[Owl of Minerva]

I have always been in the sceptical camp re; Calzaghe but i got a chance to watch a replay of his win the other night against Kessler and finally i am willing to admit "I was wrong, he is a true champion" - great fight, great performance. Well done ot Kessler too, who i'm sure will now, as we say in horse racing, go on to frank the form.

Anyone else had to eat a bit of humble pie after that performance? Who were the 'believers' all along?!

Owl

[awaywardlad]

Have always maintained Calzaghe is "the real deal" and has been ever since he took the title from Eubank over 10 YEARS ago.He's beaten everyone in his division,is still undefeated, and produced a boxing masterclass when he destroyed Jeff Lacey who was reckoned to be pound for pound the best boxer in the world at that time.

Maybe it's the fact he's a Welsh/Italian who does not seek publicity or the fact he has never fought outside the UK that has counted against him but he has very real claims to being the greatest British boxer of all time.

[Binge]

I've always been a big fan of Calzaghe but that's probably due to 'Welshness.' However it was after the awesome display against Lacey that I thought - this goes beyond being proud of one of your own Calzaghe deserves to be thought of as one of the greats. It was a shame he didn't capitalize on that in his next fight against Bika (sp?) Thankfully he has now produced again against Kessler.

Henry Cooper (for what it's worth) ranks him 3rd in the All-time British fighters list today in the Telegraph:

1. Ted 'Kid' Lewis
2. Jimmy Wilde
3. Joe Calzaghe
4. Ken Buchanan
5. Jack 'Kid' Berg
6. Ricky Hatton
7. Barry McGuigan
8. Randy Turpin
9. Lennox Lewis
10. Howard Winstone

[Jimbob]

Calzhaghe has never thought outside the UK but i really don't see why that matters. He is that good that people will come to him. The likes of Jeff Lacey do come all the way across the Atlantic to fight a nobody. His performance against Lacey was quite simply, the besty performance I have ever seen from any British Sportsman! It is a shame he doesn't get the recognition he deserves but perhaps he doesn't want it as he has always appeared a shy type and never really appears that comfortable when being interviewed. unlike his old man who will ramble on for hours given half a chance

[Dom]

I've always said Calzaghe had the skills. It's just he never fought the big names, whether that was is fault or not, I'm not sure. If he had a Roy Jones Jnr, Bernard Hopkins or James Toney on his record, I'm sure people would think of his as an all time great. But with him staying in Wales making mandotary defenses. People will think of him as that very good fighter, who never fought anybody. It's sad really because I'm sure he would have beat Hopkins and Toney. I doubt he would beat a peak Roy Jones Jnr, but hey who could. I hope he gets his two big paydays now and retires on top because he deserves it.