Calzaghe retires!

B

Blue Devils

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Undefeated world super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe announced his retirement moments ago on BBC Sport. "It was a difficult decision but I have achieved everything I wanted to achieve in boxing," he said. "I've been world champion for 11 years. I've got no other goals to go for.....you can never say never in this game, but I can't see myself boxing again. There's loads of things I want to do. I'm proud to be one of only a few fighters in history to retire undefeated."

He had a great career
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L

Liverlips

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No one could touch him (including Hopkins and Jones). First ballot Hall-of-Famer!
 
Westside

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Joe is making a smart decision to leave at the top and having laid waste/beat the last of the remaining great black fighters. His victory over Roy Jones was a masterpiece in grit, generalship and skills.

No one can deny his greatness. If he was black you would see his likeness on the box of Wheaties and all sorts of endorsements.

I hope he doesn't change his mind and comes back and fights a Dawson. And make a similar mistake that Pavlik made by fighting Hopkins abeit at a higher weight. That was a no win fight except for Hopkins.

Congrats Joe on a HOF career!
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G

guest301

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Hate to see him go but that perfect undefeated record Calazaghe takes with him certainly guarantees a Hall of Fame spot. Too bad he wasn't a white American fighter simply because I would have seen more of his fights and enjoyed his career more. Instead I kept hearing about this white guy over in Europe with great hand speed who was beating everybody but it wasn't until the last couple of years that I got a chance to see any of his fights.
 
whiteathlete33

whiteathlete33

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I was really hoping he would fight Dawson. Dawson is extremely overrated and Joe would easily beat him. This would silence the doubters.
 
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Sean

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Joe's one of my all time favorite fighters. It's sad to see him go, but I'm glad he retired. Let's face it, from where Joe was, fighting on he would gain nothing, but could have lost a lot. The caste-clowns were/are just waiting for him to slip up. I would have liked to have watched Joe beat James Toney, but JT was so fat they couldn't have made it (Toney is now calling out Hopkins, who Joe beat easily despite the stupid scoring). Congrats Joe!
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Westside

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WA 33, even if Joe fought and beat Dawson, the caste crowd would then clamour for a rematch against Hopkins. If he beat Bopkins again, then they would clamour for him to fight Glen Johnson. The more he would smack down black fighters the more they would want him to be defeated. A vicious cycle.

Its better for Joe to retire with that 46-O-O record, and guys like us will rub it in negros/wigger faces for ever.
 
whiteathlete33

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Glen Johnson has 11 loses so I don't see why he would be considered a challenge for Calzaghe. He did give Dawson a run for him money though. At least Calzaghe is undefeated.
 
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I do not want to shell out fifteen adjectives about how great Calzaghe is or was. I will only say, and I really mean this, Calzaghe is the prototype to follow; he is the modern day Willie Pep or Gene Tunney. I teach Calzaghe's skills. If you know of any white kids that are boxing -or want to box- tell them to develop speed and movement no matter how hard they can naturally punch. Do not fall in love with your power. Learn skills. Calzaghe learned skills and went undefeated throughout his career. I always say: "With skills you have more ways to win." Calzaghe always had a way to win.
 
J

j41181

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A true Champion and All-time Boxing Great!

He will make the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) for sure.
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P

P-NutLane

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The Greatest!!! My favorite, hands down.
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He made me like boxing as much as basketball, and football, the sports I grew up playing.
 
celticdb15

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jcolec02

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is it out of line to consider him the greatest of all time pound for pound??? I mean not only did he win every fight, but I cant remember hardly any fights that he didnt totally dominate... another stat you'll like to hear about: 23-0 in title fightsEdited by: jcolec02
 
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Liverlips

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Calzaghe is a definite Hall of Famer and one of the best of his era. However, his lack of competition will really hurt him in talking about the greatest of all time. Had he fought Jones and Hopkins in 2002 rather than 2008 the victories would have been more impressive.

Joe did try to make these fights happen in 2002 but Jones and Hopkins scuttled the fights as it was too much risk for too little money at the time.
 
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