errors.

For me if I am judging on natural style it would really only be Kessler who could give problems and even then it would HAVE to be as he fought Beyer. However, if a fighter geared a training camp around leading with the straight right hand then I think there are a fair few guys who can beat Joe (who will not change). Its probably easier to change a style offensively than changing a 25 year old defensive weakness.

That's the good thing about Kessler. He will change his approach when necessary. He hates southpaws and it's rumoured that he sparred 300 rounds for Beyer. But it was a lovely performance. He looked good throwing all those rights and a couple of lead leaft hooks set thing sup nicely as well.

Calzaghe not guarding his head is always a worry and he often circles in the direction of a right hand. But when he's forcing a pace and varying his own attack he tends to get away with it. If he's allowed to fire up his flurries and insist on a hectic pace, the opponent is either too tired or too flustered to mount a serious reply.

I don't think Calzaghe is scared of Kessler as is believed by some. I believe he thinks his speed and volume would be too much for Kessler.

In terms of rhythm Joe has a big advantage, but Kessler does his homework.

One question with Taylor is if he has the initiative to go with his talent. Because the two super middle bosses are two of the more domineering fighters around.

I reckon Calzaghe-Taylor happens one day. And with their similar image, ability, and weight bracket it'd be hard not to link Kessler and Taylor once Joe has gone.

Final Fight wrote:

Ben Keilty wrote:

Twinkle Toes wrote: Using that logic, then Joe can demand 10 million to go into someone else's backyard :)

And there lies one of the huge issue with boxing today.

Well apart from boxing circles no one out of UK knows who Calzaghe is, Most people at least know of Taylor as he beat the great Bernard Hopkins.

Bernard embarrassed himself. Why take the fights if all you're going to do is skip around the ring, try the occasional inside the glove cuff/head butt and start fighting only when the other guy is confused?

I don't think America's warmed to Taylor. Hard to look good over 36 rds v Hopkins and Wright and he's found his earner as a hometown fighter.

All i said was that people know Taylor because he beat Hopkins, If you ask blokes at the local pub here far more of them would have seen Taylor fight or heard him mentioned, No one except boxing fans know who Calzaghe is.

Ben Keilty wrote:

Final Fight wrote:

Ben Keilty wrote: Well apart from boxing circles no one out of UK knows who Calzaghe is, Most people at least know of Taylor as he beat the great Bernard Hopkins.

Bernard embarrassed himself. Why take the fights if all you're going to do is skip around the ring, try the occasional inside the glove cuff/head butt and start fighting only when the other guy is confused?

I don't think America's warmed to Taylor. Hard to look good over 36 rds v Hopkins and Wright and he's found his earner as a hometown fighter.

All i said was that people know Taylor because he beat Hopkins, If you ask blokes at the local pub here far more of them would have seen Taylor fight or heard him mentioned, No one except boxing fans know who Calzaghe is.

Sure, it was a big stage and ppl know him. Not sure how big a draw Jermain is in,say, Vegas though. To their credit his team has found him a very good little earner on the back of his Olympic medal (he didn't do that well) and home popularity.

If Hopkins had fought and Taylor had outgunned him, Jermain would be much more popular. Instead, it was close and US hacks jumped on him because they couldn't let go of Hopkins.

But in boxing these days no casual fan knows much at all. Over here of course if Calzaghe gets seen by $4m ppl on terrestrial TV and fills up the Millennium he's not quite obscure himself.