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[Stef]

I didn't have a bet but genuinely of I was going to I would of put it on Froch too even though I thought he would lose, there was no sense in backing ward unless you had a serious amount of money spare because of the odds

Or you could have put it into multiple. Brook by KO doubled with Ward UD paid roughly 4/5. Still not the best but better than throwing money away.

[Brick Top]

Or you could have put it into multiple. Brook by KO doubled with Ward UD paid roughly 4/5. Still not the best but better than throwing money away.

Yeah that's not bad I be fair, I'm always a sucker for the fiver on a round with the underdog, still not worked for me

[Baz88]

Was 5/4 for UD Ward on skybet, made a tidy little sum  pretty much wouldda put my house on that.

[Stef]

Was 5/4 for UD Ward on skybet, made a tidy little sum  pretty much wouldda put my house on that.

How did you pull that one off? The best i could find an hour before the fight was 1/2.

[Terrible]

Bika is very crude. Nobody on earth had heard of him before Calzaghe brought him in.

He'd had 1no fight at Super Middleweight which ended in 2 rounds following a clash of heads. Before then going to Wales and he gave Joe hell, who couldn't do a thing with him.

The version that Ward fought was far more seasoned. Winning the contender, going 12 in a title fight with Bute plus brutal stoppages of Manfredo (thought he was dead) and Jean Paul

Also how can people rave about Hopkins ? Taylor out boxed him over 24 rounds at his most dominating best. Froch knocked him out.

Hopkins drew and the beat beat Pascal. Froch did a better job on Pascal than anyone and didn't get dropped in the process.

Ward beat Froch.

Fact is both Ward and Froch have superior records and will continue to leave Joes legacy in the rear view mirror.

You can't build a career from 2 or 3 well-timed wins, when there's 40 odds turds floating around I'm afraid. And that will always be Joes downfall - that he took the easy route and it took 10 years to even challenge another belt holder !

Joe should have confirmed his alleged greatness, but was too happy to milk the tit of armchair casuals, than man-up. Hence people convinced, or unconvinced of his standing.

Personally , I find people 'convinced' without proof or deliberately ignorant of subtle but very important facts, are what's wrong with boxing.

They champion a fighter who wins all these 'fantasy forum fights' when in the real world he fought hardly anyone in their prime.

Yet the same people ridicule and question those actually out there and having these elite fights!

They add to the problem of the importance of the "unbeaten record".

Ward is unbeaten, he is considered boring by many (me too) but generally he's passed all his tests with flying colours, and the same cannot be said about Joe at a lower level for a large portion of his career. Fact is, Joe would have been just another 'test' for ward.

"Ward couldn't bring the fans in, he's boring to watch" would be Calzaghes press release. "Joe would stop Ward in a couple of rounds." said Enzo. And so on and son. They wouldn't fight him, end of. Joe was nearly disowned by Enzo when he wouldn't get in the car to fight a slugger like Lacy. He literally shat his pants and was dragged there.

But far more confident against Kessler, they knew he was faulty. And Hopkins was saying win or lose Calzaghe was his last fight. So at that point in time they were licking their lips - unbeknown Hopkins still had plenty in him.

Doesn't mean Joe is less exciting and was a lot more fan-friendly than Ward. but that's my assessment. A) he wouldn't fight him and b) if he did he loses.

Red come up with whatever facts or scenarios you like, at the end of the day Calzaghe gives Froch an absolute doing. Wide points or late stoppage Froch is a good hard fighter but his limited boxing ability is what fails him. Joes was brilliant.

[Stef]

Red come up with whatever facts or scenarios you like, at the end of the day Calzaghe gives Froch an absolute doing. Wide points or late stoppage Froch is a good hard fighter but his limited boxing ability is what fails him. Joes was brilliant.

I agree with the wide points decision but cant for the life of me see Joe stopping Froch.

[Scarface]

I agree with the wide points decision but cant for the life of me see Joe stopping Froch.

No I agree too, no way would joe stop froch.. froch would just get a lacy-esk beating for 12 rounds. I think froch is very similar to pavlik a limited boxer with a lions heart and great determination. He maximized what he had with good success. Falling short of being undisputed sm champ is no disgrace. He has two good boxers in kessler and ward in his way. Together with the unknown quantity of bute.

Calzaghe would be too busy and too fast for froch, Eubank and hopkins would be too awquard, roy jones too skilful, toney too strong.... But a fight with benn style wise has the makings of a classic.

[jimjack]

I agree with the wide points decision but cant for the life of me see Joe stopping Froch.

Early career there would have been a chance, possibly on cuts or closed eyes etc... not a knock out. Late in his career Joe didn't have the hands to sit on his shots for 12 rds, which makes his achievements all the more remarkable.

[Stef]

Early career there would have been a chance, possibly on cuts or closed eyes etc... not a knock out. Late in his career Joe didn't have the hands to sit on his shots for 12 rds, which makes his achievements all the more remarkable.

Still cant see it myself. I remember Jones saying after his fight that Joe hit a lot harder than he was expecting though so maybe he was deceiving.

[styledoctor]

How did you pull that one off? The best i could find an hour before the fight was 1/2.

He was 6/4 for a UD a few days out from the fight with Skybet. Didnt have any action myself, 115-113 twice shows you just how dangerous relying on judges is!!!

[jimjack]

Still cant see it myself. I remember Jones saying after his fight that Joe hit a lot harder than he was expecting though so maybe he was deceiving.

and that was his very last fight when his hands were completely F***ed. If you watch his early career he had quite a dig on him, his hand speed would have also meant a number of straight lefts down the pipe for Froch's eyes to soak up.

[presa]

and that was his very last fight when his hands were completely F***ed. If you watch his early career he had quite a dig on him, his hand speed would have also meant a number of straight lefts down the pipe for Froch's eyes to soak up.

yup agreed.. Froch is a superb talent and a true fighter but joe was excellent.

Joe was special back when he was an amateur and when he was a pro.

Regardless of who he fought, styles make fights and he would have out boxed froch mid and long range all night.

[presa]

i will also add that joe had a nack of being able to adapt mid fight to win, that along with being able to perform when he needed to makes him excellent.

the more i think about it joe would have beaten any of the super middleweights of this current bunch.

[marty-rh]

Freddie Roach quoted on twitter saying that he thinks Ward would outbox Calzaghe.

[Red]

i will also add that joe had a nack of being able to adapt mid fight to win, that along with being able to perform when he needed to makes him excellent.

the more i think about it joe would have beaten any of the super middleweights of this current bunch.

The guy could land one noteworthy punch on Hopkins and looked completely out of his depth in the first three rounds.

Agression and work-rate saved his ass that night, cos it sure as hell wasn't his "nack" of adapting. He got the shit kicked out of him.