Simulated Pavlik Calzaghe fight. here is the result.

[ssss]

That is ridiculous. Calzaghe's competition might not have been outstanding (well wasn't) BUT you either haven't been following boxing long... or seeing as the supermiddle divison has been pretty weak, you clearly don't know the fighters.

Calzaghe's opposition before Lacy...

Eubank - WBO champ (top 5 best ever supermiddle (arguable))
Brewer - IBF champ
Reid - WBC champ
Woodhall - WBC champ
Mitchell - WBA champ

Whether or not you know who these guys are - they were all "world" champion.

Mario Veit and Omar Sheika were decent young challengers.

Now you name Pavliks best opposition before Zertuche

All those champions you mentioned have something in common they were all on the downslide of there career's when Joe Calzaghe fought them.

How on earth were Reid and Mitchel past their best?

I think you misunderstood what i meant i didn't say they were past there prime but experts at that time did consider both fighters to be on the downslide of there career......

Because Robin Reid had looked rubbish losing to a 42 years old Thulani Malinga yes Robin Reid did go on to have some decent performances after the Joe Calzaghe fight but at the time he fought Joe Calzaghe he was considered on the downslide of his career and Byron Mitchell was also coming off a loss to Sven Ottke and the fact that he didn't fight again for another 4 years when he lost by TKO in an 8 round bout to Richard Hall proves my point.