Carl Froch thinks Roy Jones Jr would have beaten Joe Calzaghe if they had fought in their prime. The former super-middleweight champion shared his opinion on his YouTube channel, despite Calzaghe's win over Jones in 2008.
On November 8, 2008, Calzaghe and Jones faced off at Madison Square Garden. Calzaghe won by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 118-109. Jones knocked Calzaghe down in the first round, but Calzaghe rallied back, even opening a cut above Jones' eye in the seventh.
This fight marked the end of Calzaghe's career. He retired undefeated with a perfect 46-0 record. Calzaghe had already made his mark as the longest-reigning super-middleweight champion in history and had just beaten Bernard Hopkins in his light-heavyweight debut.
Jones, nicknamed "Captain Hook," was 41 years old and 19 years into his career when he fought Calzaghe. He continued fighting until 2023, with his last bout being a loss to former MMA fighter Anthony Pettis.
Froch shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel:
"Roy Jones Jr is number one, without a doubt. Even though Calzaghe has a win over Roy Jones, Roy Jones was 41, he'd been beaten and was well past his best. And still that was a close fight – he flattened him in round one. You've got to put Roy Jones number one. He's the ultimate fighting machine – skill, speed, natural talent. It's almost like he was cheating, it was like the Matrix."
Froch believes Jones' superior skill, speed, and natural talent would have given him the edge in a prime-versus-prime matchup. He pointed out that even past his best, Jones still managed to knock Calzaghe down in their fight.
The debate about who would win between a prime Roy Jones Jr and Joe Calzaghe remains a hot topic among boxing fans. Froch, who never got to face Calzaghe himself despite fan interest, has now added his voice to the discussion.
While Calzaghe's relentless work rate and accurate punching made him a formidable opponent, Froch's opinion leans towards Jones' exceptional natural abilities. It's a matchup we'll never see, but it continues to fuel conversations in the boxing world.
