When was Joe Calzaghe's Prime?

[Tins06]

It's so hard to place cos he had a few consistancy probelms for whatever reasons.different tools for different times, early in the career he had with his volume punching,later still had the pace,had bad problems, but better boxing and great combination punching.

But the best example of Calzaghe for me is Kessler, that's the best calzaghe.All his experience and fitness.And kessler still felt the shots. "If he slaps,he slaps hard" how many times have you heard that?

[Dark Lord Al]

When he beat a weight drained Eubank , Calzaghe for me looked like a potential wrecking machine , he threw the left cross like he was wielding an axe.
The rest is history as he evolved into Calslappy.

[CFH]

I'm far from an expert on Calzaghe, but I feel that the period between Lacy and Hopkins has to be considered his prime. What he had lost physically due to his age he made up for with intelligence and experience and that was the only period of his career that he tested himself against world-class opposition. The Kessler, Hopkins, and to a lesser extent Lacy victories were the best of his career (though I feel Hopkins edged the fight, but that's immaterial).

[smashup]

I say Kessler!

Against Lacy he looked incredible but Lacy did nothing other than plod forward in straight lines,made Joe look good and threw no combinations at all and hardly landed a punch.
Considering the hype that came over with him i think we can all agree he was just a bit over rated.

Kessler had Joe matched until the 5th or 6th when Joe changed tactics and ran away with it and took some thumping right hands in the process.

The fact Kessler was definately more "live" and the fact Joe adjusted to what he brought mid fight took his best shots and still beat him are signs of just how good he was.

IMO only great fighters can do that and add to that the occasion of 50,000 (or whatever it was in Cardiff) and the thousands of Danes who came over just made that night so special.

That for me was his best ever peformance because he was in a real fight with someone of near equal skill and well into his mid thirties still pulled it out the bag and showed so much diversity and heart in the process.

Lacy was there to be hit and lost before he got in the ring where as Kessler came to damage and put Joe in a dark place for a good few rounds.

the way Joe got out of that place was through superior boxing skills and a huge heart.

Great fight.