fightnews.com Hopkins-Calzaghe confirmed! Wednesday, January 23 2008 By Craig Watt / Photo: Sports Network At a press conference in London today, promoter Frank Warren confirmed that the eagerly anticipated match up between Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins has been signed for April 19th in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center. The bout will be at the light heavyweight limit of 175. The 35-year-old Calzaghe who has held the WBO 168 pound title for over ten years commented, "This is a dream come true for me. I won't be taking Hopkins lightly but I feel I have the tools to beat him." The unbeaten Calzaghe (44-0) recently added the WBC and WBA titles when he outpointed Mikkel Kessler in his last bout and this represents his first fight at 175 pounds. Both fighters publicly clashed at the weigh in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand before the Floyd Mayweather win over Ricky Hatton in December and Hopkins seemed to taunt Calzaghe. He told the Welsh champion, "I will never lose to a white boy." The Thomas & Mack Center was the scene of Ricky Hatton's win over Jose Luis Castillo in June 2006 which saw a crowd of 13,000 attend the fight. This venue has one of the largest capacities in Vegas and was key to Calzaghe in securing enough tickets for the travelling army of fans from the UK. Indeed, it is reported that 6,000 tickets have already been purchased by Sports Network to accommodate Calzaghe's fan base. Tickets will go on sale on February 6th in the USA and the fight will be televised by HBO although not on a PPV basis. The fight will be shown live in the UK on Setanta Sports.
A Very IMPORTANT Fight, if Not Exciting... It'll B INTERESTING to See what Gives btwn Calzaghe's BUSY Workrate & Bernard's LACK of 1.... Winky's Workrate DIPPED vs. Bernard, but he was Also Fighting @ a Very UNnatural Weight... REED
Yep, Hopkins is a crafy fighter and you won't see Calzaghe throwing his usual high volume of punches.
Impressive isn't the way I'd describe Jones' win. He won clearly (I can't remember if I had it 8-4 or 8-3-1) but it wasn't impressive at the time...and didn't become so until about seven years ago.
Exactly. You can't leave that many openings for Hopkins and not pay. Calzaghe will have to fight much smarter than he did against Lacy or Kessler. Neither of those guys are even close to as crafty as Hopkins is and neither has a defense as good as Hopkins. I'm really looking forward to this fight. I'm rooting for old Popkins.
hopkins is past his prime, but it's slappy's first time at the weight, so both guys have their disadvantages.
Not to Mention Calzaghe's 1st Fight Overseas EVER... STRANGE Things Happen N STRANGE Environments... REED
Not on PPV in the UK? Super... :clap: This will be a tough fight for Joe, and Hopkins is an experienced, tough and dirty SOB, but unless he has problems with the extra weight, this should go the way of the Welshman who ALWAYS reserves his best performances for the fights in which he needs them...
Hopkins hasn't showed his age yet and I don't think he will. It will be a decision for Hopkins winning 8-4 on two cards and 6-6 on one card.
Unlikely. I agree that Hops is not yet done and dusted, but Calzaghe fights in a way which makes him very, very difficult to beat, especially on points. His hand speed means that he is more eye-catching than most, and he has a solid chin, foot speed and an ability to adapt which makes him one of the very best IMO. Moreover, I honestly think he is at his peak NOW. I really do. And a peak JC is a very, very hard proposition for a 42 year old Hopkins. Sure there are 'unknowns', such as JC at 175 and his ability to handle fighting on 'away' ground. But it would be a big surprise if Hopkins won IMHO. As some have said- this might well be a s*it fight, but it is a big one and I can't wait... MTF opcorn:
He hasn't? I could have sworn he stopped throwing punches some 6 or 7 years ago...right around the time he became eligible for the aged pension.
Agreed....Hopkins's workrate has been shit since the 3rd Allen fight in 2004. Older fighters can only do things in spurts and have to pick their spots a lot more, which Hops has done very well.
there is no fighter in boxing I'd rather see get whupped than Joe C it WAS Hatton and now that he got his ass kicked it's time for Joe Crapasshole
Another Euro bum, huh? Boy are you backing the wrong horse. Mind, I just saw you say that, if properly prepared, Rahman beats Lennox Lewis every time... :notallthere:
dsimon writes: Its going to be a fight and Ole man Hops will suprise. dictate like he is used to doing.
I tend to agree. Calzaghe isn't your typical European fighter. He has great handspeed, but more importantly he is exceptional quick with his feet. Logic tells you that Joe should be too much for Bernard, but after watching how silly Hopkins made Tarver look, I wouldn't bet against the old man just yet. The key thing about Hopkins is that he will neutralize Calzaghe's work rate advantage by falling in with accurate shots and then clinching like crazy. Hopkins also does a great job of rendering a lefty's right jab useless with his amazing timing. He's not extremely fast on his feet, but he is always smart on his feet.
Can't wait to see Jermaine's son dominated once again, Calzaghe 12 - zip, "Come on Hops!, stink it out! stink it out!, come on Hops, clinch hops! clinch!".. will be Fightbeat's hypocritical words during this particular fight.
