All hail the greatest and most underrated sportsman of a generation

[Fatboy Quim]

This Saturday, ELEVEN YEARS after beating Chris Eubank, Joe Calzaghe will defend his 45 match unbeaten record to - I'm sure- bow out of boxing as an undeniable All Time Great.

Will he get the credit or recognition he deserves from the British public? - NO
Is there any other British sports person or team with anything like this record/ legacy? - NO

Bring on Saturday, come on Joe, finish undefeated and put the icing on the cake of a fantastic career.






edit: title should read BRITISH sportsperson

 

[vegster]

Who ?

 

[Arthur]

Will he get the credit or recognition he deserves from the British public? - NO

Hmmmm isn't he the current sports personality of the year?

 

[Garage_Doors]

Never liked him because he beat Chris.

 

[Fatboy Quim]

Hmmmm isn't he the current sports personality of the year?

this is true, but there still isn't anything like the appreciation of people like Hamilton, Murray, Henman, Flintoff, even Hatton and Khan I think get more publicity etc than Calzaghe.

IMO

 

[Fatboy Quim]

this is true, but there still isn't anything like the appreciation of people like Hamilton, Murray, Henman, Flintoff, even Hatton and Khan I think get more publicity etc than Calzaghe.

IMO

judging by the response on here, point proven maybe??

 

[Bluejuice]

It's because he's a boxer, not much of a sportsman, he just beats people up.

I never got excited about Bruno, Eubank, Lewis or Benn either

 

[Fatboy Quim]

It's because he's a boxer, not much of a sportsman, he just beats people up.

I never got excited about Bruno, Eubank, Lewis or Benn either

boxing is the ultimate sport. pure competition, man against man.

....If you take away the rest of the bullshit.

P.s Lewis is another that doesn't get the credit he deserves in Britain. The greatest ever heavyweight IMO

 

[HseagullsH]

Always liked Calzaghe as much as Hatton. Legend

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

This Saturday, ELEVEN YEARS after beating Chris Eubank, Joe Calzaghe will defend his 45 match unbeaten record to - I'm sure- bow out of boxing as an undeniable All Time Great.

Will he get the credit or recognition he deserves from the British public? - NO
Is there any other British sports person or team with anything like this record/ legacy? - NO

Bring on Saturday, come on Joe, finish undefeated and put the icing on the cake of a fantastic career.






edit: title should read BRITISH sportsperson

Is that the Welsh nonentity or the Manc nonentity? Always forget which is which. Oh well

 

[Mackenzie]

He's always been popular round by yer boyo!

 

[csider]

sheep shagger...!!

dont think will win, i hope he does. hasnt he moved up a weight?

 

[Frutos]

Calzaghe will stop Jones in 10 rounds, methinks.

Jones' biggest asset was always his blistering hand speed, and if that's slowed even slightly, then I think Calzaghe may just have the reflexes to dodge enough of what RJJ throws and get through with his own stuff. It certainly will not be an easy fight or a one-sided one, but I'm going for a JC win.

On the subject of Joe in general, I was glad to see him win Sports Personality last year and get the respect that he has deserved for so long. I can't think of any other current British sportsman who has spent so long at the top of his sport without interruption as Joe has, and win or lose on Saturday he deserves a lot of credit for his achievements.

To hark back to an earlier post in this thread re: Lennox Lewis being 'the greatest heavyweight of all time', I'm afraid I have to disagree. He was good, for sure, and a lot better than a lot of people gave him the credit for. I'd put him somewhere in my Top 10 heavyweights of all time, but certainly not Number One.

 

[johnny jigsaw]

I think he's suffered (profile-wise, not financially) by being the one of the first Sky boxing superstars. Benn, Eubank, Watson, McGuigan, Honeyghan, Bruno etc. all had their fights broadcast live on terrestrial channels at prime time Saturday nights. The audience was huge & they became well known public figures. By the time Calzaghe beat Eubank, those big fights were on Sky only, not so many people had access.

Superb boxer though, deserves all the recognition for his acheivements, really hope he can finish undefeated.

 

[Frutos]

Never liked him because he beat Chris.

Oddly, that was a lot of the reason why I started liking him. Could never stand that smug twat Eubank.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Phil Taylor hardly gets a mention on sports personality and he has won the world title 13 times!

 

[Garage_Doors]

Oddly, that was a lot of the reason why I started liking him. Could never stand that smug twat Eubank.

Fair point, but Chris did have entertainment value, you just wanted some to punch hs smug face, but when Joe did, i felt sorry for him

 

[NMH]

Hmmmm isn't he the current sports personality of the year?

No, Rick Astley won last years award, after telling Floyd Mayweather how he was feeling, to try and make him understand.

....or did I get summat confused.........?

 

[Fazz62]

If we are talking about boxers.................

Jon Thaxton?

 

[m20gull]

A bit like an earlier poster I have never really forgiven him for beating Eubank who was an absolutely quality polished boxer in his prime. Calzaghe is undoubtedly one of our best sportsman and has been for an age; sadly he gives off an unlikeable aura which is hard to exactly describe. It is not arrogance because we often forgive this in our greats (like Ali) nor an unbearable showmanship (like Hameed) but despite my admiration for his talent I simply can not warm to the man.

The absence of boxing on terrestial TV (top championship boxing I mean) is a huge restraint on the appreciation of the sport. You have to be truly dedicated to fork out the absurd prices for mediocre fights as soon as a boxer gets any sort of a name.