Calzaghe-Kessler - best fight in Europe ever?

[Jens S]

Is Calzaghe-Kessler the best fight ever made in Europe? Universally recognized as number 1 and 2 in a division. Pound-for-pound is Calzaghe ranked in the top10 and Kessler probably just outside. Has there ever been made a better fight in Europe?

I don't mean moneywise. Nor am I interested in most entertaining or mediahyped. Just if anyone can remember a fight in Europe where to better fighter fought each other.

Jens

[MrMagic]

I can't wait :happy

[Thread Stealer]

Do you mean between two Europeans, or just the best fight that took place in Europe?

[sonny73]

forget about the P4P list Kessler IS in the same league as Taylor and Hopkins and,also Calzaghe without question.This fight is a bigger fight than Hopkins Wright who are both on Americas P4P list that says it all.

[Jens S]

Erratic Behavior, the best fight ever fought in Europe. But if there was a fight between two european fighters in the US that was better, I'd like to know as well.

Jens

[China_hand_Joe]

Name me one better fight in the history of boxing.

[PeterNielsen70]

Name me one better fight in the history of boxing.


Just a few:
Ali – Foreman
Sugar Ray – Marvin Hagler
De La Hoya – Felix Trinidad
:hey

[China_hand_Joe]

Just a few:
Ali – Foreman
Sugar Ray – Marvin Hagler
De La Hoya – Felix Trinidad
:hey Are you taking the piss? Calzaghe is better than Oscar and Kessler better than Trinidad. SRL - Hagler was a mess, old fighters at the wrong weight. Ali had a loud mouth and pales in comparison to Joe as a boxer, Foreman over Kessler makes the fight close to Calzaghe - Kessler, but not quite.

[China_hand_Joe]

You sound like an American with those comments. Oscar - Trinidad! American hype at its worst.

[China_hand_Joe]

I apologise for my last post.

Comparing you to an American was totally out of line.

[youthmann]

Dahm - this is amazing and a true fight between to big champions. It will be one hell of a fight.
Nope, I think it's the best european fight ever. Do anybody
know about the money share for JC and MK?

[Thread Stealer]

There's been some great fighters and matchups in Europe.

Harold Johnson going to Germany to defend his title and defeating Gustav Scholz. Randy Turpin upsetting Sugar Ray Robinson for the middleweight title in London. Carlos Palomino winning the welterweight title from John Stracey.

Of course, Jimmy Wilde, the greatest British fighter of them all, spent most of his career fighting in Europe.

As far as any undefeated unificiation bouts of this magnitude, none come to my head right now.

[MrMagic]

McCallum-Watson? Benn-McClellan?

Calzaghe is no McCallum, or Watson (Eubank says Watson in their second fight was 'streets ahead' of Calzaghe). And Kessler is certainly no McClellan.

:rofl
Resume wise, and most likely skillwise, Calzaghe is head and shoulders above McCallum, Eubank and most definitely Watson.
Don't joke about Watson. lol...

[Thread Stealer]

:rofl
Resume wise, and most likely skillwise, Calzaghe is head and shoulders above McCallum, Eubank and most definitely Watson.
Don't joke about Watson. lol...

Never post again.

[PeterNielsen70]

Are you taking the piss? Calzaghe is better than Oscar and Kessler better than Trinidad. SRL - Hagler was a mess, old fighters at the wrong weight. Ali had a loud mouth and pales in comparison to Joe as a boxer, Foreman over Kessler makes the fight close to Calzaghe - Kessler, but not quite.

No, I’ll not rank JC above De La Hoya.
Hoya a six weight class champ if including the WBO-middleweight title. (PFM actually wasn’t keen on calling Hoya a six weight champ, as he didn’t think the WBO-title should count:huh ).
Kessler I’ll rank just beside De La Hoya, by the way.

[codeman99998]

Louis-Schmelling was a better fight in Europe.

I think it was in Europe.

[Thread Stealer]

Louis-Schmelling was a better fight in Europe.

I think it was in Europe.

It was in New York.

[China_hand_Joe]

No, I’ll not rank JC above De La Hoya.
Hoya a six weight class champ if including the WBO-middleweight title. (PFM actually wasn’t keen on calling Hoya a six weight champ, as he didn’t think the WBO-title should count:huh ).
Kessler I’ll rank just beside De La Hoya, by the way. Hoya has an indifferent record at 147 against elite opponents and a clear losing one if you take away the robberies. 147 Oscar doesn't compare to 168 Calzaghe.

[codeman99998]

It was in New York.

Whoops.

I could have swore it was in Germany. Nevermind then.

[codeman99998]

Hoya has an indifferent record at 147 against elite opponents and a clear losing one if you take away the robberies. 147 Oscar doesn't compare to 168 Calzaghe.

The mere fact that DLH fought very very many GREAT fighters makes his record better than Calzhage.

Ali had more losses than Clzhage too.

[China_hand_Joe]

The mere fact that DLH fought very very many GREAT fighters makes his record better than Calzhage.

Ali had more losses than Clzhage too.Calzaghe is clearly better than both of them.

[Thread Stealer]

There are probably tonnes, actually.

What about Hatton-Tszyu? Eubank-Watson II? Graham-Kalambay? McCallum-Graham? These are far better fighters than Calzaghe and Kessler.

Kalambay-McCallum, Jackson-Graham.

[MrMagic]

Never post again. lol.. okay, uhm..

Calzaghe:
Jeff Lacy
Mario Veit x2
Robin Reid
Chris Eubank
And many more.. defending his title 20 times. 0 defeats

McCallum:
Julian Jackson
Donald Curry
Herol Graham (SD)
Steve Collins
Michael Watson

Sure McCallum can roll with Calzaghe, but I think Calzaghe's reign is much more impressive. I take back saying he's head and shoulders above McCallum, but surely he is above Watson.

McCallum and Calzaghe is both top notch, but when all is said and done I think that Calzaghe is going down higher in the ATG.
McCallum took dangerous fights, it shows in his record...

[MrMagic]

Yes im taking back saying hes head and shoulders above McCallum.

But this guy says Watson > Calzaghe, lol.. NO

[Rollo]

Don't joke about Watson. lol...


Lol?!

You are prick!

[Rollo]

Don't joke about Watson. lol...

Lol?!

You are a prick!

[China_hand_Joe]

Eubank also believe Joe is not a great fighter because he's too good to loose.

[Smith]

Don't listen to Eubanks, he wouldnt give Godzilla credit until he loses a street fight to King-Kong.Then he would consider him a great.

[PeterNielsen70]

Calzaghe is clearly better than both of them.

It’s not always the number of title-defences that makes a marvellous record. JC finest wins is against Eubank and Lacy.
Kessler’s finest wins is against Beyer, Mundine and Andrade.
This adds a little plus in JC’s favour – but nothing that impressive – when talking best records in the world, and so.
Sven Ottke, by the way, retired undefeated in 34 fights. Defending his IBF title 21 times.
But I wouldn’t place Ottke in the top-10 P4P rankings, I think not? :think

[China_hand_Joe]

Calzaghe is the best boxer of the last decade (maybe not the greatest). If he had fought Eric Crumble in all 20 defences he would be just as brilliant but not at all great (legacy). In pure boxing terms Ali is nothing when compared to Joe.

[Jens S]

Couldn't you guys not stick to the subject? There are tons of threads of trashtalking the two fighters. Post it there instead of ruining this thread.

Jens

[Jens S]

Hatton-Tszyu? Hatton wasn't considered in the Top5 by either The Ring or Boxing Monthly. Two of my favorite fighters and a great match up, but I don't think it tops Calzaghe-Kessler.
Eubank-Watson II? Eubank (as much as I like him) was never a P-4-P fighter and Watson lost on a KO trailing on points to McCallum just a year before.
Graham-Kalambay? Graham barely made top5 at his best and the fight was only for the EBU-title.
McCallum-Graham? Neither was a Pound for Pound fighter at the time. A good fight but not even close.
Jackson-Graham? Graham wasn't top5. Graham wasn't no. 1 and had just moved up from juniormiddle.
Kalambay-McCallum? Very good match up, but I don't think it match it. McCallum was great fighter, but he moved up in weight. It was only Kalambays first defense.

I still can't see a fight as big as this one.

Jens

Jens

[marting]

Calzaghe is the best boxer of the last decade (maybe not the greatest). If he had fought Eric Crumble in all 20 defences he would be just as brilliant but not at all great (legacy). In pure boxing terms Ali is nothing when compared to Joe.

Some day you got a post a video of you typing while in your strait jacket.

[Decebal]

Some day you got a post a video of you typing while in your strait jacket.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[China_hand_Joe]

Some day you got a post a video of you typing while in your strait jacket.Do you have any idea how often my sanity is questioned when people run into my reinforced concrete wall of logic?

[Decebal]

Do you have any idea how often my sanity is questioned when people run into my reinforced concrete wall of logic?

:wall :gsg





:patriot

[Max Molyneux]

I apologise for my last post.

Comparing you to an American was totally out of line.

Why was that out of line?

Those guys were and are Inferior to Joe.

[Max Molyneux]

No, I’ll not rank JC above De La Hoya.
Hoya a six weight class champ if including the WBO-middleweight title. (PFM actually wasn’t keen on calling Hoya a six weight champ, as he didn’t think the WBO-title should count:huh ).
Kessler I’ll rank just beside De La Hoya, by the way.

So belt chasng robots like DLH are better P4p than Calzaghe who will have cleaned out Super Middle by November?

[marting]

Do you have any idea how often my sanity is questioned when people run into my reinforced concrete wall of logic?


Let's hope that concrete is padded.

But for humor's sake lets take your statement:

"In pure boxing terms Ali is nothing when compared to Joe."

Nothing? As in zero, zilch, nada? Your hero Joe Calzaghe would slap you across the face for making such a stupid comment. He'd put you on a list of potential weirdos for security to keep an eye on.

Ali traveled the globe and took on all comers. (hint he didn't live on Kentucky home cooking his whole life.) He revolutionized the sport of boxing and provided the fans with some the greatest fights in history.

Joe? Great fighter but denigrating a true all time great with a zero label would have a psychiatrist penning a scrip for haldol.

[China_hand_Joe]

But for humor's sake lets take your statement:

"In pure boxing terms Ali is nothing when compared to Joe."

There are dozens of fighters Ali pales in comparison to. Duran, Robinson, Jones, Mayweather, Monzon, Calzaghe, Leonard the list could go on and become very long. Ali is more of an icon than a boxer. He is a great boxer but not an upper end amongst the all time best by any means. He can maybe scrape into the top 50, somewhere just below Ricky Hatton perhaps...

[marting]

There are dozens of fighters Ali pales in comparison to. Duran, Robinson, Jones, Mayweather, Monzon, Calzaghe, Leonard the list could go on and become very long. Ali is more of an icon than a boxer. He is a great boxer but not an upper end amongst the all time best by any means. He can maybe scrape into the top 50, somewhere just below Ricky Hatton perhaps...

I'm always amazed at how powerful and yet simple the concept of reflective therapy is. You should schedule a dozen sessions. I simply repeated your statement of equating Ali as nothing in comparison to the object of your obessive compulsive delusion and you completely contradict yourself by elevating him to a great fighter from a nothing.

I see hope but a lot of work ahead for you.

[China_hand_Joe]

I'm always amazed at how powerful and yet simple the concept of reflective therapy is. You should schedule a dozen sessions. I simply repeated your statement of equating Ali as nothing in comparison to the object of your obessive compulsive delusion and you completely contradict yourself by elevating him to a great fighter from a nothing.

I see hope but a lot of work ahead for you.I was quite aware Ali does not literally pale in comparison, that was an obvious exageration used to make a point, thankou for pointing that out though.
No different from saying "James Toney must weight 400 pounds now" to make the point James Toney is fat. The point all along is Joe Calzaghe is a superior boxer to a great boxer named Ali.
If you want to take my statements as having a literal meaning to try and prove some kind of point then feel free. Nothing will change the fact Ali was never as good a boxer as Calzaghe.

[marting]

I was quite aware Ali does not literally pale in comparison, that was an obvious exageration used to make a point, thankou for pointing that out though.
No different from saying "James Toney must weight 400 pounds now" to make the point James Toney is fat. The point all along is Joe Calzaghe is a superior boxer to a great boxer named Ali.
If you want to take my statements as having a literal meaning to try and prove some kind of point then feel free. Nothing will change the fact Ali was never as good a boxer as Calzaghe.

Based on what? Beating Jeff Lacy?

[Thread Stealer]

Actually, DLH, while undoubtedly a great, cannot be considered that great a fighter, certainly not a better "boxer" than Joe. He was reliant on his left hook as his money shot, poor at defence and consistently befuddled by faster, more skilled fighters.


De La Hoya has always had an excellent jab as well. His right hand has been inconsistent though.

His defense is solid. His parrying skills are good, as we saw against Mayweather.

Sometimes when he gets more aggressive, he gets a little reckless and gets hit more (as you would expect), mainly with the straight right hand.

[Steve Fox]

This fight is not just the biggest fight ever*, nor just the biggest sporting event ever*, this is the biggest thing ever to have happened in the history of the Earth*. I think this match-up may have to be called off for fear of it collapsing under it's own weight and dragging this world into a black hole.
*If you are a Welsh, or Danish boxing fan (otherwise it may just be the biggest fight of each of their careers and actually the kind of fight that boxing should deliver more readily).