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WBO super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe insists he has fought better opponents than Chris Eubank as 'world' champion.
The Welshman and former rival Eubank currently stand at 14 'world' title defences each - and Calzaghe will break the record if he beats Kabary Salem in Edinburgh next month.
Calzaghe outpointed Eubank in 1997 to win the vacant WBO title.
Calzaghe said: "I regard my challengers as being much better than those of Chris Eubank's.
"Take away Nigel Benn and Michael Watson and his other opponents weren't much good.
"I beat top-rated American fighters like Byron Mitchell and Charlie Brewer - guys who were top-drawer fighters and there were also others like Robin Reid and Richie Woodhall - people overlook that.
"I never had many easy rides. Of the other fighters who you could say were softer, they had good records and I made them look bad."

Not sure about this. Eubank, despite losing to Calzaghe, was the better champion in my opinion.

calzaghe is a cock, end of story

he talks the talk and doesnt walk the walk

when you have to sit and justify your standing then there is something wrong....

take out Watson and Benn??? erm doesnt work like that

what next, take out Frazier and Foreman and Ali wasnt that great???

ARSE HOLE

I'd like to see Calzaghe jump up to cruiserweight and duke it out with Carl Thompson like Eubank did! He didn't even fancy light-heavy!

I'd rate Eubank as the better champion. The fact Calzaghe himself said "Benn and Watson aside" I think that it's a tongue in cheek comment.

Yep, take away Benn and Watson - thats the whole point, Calzaghe hasn't fought a Benn or Watson yet.

Add the likes of Malinga (who beat Robin Reid), Rochigiani, double European champion Ray Close, European champion Henry Wharton. Long time contendor Tony Thorton and many others.

You could say well apart from Benitez, Hearns, Hagler and Duran - Leonard fought poor oppotiion.

What a silly thing to say.

i am glad we all agree

Does anyone know how many mandatory's Calzaghe has fought as champion?

"...so let's hope that, if I put on a good performance against Salem, I can get one of them."


Fascinating. The big is the next one.

He's kind to himself with regards his opposition. Sure Eubank fought some stiffs and I could argue Calzaghe has made decent guys look terrible.

But the truth is some pretty ordinary guys have made him look terrible, Rickk Thornberry, David Starie?

Brewer and Mitchell were only made once they'd lost to Ottke, Woodhall retired after the fight but was class and Reid pushed Calzaghe so close he should have got the rematch but never did.

And it is precisely because Joe doesn't behave like a challenger/contender that we never get any further. He's a WBO champion in a tumbleweed division, much like Nelson and whilst he's photogenic and has a TVstyle it means dick while ever he fights Salem, Pudwill and Mger Ure.

Why not have taken the Woods fight...? That was a natural fight and if your returning to 168lbs - why not fight Rob Reid?[/i]

bennie wrote:Does anyone know how many mandatory's Calzaghe has fought as champion?

probably only Mario Veit

Exactly, plus Calzaghe fails to mention the fact that Eubank fought Watson & Benn TWICE!! There was no sniff of a rematch when Robin Reid pushed him close (and won IMO). Calzaghe is an arse, despite beating respectable names and perennial "contenders" he has never fought anyone top drawer in the Super Middleweight division a genuine threat or fellow title holder. Someone like an Ottke, Beyer or even Mundine...by the time Brewer and Mitchell rolled on the Welsh shores they were chewed meat anyway.

What is he on about? Calzaghe has fought some right stiffs.

Juan Carlos Giménez 38 years old easily beaten by Eubank six years earlier.
Branko Sobot 15 fight middleweight novice
Rick Thornberry stopped by Henry Wharton who Eubank beat .
Omar Sheika, beaten by Tony Booth
Will McIntyre WHO???
Tocker Pudwill WHO???

It reads like part of a retirement speech to me.

When Calzaghe is retired he should be remembered as the underachiever he is and not a "World" champion.

knockout wrote:Juan Carlos Giménez 38 years old easily beaten by Eubank six years earlier.
Branko Sobot 15 fight middleweight novice
Rick Thornberry stopped by Henry Wharton who Eubank beat .
Omar Sheika, beaten by Tony Booth
Will McIntyre WHO???
Tocker Pudwill WHO???

And next opponent Salem who was beaten by equally inept Veit who Calzaghe KO'd in the round with a series of inside of the glove slaps. What a laugh.

The best way to view this statement is by realising how much Calzaghe's career has stagnated and how much he needs the publicity. Eubank is a name the public knows which is why he is probably comparing himself.

Eubank IMO was much better not only in terms of fighting but in terms of capturing the publics attention.

Calzaghe could have achieved so much more but has always talked big without delivering.

A waste of what could have been a good career.

I used to complain about the stiffs Eubank fought ( particularly when he went to Sky- strange that ) but they look like world beaters next to some of the cadavers SN dig up for JC

His career is, in my opinion, offically over

Slapsie

Slapsie Maxie wrote:His career is, in my opinion, offically over

I honestly think it is as well Slapsie.

Depends what you mean by over. The light heavyweight division could well see Calzaghe in it yet, there's a few wrinkles to be ironed out yet.

However failing that, it's hard to see anything exciting happening for him at SM.

Calzaghe was on sky sports news today talking about his next fight, going through the motions eg "hes a tough guy" "strong" "never been stopped" nor "dropped" "hes coming to fight" blah, blah, bah and then has the cheek to say he's going for the big fights on '05. Hes been saying this shit for 4 years man.

He also looked rough as fcuk, like he's been on a week long bender, eyes like piss holes in the snow.

I fear the end is nigh for the welsh dragon and what a waste of talent...pisses me right off. I honestly thought a couple of years back that he would make a huge impression on the world stage with the right match-ups.

To be fair to Joe, he's gone through a rough time of it, and by the sounds of things, is in no state to be facing the likes of Glen Johnson if his head isn't right. Sounds like things are unravelling a bit for him of late, and if that's the case, he's best off getting his head together before fighting anyone at light heavy.

Sky should boycott his next fight its that bad.

if calzaghe went to light heayweight years ago he would of faced roy jones jr uf he went to america.

calzaghe siad he doesnt want to face viet, but will face someone who lost to viet, wheres the logic?

i am not wathing his fight untill he fights a name.

Mkrtchyan was a mando.


What's started all this? Just Calzaghe thought he'd have a go at making the papers?

Sorry, but if he honestly thinks that then he's really silly.

COuld he have done is the question - I'm not sure, ie I'm not sure that the fights could have been made, even without a cautious promotional team. But he could at least have had a go.


This outburst sounds already to be of a fighter looking back at his career than one looking forward. And I don't buy all this 'next one being the big one' any more. Stuck records, the lot of them. They should take a look at guys like Harrison and Haye - you can be in dangerous fights if you want to be.

Ricky Hattons career is turning into a mirror image of Joe's with all these promises of big fights falling by the wayside. Rickys had more fights and still only has the meaningless WBU title, Rickys going worse than Joe. Ricky has no excuse for fighting these terrible opponents, the 140lb division is stacked, yet Ricky has yet to fight a single top ten opponent. Cotto is putting Ricky to shame, bigtime.

Lefthookhappy19 wrote:Ricky Hattons career is turning into a mirror image of Joe's with all these promises of big fights falling by the wayside. Rickys had more fights and still only has the meaningless WBU title, Rickys going worse than Joe. Ricky has no excuse for fighting these terrible opponents, the 140lb division is stacked, yet Ricky has yet to fight a single top ten opponent. Cotto is putting Ricky to shame, bigtime.

Yes, Ricky has made 13 defences of his joke world title, so is close to the record himself (laughs). The sad thing is, neither Ricky or Calzaghe have ever had a true defining fight.