Can Calzaghe add to his legacy ?

[Too $hort]

I really feel joe should retire and retire undefeated,its rare in boxing and joe has cleary shut up his critics and was a very dominate champion.I'm almost 100% positive he will beat hopkins and this does add a bit to his legacy,If and when he beats hopkins whats next? I think joe would beat RJJ at this point and this could add futher to his legacy.chad dawson and pavlick really dont offer much in terms of legacy.I think after hopkins a fight with clinton woods would be best and would be a big fight in the uk.I dont know whats left for joe,he not even damaged from the sport.I hope joe does hang them up and rides out on top.

 

[DaKine460]

he should retire win or lose

 

[Happy Boy]

If he beats Hopkins he should retire with a good career to look back on, especially at the end.

Retiring now, he was never tested to the degree to warrant bragging rights to anything like greatness.

 

[Too $hort]

If he beats Hopkins he should retire with a good career to look back on, especially at the end.

Retiring now, he was never tested to the degree to warrant bragging rights to anything like greatness.

I dont know about that,sometimes people are so good and lucky they never really do get tested.

 

[Happy Boy]

There were a lot of big matches since 1997 that he should have been involved in, its only in the last 2 years really that he has been in the sort of matches people have been calling for. The lack of big names on his card and big occasions is what means he wont ever be mentioned as great, he was very good with the solid career, beating Hopkins could get him up a tier depending on how Hopkins looks and if he looks old or not, but Joe never put himself out there much. Hes been talking about going to the US to fight the top guys for over 10 years, now he is finally doing it.

 

[Too $hort]

There were a lot of big matches since 1997 that he should have been involved in, its only in the last 2 years really that he has been in the sort of matches people have been calling for. The lack of big names on his card and big occasions is what means he wont ever be mentioned as great, he was very good with the solid career, beating Hopkins could get him up a tier depending on how Hopkins looks and if he looks old or not, but Joe never put himself out there much. Hes been talking about going to the US to fight the top guys for over 10 years, now he is finally doing it.

what ever happend to him fighting sven ottke or the others during that time

 

[BiGBreeZY]

I disagree about Pavlik or Chad Dawson.

He was criticized for not fighting the best young talent during his reign as champion for many years and it's a chance to add one of those young studs to his resume, which would look ultra impressive if you ask me.

I think he could beat either, but I give both a good shot too. The only thing about Dawson is he hasn't really been put through the grind of a really hard fight yet.

Pavlik and Taylor both times ended up being a war, and IMO Taylor would have beat any other fighter around his weight that night.

 

[Cracky]

I think it's dumb to retire undefeated. Look at Rocky Marciano. Look at Ricardo Lopez. These guys get a lot of respect, but people mention Joe Louis, Ali, even Dempsey before they mention Marciano. I think this is a result of the 3 fighters mentioned before showing us everything they had. We didnt get to see everything Marciano had. We could have had an epic Marciano vs. Patterson bout had he not retired.
If Joe is the genuine artical, then he should keep fighting until his skills start eroding. I dont think anybody should quit just to preserve perfection.. I saw something on tv today about ted williams. His last 400 average season, he had an average that was below 400 but would have rounded up with two games to go. All the fans wanted him to sit the last two games to preserve the record. Being the genuinely great player that he was, he risked it and ended up with a 406 average instead.

 

[Coster]

I think it's dumb to retire undefeated. Look at Rocky Marciano. Look at Ricardo Lopez. These guys get a lot of respect, but people mention Joe Louis, Ali, even Dempsey before they mention Marciano. I think this is a result of the 3 fighters mentioned before showing us everything they had. We didnt get to see everything Marciano had. We could have had an epic Marciano vs. Patterson bout had he not retired.
If Joe is the genuine artical, then he should keep fighting until his skills start eroding. I dont think anybody should quit just to preserve perfection.. I saw something on tv today about ted williams. His last 400 average season, he had an average that was below 400 but would have rounded up with two games to go. All the fans wanted him to sit the last two games to preserve the record. Being the genuinely great player that he was, he risked it and ended up with a 406 average instead.

He won't quit just to preserve his record, I'm sure he'll fight 2 or 3 more times regardless of the results. I think Pavlik would be a great choice for Calzaghe as I just don't see him losing that one.

 

[absofsteel1977]

it depends on whos around after hopkins (depending on if he wins). the problem is that calzaghe hasnt had that respect to make him a great so when he beats hopkins he should go through 1 or 2 big time names.. personally i d like to see roy jones jr and pavlik

 

[absofsteel1977]

I think it's dumb to retire undefeated. Look at Rocky Marciano. Look at Ricardo Lopez. These guys get a lot of respect, but people mention Joe Louis, Ali, even Dempsey before they mention Marciano. I think this is a result of the 3 fighters mentioned before showing us everything they had. We didnt get to see everything Marciano had. We could have had an epic Marciano vs. Patterson bout had he not retired.
If Joe is the genuine artical, then he should keep fighting until his skills start eroding. I dont think anybody should quit just to preserve perfection.. I saw something on tv today about ted williams. His last 400 average season, he had an average that was below 400 but would have rounded up with two games to go. All the fans wanted him to sit the last two games to preserve the record. Being the genuinely great player that he was, he risked it and ended up with a 406 average instead.

the problem with the marciano patterson analogy is your right that it would've been great to boost his legacy but if the rock had lost and then scrambled around win some lose some he wouldnt even be mentioned in any top 10... he retired at the right age 32 with his mental faculties, money in the bank and a undefeated record ( if he had not had that he wouldnt get mentioned nearly as much)

 

[Cracky]

the problem with the marciano patterson analogy is your right that it would've been great to boost his legacy but if the rock had lost and then scrambled around win some lose some he wouldnt even be mentioned in any top 10... he retired at the right age 32 with his mental faculties, money in the bank and a undefeated record ( if he had not had that he wouldnt get mentioned nearly as much)

I dont think thats true. Dempsey gets mentioned a lot. Frazier gets mentioned a lot. They both lost a few at the end of their careers.
That said, like with my Ted Williams anology, great fighters take the risk. Now in Marciano's defense, he did quit because of a health problem. He had to have cortizone shots in his back constantly and it was taking it's toll on him.

 

[absofsteel1977]

tbh dempsey tends to get romanticised in history... frazier gets the big up with that first victory over ali... think about this way if frazier had quit after that first fight what would his legacy be? unproven juggernaut... hell of a lot better than the punchbag foreman lifted off the canvas

 

[Cracky]

I disagree. I'm not into surface appeal. Joe is one of the greatest ever to me, simply because he had the courage to risk his legacy. Had he retired after Ali 1, he would have been called out and mocked by Ali until the cows came home. (I can't believe I just said that shit..lol) The public would have known that he retired prior to the golden age of heavies and his status would have gone down imo.