8-4 isnt exactly a blow out, but I agree with 8-4. Maybe even 9-3. Either way, prime for prime both B-Hop and Jones beat Sloppy Joe by a clear margin.
Calzaghe wins. Hopkins didn't want anything to do with Calzaghe around that time. Absolutely nothing whatsoever. This is a fact. MTF
Prime Jones Jr beats Joe. Definitely. But he gives Jones Jr the toughest fight he had en route to an 8-4 type of loss. MTF
calzaghe himself was past his prime by the time he fought hopkins. i still see this as a competitive fight, but i'll go w/ hopkins via decision.
Prolly could've done w/o the wop comment, but anyway... I've always been convinced that anywhere in the UK, Calzaghe wins by decision, controversially or otherwise. This was pretty close to Hopkins' best years, granted, but it was always a mystery how he'd react beyond his comfort zone (not just on enemy turf, but also outside of MW). The only hangup I have was that Joe wasn't quite as smart of a fighter back then as he would become in the next several years. In that regard, it's more tempting to fall in line with the predictions offered. But intangibles factored in - not inconceivable to come up with Joe winning, especially if Bernard is forced to travel. In the US, perhaps a different story, though looking back it's quite possible that the right fight would've always brought out the best in Calzaghe.
Based on what? He was coming off his two best wins in the 2 years previous, one of which he threw well over 1000 punches in as I recall. He wasn't noticeably slower or easier to hit - in fact he looked better than ever. Hopkins was still in or near his prime at around 35, 36 and so was Calzaghe.
I hear ya, and never took you as a racist anyway. Just didn't want to see you get in any unnecessary trouble, as you seem like a good lad.
Based on the evidence of my eyes. Dude was, what, 35 or 36 when he fought Hopkins? I know Hopkins is much older but the guy is an absolute FREAK of nature to be as good as he is at the age he is. Literally one-in-a-million. Calzaghe aged just like almost everyone else: his hands were slower by 2008, his reactions were slower, he got hit more often etc etc. Hell, he retired a few months after the Hopkins fight- that's normally a tell-tale sign that a guy is past peak mate. Lets not forget that Hopkins flat out ducked Calzaghe in 2002/03. Absolutely flat out ducked him after Joe has agreed to travel to the US and make the fight happen. Speaks volumes for me does that. MTF
Incorrect, sir. Hopkins actually signed on for the fight as part of a three-fight package with Showtime. However, he decided against it - and any other significant fight - once he realized how much King wanted to take out of the pot, and instead elected to ride out his contract.
But ducking isn't a reason to pick the "ducked" fighter. Carl Lewis claimed Linford Christie was ducking him in 1992-1993. When they finally met in 1993, Linford whupped that ass.
Liar, queer, drug cheat..whatever... You never find a better man on the last leg of a 4 x 100 m relay! "And the big man has the baton, and history is being made..." - Ron Pickering
Calzaghe looked vastly better against Lacy, Kessler & Hopkins than he did against Starie, reid, Sheika etc. If Im picking any version of Calzaghe for a MM it's the 06, 07 one. Any edge in speed he'd sacrificed had been more than compensated for with greater maturity, confidence & experience. So at worst he's 1 or 2 years removed from his absolute career peak when he got his hands on Hopkins. Remember, we're talking about a guy who averaged 85 odd punches a round against Kessler and over 100 against Lacy a year earlier. This is not a declined fighter, IMO.
Calzaghe always fought better against better fighters. He looked like shit almost everytime he fought anyone useless. As to the age thing, ultimately it's an open question as to when his 'peak' was because he fought plenty of garbage in what was a terrible division for a long time. But I still can't say that a 34 year old guy is at his 'peak' as a boxer when that guy relies on speed, volume and pressure like Calzaghe did. MTF
Well his volume & pressure certainly hadn't diminished as the punch stats demonstrate. And I don't perceive any visual decline in speed between the Eubank & Kessler fights. I see a certain decline in reflex, but I also see a guy with much more poise and confidence. I don't think we can look at his age and make assumptions that he's declined a priori. He's better against Lacy & Kessler than Eubank or Reid, IMO. Just like Hopkins was a better fighter against Holmes & Trinidad than he was against Jones or Johnson, Lewis was a better fighter against Tua than against Ruddock, Wallcott was a better.....etc. It happens. Some guys gain more in learning and maturity than they lose in ring wear or reflex'.
It's not an interpretation, it's exactly what happened Think about it - he went from fighting for $3 million per, to suddenly $750k for Hakkar and something like $300k for the Joppy fight. Any major fight that was secured, King wanted his slice - which was actually illegal if he was promoter of the show, as it's regarded as double-dipping. Then in the span of nine months, Hopkins goes from that same $300k payday v. Joppy, to seven figures for a third fight w/ Robert Allen and $10 million for the DLH event - the latter two fights not involving King. I mean, c'mon, in 2000 we're talking about a time when Frank Warren had the audacity to say, "Oh yeah we want to fight Roy... but it has to happen at 168/in the UK/on Showtime." (all claims made by Warren) This at a time when Roy was well entrenched at LHW. Nobody was ducking Calzaghe at the time, least of all Hopkins. How do you pursue a fight w/ Roy (P4P the best in the world at the time), yet duck a fighter who still had yet to prove himself. Shit, even Showtime eventually gave up on him for a spell.
Hopkins wins a close verdict, then maybe Joe might get him in a rematch in an equally close fight. At any point in their careers, both guys give one another serious fits because of their styles and attributes.
I'll say this actually - stylistically Joe is a problematic proposition for Hopkins (as good volume punchers are for any reactive counter puncher). So I'll probably amend my original too blase pick to cede that it'd be close-ish. Lets say 7-5. But Hopkins was significantly better at his best and he'd pull it out.
Thank you. This re-writing of Calzaghe's history is probably the most annoying boxing development in recent years.
I'm not a Calzaghe fan by any means but Jake's recount of what happened is precisely how it went down.
