James DeGale Chooses Joe Calzaghe Over Andre Ward as the Better Super-Middleweight

Former IBF super-middleweight champion James DeGale has weighed in on the debate between two undefeated legends, naming Joe Calzaghe as the superior 168-pound fighter over Andre Ward.

Calzaghe retired with a flawless 46-0 record. His résumé at super-middleweight includes victories over Mikkel Kessler and Jeff Lacy, before he moved up to light-heavyweight to defeat Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Ward succeeded Calzaghe at the top of the division, first claiming world honours with a win over Kessler. He then distinguished himself as the standout super-middleweight of a golden era by defeating Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch.

The American later moved up to 175 pounds, outpointing Sergey Kovalev for the unified title and stopping him in their rematch. That second bout marked Ward’s final fight, bringing his career to a close with a 32-0 record.

Appearing on the Fight Your Corner podcast, DeGale compared the two icons and stated his belief that Calzaghe was the better fighter, describing the “Pride of Wales” as one of his idols.

“Calzaghe is the number one. The amount of punches he threw, he was super fit, he was a southpaw, he was brilliant. He is one of my idols. I remember growing up watching him, I loved him.

“Ward was unbelievable, as well. He was just a genius in the ring, it’s hard to even say that you would beat him.”

In retirement, Calzaghe and Ward have reflected on how a hypothetical meeting between them might have unfolded, with both fighters saying they would have been content with a draw.

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