Why Bernard Hopkins will slay the Italian Dragon

PHILADELPHIA – We all know Bernard “The Executionerâ€￾ Hopkins 48 -4 -1 (32 KO’s) the fighter, but to know the man, you only need to take a stroll through any of the economically depressed sections of North Philadelphia. It is where he was born, where he learned to fight and where he was eventually arrested for strong arm robbery when he was in just 11th grade and sentenced for up to 18 years. At age 17, he was officially a statistic. While most athletes find out who they are in college or in amateur competition, Hopkins was discovering the colder, harder side of life. He was a kid in prison with killers, and he wasn’t fighting for a belt, he was fighting for his life.

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You beauty! :crafty:, what a great article, goodbye to that "OLD!" excuse screamed hard and desperately loud in advance!. Well done Fightbeat, well done! :crafty:

 

Oh, so because he grew up poor, was arrested for armed-robbery in the 11th grade, was in jail with hardcore criminals, and lived a hard life...means the old man is gonna automatically beat Calzaghe???

:doh: :doh: :doh:



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great article! but it should've included intreview quotes, and it could've been a little longer. but nice read.

 

The idea that someone might win, or have the edge etc because they grew up ghetto is so utterly retarded and preposterous.

Just think, how many crappy career journeymen out there had a similar upbringing to Nard - a LOT.

Think of how many of say Oscar's, Floyd's, Barrera's, and Calzaghe's own opponents have had a tougher life etc.

It matters not.

If it did, Ouma would have beaten Karmazin and Taylor, and people like Etienne would have been world champs.

It's an ignorant and simplistic point of view.

I'm looking forward to this fight though.

Contrary to what Otis just said above, and several others, Calzaghe has the style to beat hopkins.

He is faster, busier, and just as awkward, tricky and crafty, and he won't mind fighting dirty either.

I like hopkins a lot, and it's incredible that he still fights at the highest level at 40+ but he doesn't stand a great chance against Calzaghe.

It won't be a whitewash though, Hopkins is still tough and crafty. Calzaghe wins 9-3.

 

good article

I don't think they were claiming the'Ghetto' to be what will win it for him, in the end they say it's about STYLES and it will be!

I can not wait until Bernard takes out the Euro trash

 

Not even close. Hopkins is as crafty as they get. Joe isn't even in the same league in that department.

However, the thing that will carry Joe to victory are his quick feet and the diminished reflexes of Hopkins.

People tend to overlook how well Calzaghe moves around. His feet are quick enough to avoid Hopkins 'punch and grab' style and allow Joe's hands to be free to continue punching.

Hopkins is a master at overcoming his handspeed and punch output disadvantages through craft and guile. But footspeed is a different animal. It is the one aspect in which Hopkins can't cheat father time.

 

Not as crafty? I agree, but he is in the same league of craftyness. Watch the kessler fight.

 

Yep, I can actually picture it in my head this fight. Hopkins going for the punch and grab, Calzaghe's quick feet avoiding the grab, countering with a quick straight left or a flurry.

And in instances where Hopkins achieves the punch and grab, you better believe Joe will fire right back with body shots, rabbit punches, or whatever. He won't be manhandled by hops.

 

Being crafty with a robot like Kessler doesn't impress me.

BUT, befuddling a bigger, younger and faster Antonio Tarver with shear craft is impressive.

 

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kessler is better than tarver. Certain the version of tarver that hops fought.

 

Based on what?

And the version of Tarver that Hopkins fought is only diminished because Hopkins made him look like shit. This was the same Tarver that beat Jones and Johnson within 12 months of getting destroyed by Hopkins.

And back to Kessler, beating Jones and Johnson probably stacks up well against Kessler's career resume.

 

Kessler has beaten the great Marcus Beyer.

 

I am no kessler fan, I knew Calzaghe would smash him.

But the tarver that Hops fought really wasn't up to much.

You can say it's hopkins all you want, and it was certainly impressive from hops, but put it this way - even fat old Winky gave hopkins a tougher fight.

 

WTF? I like kessler but how can you possibly say hes better than Tarver? That is crazy talk man.

 

Name all the fighters that Winky didn't give a tough fight

 

Actully maybe you're right.

I guess I am just remembering how shit Tarver looked in that fight.

He's certainly not as good as Tarver USED to be, and maybe most of it was down to hopkins, but tarver looked SHIT in that fight.

I really meant kessler was better than the version of tarver that hops fought.

Tarver was 38 in that fight don't forget, and not everyone ages as well as Hopkins.

I don't even rate Kessler that highly to be honest, I think he is overrated, it's more than Tarver just looked so shit.

 

If tough backround would decide fights, then Eastern Europeans would piss on everyone else. Damn, now that I look at heavyweight.. opcorn:

 

Talk about exaggerating.

Calz hardly "smashed" Kessler.

 

He beat him up. Kessler was outclassed. Not an outright smashing no, that was an exaggeration.

 

:: :: for some reason I find it hilarious that you say that (I agree though)

 

It's impossible. I mean Tarver had a beautiful majority decision against Elvir Muriqi in his next fight so he obviously hadn't slipped any.

 

He easily beat Glenn Johnson a few months before the Hopkins fight, which to me is more telling then what he did AFTER the Hopkins fight.

Hopkins completely bitched Tarver who was running his mouth like a maniac before the fight. It was the most possible demoralizing loss for a overtly confident guy who was riding high after beating Roy Jones and Glenn Johnson back-to-back.

Struggling against someone AFTER Hopkins ruined him means little.

 

Tarver fought Jones for the 3rd time before Hopkins, not Johnson. he looked like garbage in that fight to. Personally I'd pick Kessler to beat Tarver in a heartbeat.

 

I´ll pick Woods to beat Tarver in a heartbeat. Tarver left everything he had in the second Johnson fight, when he outworked Glen. Ever since he looked washed-up. He recently said, he gives himself four rounds to get Woods out, because he can´t go 12 anymore, and if oh so humble Antonio Tarver is saying something so uncharacteristic, you know what is up.

 

Yeah, OK the Tarver that knocked Roy the fuck out was better than kessler, but are you denying that the Tarver that fought Hops was not absolutely crap in comparison?

I don't want to discredit Hops, because I like him a lot, and he did a good job, but if you think that was the same fighter that KO'd Roy then you're mad.

 

i wouldn't even be too sure about that....it was one punch against Roy.....a very good, well timed punch....but just one punch. He probably still posseses that power....but remember he lost to a weight-drained Roy Jones before that, as well as going 1-1 with Eric Harding......i just think Tarver was never that good in the first place