LOS ANGELES, February 7, 2008 – Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe, fighters with a combined 43 wins in world championship bouts met today in London to confirm that on Saturday, April 19, in the Planet Hollywood (PH) Ring in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a rare contest between linear champions, light heavyweight champion Hopkins will defend his title against Calzaghe, the undisputed super middleweight champion, <!-- m -->http://fightbeat.com/news_details.php?NW=21133
I think we'll see the bad side of American boxing fans come out in this fight, everything they would ordinarily despise, they will instead be pleading to Hopkins to use in order to win. "Come on Hops, grapple Hops!, clinch hops, clinch!...butt him Hops, butt him! ..hit him low Hops, low!"...
dsimon writes: Old man Hops is going to tap that ass. Joe is going to be crying.... No white boy can beat the old man!! If Joe was Hispanic it would be a different story but as an Italian Welshman he is going down. I can tell you this Joe is deluded. He thinks he will go in there and outwork that horny old man. Hops will actively prevent Joe from doing so. Unlike that antiseptic Dane who bitched out and fought at a distance, Hops will be on top of Joe, mounting him and attacking his body the Philly way. He will beat Joe up inside and joe will cry bloody murder. But this beating will nullify Joe's punch output considerably. Joe's slaps will simply not prevent Bernard from coming in and beating up Joe on the ropes. Joe will protest to the ref, go down from a few low blows, but he will realize he made a miscalculation. Joe will be hit to the body in ways that the European theatre has never prepared him for. Bernard knows what he has to do, Joe does not.
Why would that be? Calzaghe is the guy leaving his backyard and moving up a weight class. Sure Hopkins is old but Calzaghe is not exactly young either. There's plenty to gain for Calzaghe.
Bernard is gonna RAPE his ASS!!!!! PHILLY baby!! he is not going to stand at distance and have a jabbing contest.. he'll be up in his EURO ASS!!!
I have a feeling B-Hop will outclass him as well. I picked against B-Hop too many times and he has proved me wrong too many times! WAR B-HOP!
Double L is a bona fide Calzaghe hater. Just let him be... This will be a huge win for Joe. It goes someway to removing the one major gripe people have with him- namely he is going to the States to fight a big name champion. A bit late in the day, perhaps, but at least it's finally happening.
ANother trick we can assume 60/40 I Get Whipped by Roy Jones Jr learned in the Joint. What age will Bernard be by the time this fight happens???
