Ricky Hatton, the former world champion boxer from Manchester, thinks Joe Calzaghe is the best British fighter ever. He's picked Calzaghe over other big names like Lennox Lewis.
Hatton knows a thing or two about boxing. He won 45 of his 48 professional fights and was known for his aggressive style and sharp body punching. Fans loved him. He grabbed the IBF super lightweight title in 2005 by beating Kostya Tszyu and added a welterweight title in 2006 against Luis Collazo. He even took on Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
But when it comes to the best British fighter, Hatton looks past his own achievements and those of heavyweight great Lennox Lewis. He's got his eyes on Joe Calzaghe.
Calzaghe, the Welsh wonder, hung up his gloves in 2009 with a perfect 46-0 record. He won world titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight. Calzaghe was quick, adaptable, and had stamina for days. He unified titles in a dominant run at home before taking on the world's best.
"Joe Calzaghe beat everyone put in front of him," Hatton might say. "He took down Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins, and Roy Jones Jr. That's a hell of a list."
Hatton's not alone in this view. Many in boxing circles agree that Calzaghe's unblemished record and long career put him at the top of the British boxing heap.
It's worth noting that Lennox Lewis, the former undisputed heavyweight champ, has a strong case too. He beat every man he faced, including big names like Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and Vitali Klitschko. Some of those wins came in rematches.
But for Hatton, Calzaghe's perfect record and long-lasting dominance make him the cream of the British crop. It's a big compliment from one of British boxing's most beloved figures.
