22.01.06 – By Jay Briggsy – Calzaghe Vs Nigel Benn – When Benn was low you knew what was coming over – you knew it was hooks that were coming over, but even if you blocked you were left in pain. Benn naturally took risks, and was very dangerous. If you tried to fight at range, Benn could come under your punches and come up with hooks. It was difficiult to figure out his low style if you were a rangy boxer, and he hurt you bad. If you tried to trade with him inside, more often than not his fast hooks came out on top.. Calzaghe had exceptionally fast hands in two or three punch combinations he slapped at you, but Benn hit harder and strung together three or four or five punches to both head and body as well as having better head movement than Calzaghe on the inside. Every way you look at it, Benn knocks him out or stops him in the middle rounds. Benn TKO5 Calzaghe.
Calzaghe Vs Chris Eubank
When Calzaghe and Eubank did meet, Eubank was coming out of retirement at only seven days notice and was weighing over 190lbs with under a week to make 168. What would of happened had Calzaghe met the Eubank of five years previous? Eubank was an awkward, slippery fighter who often fought on the backfoot unless he was stepping into his terrific stiff jab. Eubank was a better mover than Calzaghe and used the ring much better, although Calzaghe was far busier than Eubank and far better on the inside. Eubank never liked being pressured, due to his lack of stamina, but with Calzaghe being abit square-on and without much of a guard it would be perfect for Eubank to land his slick lead right that came without warning. Eubank was too good of an outside fighter and Calzaghe would be reduced to knocking him out, stopping him or somehow walking through stiff jabs and lead rights to out-hussle him. Eubank had a chin of granite. Eubank W12 Calzaghe, 116-112.
Calzaghe Vs James Toney
Toney was a smooth counter-puncher and one of the slickest inside fighters around, he absolutely loved it when opponents wanted to get on the inside and slug it out. But Calzaghe also absolutely loved it when opponents wanted to get on the inside and slut it out. Calzaghe had faster hands than Toney, and if anybody could stun Toney it was Calzaghe with his pure speed of hand. Calzaghe also had more speed around the ring than Toney and fought at range better, able to stay behind his right jab while looking for openings if need be. He was also a much faster starter than Toney, so would pick up the early rounds before finding his range with his right jab for taming Toney later on. Calzaghe W12 Toney, 116-112.
Calzaghe Vs Roy Jones Jr
Jones Jr loved fighters that came at him and tried to trade with him, because he had the speed to land first and the speed to get out of the way. Jones Jr and Calzaghe both had exceptionally fast hands in their primes, but Jones Jr had sharper power in his speed combinations and threw his punches from more angles than Calzaghe could. So even if they did get into exchanges at certain points, I believe Calzaghe would be the one being floored and then Jones Jr would be smart enough not to leave himself open when Calzaghe gets up. Otherwise, Jones Jr frustrates him over the distance with no knockdowns either way by using his reflexes, ring smarts and counter-punching from the outside. Jones Jr W12 Calzaghe, 117-111.
Calzaghe Vs Steve Collins
During his reign at 168, Collins made sure he was the aggressor and throwing with full effort from the off. He had a lot of durability, natural stamina and was difficult to handle due to pressuring. He was good at grabbing the middle of the ring, good at getting inside and good at planting his feet. But Calzaghe’s handspeed was so superior to Collins’ to the point where
Collins would be reduced to knocking him out or stopping him because Calzaghe was much flashier than Collins as well and probably even busier too. Collins was never known for his knockout power, infact he never won a boxing match where his opponent was left on his back for a ten-count. Calzaghe W12 Collins, 119-112.