Talk about a modern day Dream Fight: Canelo Alvarez Vs. a prime Joe Calzaghe. Recently we’ve been reading how another British super-middleweight great, in Carl Froch, said he would have fancied his chances in a fight with the Mexican superstar, and now “Pride of Wales” Calzaghe has stated that he would definitely have beaten Canelo had he met him when both men were in their prime.
Speaking with The Mirror, Calzaghe, who of course ruled at 168 and at 175 pounds and retired with an unbeaten, 46-0 (32) record in 2008, said it would have been a great fight but he would have won it.
“If he continues the way he’s going and winning titles, he has to be top-10 of all-time probably, based on what he’s achieved,” Calzaghe said of Canelo. “And his longevity, longevity is important as well. Winning the title is one thing, we’ve seen fighters win a title and then lose it, so for him to still be the champion is impressive. He’s still only 31, he’s just a true, true champion and I have a lot of respect for him. But of course I’d win against him in my prime! He’s never fought a Joe Calzaghe and I never fought Canelo, but it’s a fight when I look at it I would love to have had. Of course, I wish I was around now when Canelo is around. Of course it would be a tough fight, but I think I would have won. He’s only 5ft 8ins, it would have been a great fight but I would have won.”
The peak Calzaghe, say the 2006/2007 version, who defeated the likes of Jeff Lacy (in a truly memorable performance) and Mikkel Kessler (when Joe unified three belts at 168), would without any doubt have been a hard, hard fight for Canelo. How would Canelo, who often starts fights at a slow pace, have coped with southpaw Calzaghe’s blazing hand speed? It is not that hard to imagine a determined Calzaghe winning a close decision over Canelo.
Joe was knocked down some four times during his career, yet he always got up to win. Canelo, currently 56-1-2(38) is exceptional at a good many things (and his fearsome body punching may well have troubled Calzaghe in a big way), but this is one hypothetical fight where it’s very tempting to agree with the retired fighter when he says he’d have beaten the current king.
Calzaghe would have edged Canelo on the score-cards, in my opinion. What do YOU think?
Joe also reminds me of when Larry Merchant said if he were 20 years younger that he would beat Floyd Mayweather’s ass.
Larry Merchant knows fury cheated with loaded gloves padding repositioning advantage steroid use but he doesn’t like Deontay Wilders dominance of the WBC belt and consequently you have to cheat Deontay Wilder to beat Deontay Wilder.
Joe reminds me of when prince Naseem Hamed said he would have beaten Floyd Mayweather.
Canelo is a mental Irishman born in Mexico and trained in Mexico but he still can’t dance because he is a white boy. He is fast and strong and dirty but lacs grace , naturally staggered stepped so I am glad that like fury he chose the road to pound for pound of drug cheats. Perhaps Canelo should have sugar Hill Stewart incorporated into canelos training the eggweight loaded glove tampering technique and horse hair repositioning advantage floppy gloves flopping around all over the place, flipping and flopping, flippity floppity flipping around with the approval of the WBC and the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved old gloves, now that’s cheating tactics at their best.
Now that Canelo has cut his teeth on the inferior Europeans perhaps he will be prepared for the best competition in America. Those are only tune up fights.
These current so called champions are obsessed with an undefeated record to be considered a, “business man.”
Someone like Marciano would fight whoever was the best competition, so would Ali, Mike Tyson, Deontay Wilder, these are the traits of a true champion. All of this excuse making and avoiding fighters like Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz is cowardly, everyone knows it, you aren’t fooling anyone. The best should fight the best in order to be the world champion.
Right, fury loaded gloves
Yeah but fury cheated
It’s politics that Deontay Wilder lost to not a single boxer. If Joe would fight canelo, maybe sugar hill could teach him how to load his gloves and stuff eggweights in them.
No Martin, Canelo was born in Mexico. Canelo was trained in Mexico, he is of European genetics. No es mexicano.
Shut up Joe!
He would’ve made you cry in the ring.
Just retire in silence and stop being jealous.
Your time has passed by and gone!
Not doubt about,Calzaghe would out boxing him easily, for me He have been one of the best Britain boxer, may be best,of the las 20 years but underrated
Ha Yea Joe.
A fighter can go undefeated, but that’s a small margin of how a fighter should be rated. When and where he fought opposing champions is another. Defenses against the top ranked fighters or pound for pound fighters, conquering multiple or dominating one division through his career. Stop trying to place current champions in the all time conversation, they are not yet done making history in their Era. I enjoyed Joe Calzaghe’s fighting years, but in my opinion I see that fantasy fight similar to how Canelo handled Smith. 12 round classic and Canelo by points.
GGG beat cannelo first flight
Deontay Wilder is the best current active heavyweight
Luis Ortiz is the second best heavyweight now
Did u see wilder get 💩 beat outa him not once not twice but 3 times by the gypsy king. It used to be i will believe it when i see it now its i just refuse to believe it
What you saw in the ring was an illusion. An illusion to placate fools into believing that a woman can be sawed in half, .Ike a magic tric, and just as unbelievable too. One guy gets all the breaks the other guy is sent into the ring with all of those disadvantages like fighting with padded gloves while the other guy is bare knuckle. Deontay Wilder is the best heavyweight champion that ever lived and he was drugged, robbed cheated and even you know that. Ha ha
U are delusional
If I am delusional, then so are you. You are delusional and deluded and in denial about it.
You are absolutely correct,, fury no padding again
We agree that fury should not be subsidized for cheating tactics again and again
Col,
The talent we whites collectively possess is an inherent proclivity for warfare. For destruction and treacherously corrupt ruthlessness. Envious coveting of what rightfully belongs to others. Jealous lusting for looting, rape and deceitfully treasonous savagery. Destroying nature is the ultimate goal we all insidiously, willingly unite habitually to achieve.
Brooo, have you seen julio cesar chavez number of fights? There’s also other boxers with more fights than him. Undefeated, chavez went 83-0
83 and 0. Viva Mexico!
Luis Ortiz is challenging anyone to fight him. He is willing to fight anyone, nobody wants to fight him. Never. Not A. J. , Not fury, not Dillian Whyte, nobody. Never have,. Never will.
A load of bullocks? Did you see the first fight between Deontay Wilder and fury? How can you have an investigation when it’s an inside job?
I’m white so I can say this, the European fighters are inferior for the most part to the American black fighters and the Mexican fighters. Canello is Irish, he was just born in Mexico. Whites just don’t have the timing and rythm
That’s why fury has to use steroids and enhancement drugs, bribing referee’s and judges and spiking water and glove tampering cocaine and rabbit punching and eggweight loaded gloves padding repositioning advantage floppy gloves flopping around all over the place. To make it look like he could ever beat Deontay Wilder. And that’s why canelo fights only Europeans.
What a load of bollocks
You wish it were a load of bullocks. You’re lying to yourself.
You don’t know anything about boxing. You couldn’t tell the difference between a hole in the ground, and tour own a$$.
Canelo is 100% Mexican.
Go back to grade school.
Besides, canelo is in a whole other weight division.
Canello is much smaller . The steroids filled out his musculature into another division.
Calzaghe’ biggest wins were against an overrated Lacey and ancient versions of Roy Jones and Hopkins. GGG and Alvarez would have slaughtered Calzaghe.
True,
Doubtful . Calzaghe was undefeated . He also was ancient when he fought Jones n Hopkins. Mayweather the greatest . Number of fights . Marciano next , then Calzaghe . GGG n Canelo do not have perfect win records .
Yeah, Hopkins and Jones were past their best years.