Calzaghe retires

[Hibs Class]

Shame, but well earned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7871918.stm

[Baldy]

one of the greatest of all time

[PC Stamp]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Shame, but well earned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7871918.stm

Or should it be Calzaghe retires (for now anyway). Hopefully he'll be the exception to the rule and stay retired unlike most of his contemporaries these days!

[chorley_fm]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Or should it be Calzaghe retires (for now anyway). Hopefully he'll be the exception to the rule and stay retired unlike most of his contemporaries these days!

Indeed, I hope he resists temptation to return.

[Pretty Boy]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

one of the greatest of all time

Not even close. A good boxer with a fine record but for numerous reasons (most of them not his fault) he never really fought anyone of note until very late in his career. The one really good boxer he fought earlier in his career was Robin reid and that was a fight he scraped on points just through work rate.

Scraping past a 43 year old Bernard Hopkins, beating an over rated Jeff Lacy and some cringeworthy showboating against Roy Jones don't make you an all time great.

[Danderhall Hibs]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Not even close. A good boxer with a fine record but for numerous reasons (most of them not his fault) he never really fought anyone of note until very late in his career. The one really good boxer he fought earlier in his career was Robin reid and that was a fight he scraped on points just through work rate.

Scraping past a 43 year old Bernard Hopkins, beating an over rated Jeff Lacy and some cringeworthy showboating against Roy Jones don't make you an all time great.

He's been unfortunate that none of the "greats" wanted to fight him until they were that age (even Steve Collins avoided him), I'd also imagine Frank Warren would have been holding him back like he done with Alex Arthur and tried to do with Hatton.

He's got Eubank, Lacy, Hopkins and Roy Jones on his undefeated record - not bad for someone that can't punch very hard!

Who could he have fought to make him even more of a great?

[Pretty Boy]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

He's been unfortunate that none of the "greats" wanted to fight him until they were that age (even Steve Collins avoided him), I'd also imagine Frank Warren would have been holding him back like he done with Alex Arthur and tried to do with Hatton.

He's got Eubank, Lacy, Hopkins and Roy Jones on his undefeated record - not bad for someone that can't punch very hard!

Who could he have fought to make him even more of a great?

Eubank and Hopkins were great victories, Lacy was never that good and everyone bar the American press knew it. He didn't beat Roy Jones, he beat Roy Jones ghost.

I did say it wasn't his fault that he didn't beat better fighters earlier in his career, he was high risk with little reward and he, along with hatton, was Warrens easy money.

Kelly pavlik before he lost to Hopkins would have been a fight for Joe to really show he was unbeatable, a young, awkward prospect who he could have taken to school. In earlier years James Toney would have been a great fight, a re match with Robin Reid and possibly Felix Trinidad at middleweight or a catch weight all would have made Calzaghe prove his greatness.

[Danderhall Hibs]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Eubank and Hopkins were great victories, Lacy was never that good and everyone bar the American press knew it. He didn't beat Roy Jones, he beat Roy Jones ghost.

I did say it wasn't his fault that he didn't beat better fighters earlier in his career, he was high risk with little reward and he, along with hatton, was Warrens easy money.

Kelly pavlik before he lost to Hopkins would have been a fight for Joe to really show he was unbeatable, a young, awkward prospect who he could have taken to school. In earlier years James Toney would have been a great fight, a re match with Robin Reid and possibly Felix Trinidad at middleweight or a catch weight all would have made Calzaghe prove his greatness.

I agree with a lot of what you say - he definitely stuck with Warren for too long. Hatton got out early(ish) but Calzaghe hung on far too long.

I don't think he's had a lot of greats to fight in his career and I certainly don't think that giving Robin Reid a rematch would've made much (if any) difference to his status. What did Reid ever go on to prove?