Thread: CALZAGHE IN TOP 100 SPORTING ICONS OF ALL TIME!

CALZAGHE IN TOP 100 SPORTING ICONS OF ALL TIME! ( )
Undisputed World Super-Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe has been voted by the public into the the top 100 Sporting Icons of all Time in the magazine Sport (Issue #59: January 18 200.

Sport readers were invited to vote for their favourite sportsmen and women who have gone above and beyond in the pursuit of sporting greatness.

The Welsh star, who is gunning for a super-fight against American Bernard Hopkins, came in at No. 60 - ahead of legendary sporting figures like Joe DiMaggio (94) Bobby Charlton (100) and boxers Henry Cooper (99), Evander Holyfield (79), Lennox Lewis (8 and Sugar Ray Leonard (75).

Legends like Peter Sampras (27), Babe Ruth (21), Jesse Owens (15), Michael Jordan (4), Pele (2) are ahead of Joe and at No. 1 is the man regarded as the greatest sportsman of all time: Muhammad Ali.

Sport said of Calzaghe: "The amiable Welshman enhanced his reputation further in 2007, with the 21st successive defence of his world super-middleweight title. Now undefeated in 44 fights, Calzaghe can consider himself one of British boxing's all-time greats."

The 35-year-old had an amazing 2007 when he celebrated a record 10 years as WBO World Champion; 21 world title defences; extended his unbeaten run to 44 fights and unified the super-middleweight division by defeating WBC/WBA World Champion Mikkel Kessler. He culminated the year by winning the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Calzaghe said, "After ending a fantastic 2007, I'm starting 2008 in great style with being recognised as one of the top 100 sporting icons of all time by Sport. To be ranked alongside boxing legends and some of the greatest sportsmen and women in history is a real honour. I do not think that I should be above Sugar Ray Leonard, who is one of the greatest fighters ever, but I'm stunned that the public think that I am. Of course, Muhammad Ali is rightly at number one as in my eyes he is the greatest sportsmen ever, no question.

"The Welsh star, who is gunning for a super-fight against American Bernard Hopkins, came in at No. 60 - ahead of legendary sporting figures like Joe DiMaggio (94) Bobby Charlton (100) and boxers Henry Cooper (99), Evander Holyfield (79), Lennox Lewis (8 and Sugar Ray Leonard (75)."


Utter bullshit. Ahead of SRL, Lewis or Holyfield? Yeah right.

What!

I know he's good, but thanks to his inability to find his passport & the fact that he has never heard of an aeroplane, very few people knew who he was until about 2006!

How then, has he suddenly become a sporting icon?

I'm struggling to see how he's even above Hatton. I mean we're not tallking about ability or anything.

Can't believe he is above Holyfield and Sugar Ray.

Being above Lewis is more acceptable......well almost

Originally Posted by p4pking

"The Welsh star, who is gunning for a super-fight against American Bernard Hopkins, came in at No. 60 - ahead of legendary sporting figures like Joe DiMaggio (94) Bobby Charlton (100) and boxers Henry Cooper (99), Evander Holyfield (79), Lennox Lewis (8 and Sugar Ray Leonard (75)."


Utter bullshit. Ahead of SRL, Lewis or Holyfield? Yeah right.

Couldn't have said it better myself

im british and i know this is a load of shit. Leonard and Holyfield are CLEARLY greater sportsman them him....look how much more they did and how much more excitment they gave (hagler, hearns, tyson, lewis, duran etc) and to date Calzaghe has consistantly fought in Cardiff and beaten Lacey and Kessler....not really on the same scale isit. But having said that i do like JC and congratulate him for 2007 however this is very very bias.

Originally Posted by cockey cockney

im british and i know this is a load of S***. Leonard and Holyfield are CLEARLY greater sportsman them him....look how much more they did and how much more excitment they gave (hagler, hearns, tyson, lewis, duran etc) and to date Calzaghe has consistantly fought in Cardiff and beaten Lacey and Kessler....not really on the same scale isit. But having said that i do like JC and congratulate him for 2007 however this is very very bias.

It's fuking criminal. Did they only count votes coming from Wales I mean seriously, I don't even wanna know how many other great fighters are "behind" him on this joke of a list.

I name a hundred boxers more influential than him not to mention 500 soccer/football players, 500 american football players, 200 basketball players, 50 hockey players, 50 tenis players, 500 baseball players, etc.

Originally Posted by Taeth

I name a hundred boxers more influential than him not to mention 500 soccer/football players, 500 american football players, 200 basketball players, 50 hockey players, 50 tenis players, 500 baseball players, etc.

Ok, so when will we be seeing the list of 1800 names that come before Calzaghe? Will you be listing them by category or numerically by importance from 1-1800?

Originally Posted by superheavyrhun

Originally Posted by Taeth

I name a hundred boxers more influential than him not to mention 500 soccer/football players, 500 american football players, 200 basketball players, 50 hockey players, 50 tenis players, 500 baseball players, etc.

Ok, so when will we be seeing the list of 1800 names that come before Calzaghe? Will you be listing them by category or numerically by importance from 1-1800?

LOL Classic!

Originally Posted by superheavyrhun

Originally Posted by Taeth

I name a hundred boxers more influential than him not to mention 500 soccer/football players, 500 american football players, 200 basketball players, 50 hockey players, 50 tenis players, 500 baseball players, etc.

Ok, so when will we be seeing the list of 1800 names that come before Calzaghe? Will you be listing them by category or numerically by importance from 1-1800?

Haha, yeah that'd be quite a list to put together... However Taeth is absolutely right, and you should realize that.

Come on boys, behave

It's the opinion of a few thousand readers of a sports magazine.. it's not gospel.

Did you vote? Have you ever bought the mag? Ever heard of it even?

Originally Posted by Fenster

Come on boys, behave

It's the opinion of a few thousand readers of a sports magazine.. it's not gospel.

Did you vote? Have you ever bought the mag? Ever heard of it even?

Are we sure that it reached 1,000 people voting? I've never even heard of it tbh. But I'd find it very difficult to believe that there are 1750 icons from team sports standing above Joe Calzaghe. The essence of being a sporting Icon requires one to stand out from the crowd, and that is harder in a team game than as a solo competitor.

Did Eddie the Eagle get in at all?

Originally Posted by superheavyrhun

Originally Posted by Fenster

Come on boys, behave

It's the opinion of a few thousand readers of a sports magazine.. it's not gospel.

Did you vote? Have you ever bought the mag? Ever heard of it even?

Are we sure that it reached 1,000 people voting? I've never even heard of it tbh. But I'd find it very difficult to believe that there are 1750 icons from team sports standing above Joe Calzaghe. The essence of being a sporting Icon requires one to stand out from the crowd, and that is harder in a team game than as a solo competitor.

Did Eddie the Eagle get in at all?

If you go back far enough there are probably close to as many boxers alone who are at least on par with him, in terms of being iconic.

Originally Posted by superheavyrhun

Originally Posted by Fenster

Come on boys, behave

It's the opinion of a few thousand readers of a sports magazine.. it's not gospel.

Did you vote? Have you ever bought the mag? Ever heard of it even?

Are we sure that it reached 1,000 people voting? I've never even heard of it tbh. But I'd find it very difficult to believe that there are 1750 icons from team sports standing above Joe Calzaghe. The essence of being a sporting Icon requires one to stand out from the crowd, and that is harder in a team game than as a solo competitor.

Did Eddie the Eagle get in at all?

Yeah, probably hundreds more like it. Just trying to show the boys they shouldn't put so much weight in something so obviously flawed.. for want of a better word.