OF all the fantasy matchups in boxing, Andre Ward vs Joe Calzaghe is not only the one of the most intriguing but could quite possibly be the hardest to call.
Both fighters retired with unblemished records, making it almost impossible to decide who, in their prime, would have suffered their first and only professional defeat.
What we do know with a greater degree of certainty, however, is that, while perhaps not guaranteeing fireworks from the opening bell, their clash would have made for a fiercely contested and deeply compelling chess match.
The speed, it could be said, would have been in Calzaghe’s favour, with the slick southpaw staying elusive on the outside before springing into range to land his blistering flurries.
At close quarters, though, Ward would have more than likely gotten the better of his opponent, finding several openings to land his sneaky attacks on the inside.
The American’s success during the Super Six tournament at 168lbs, after all, showcased just how effective he could be when fighting at his preferred distance and pace.
That said, Calzaghe’s boxing clinic against Jeff Lacy back in 2006, not to mention his wins over the likes of Bernard Hopkins and Mikkel Kessler, showed that he too possessed a masterful pair of feet.
When speaking together in a recent video on Ward’s YouTube channel, ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT, the pair were finally forced to settle their age-old debate.
At first, Calzaghe attempted to make a case for himself, listing all the reasons why he was unlike any fighter Ward had ever faced.
“I’m a southpaw; I’ve got a good chin; I’m just awkward in a fight, man. I give everybody a nightmare,” he said.
Ward, to his credit, admitted that the relentless work rate of the Welshman, in particular, would have posed a series of unwelcome challenges.
But just before their conversation had the opportunity to catch fire, Calzaghe offered a resolution which, while remaining far from the most satisfying from a fan’s perspective, represents an entirely plausible outcome.
“I’ll tell you what, brother, let’s just say [it would have been] a draw,” he concluded, with the two ex-fighters – happy to hypothetically extend their unbeaten records – shaking hands in agreement.
