On second viewing, I was more impressed with Calzaghe than I was initially...

Yeah, I think Calzaghe also started to shorten his steps a bit. Early in the fight, I think his foot movement was leaving him a bit too out of range from Hopkins - who was moving a little quicker and more side to side in the first three rounds - and Calzaghe looked really bad lunging on some of his punches and as you mentioned, maybe a bit too squared up at times as he was coming forward. But later on Hopkins wasn't moving quite as much and Calzaghe started taking some half steps in which shortened the distance and he began bringing some hard jabs straight up the middle and landed some really nice one-two's (especially in the 8th and 9th).

Calzaghe really disciplined himself during this fight, because the flurries weren't there for him most of the time. Few chances for those easy points he likes to accumulate, Hopkins makes you work for everything you get against him.

I do think the uppercut was a missing piece of Calzaghe's arsenal in this fight. Seemed like he had opportunities to throw it and didn't much at all.

I really think the rest Hopkins got from that long break after the low blow broke Calzaghe's momentum and probably took away a chance for Calzaghe to win really convincingly. He was pulling away at that point, IMO.

It sorta reminded of what happened in the 10th round of Mayweather-Judah after Mayweather's momentum was taken away from the foul and subsequent riot, changing what might've been a late round TKO into just a decision.

 

I agree:bears:

 

Please stop using the Hopkins - Tarver fight as a comparison or basis to make a point. Hopkins won and deserves all the credit in the world, but at the same time it was quite obvious Tarver was in one of his mental midget states during that fight. He barely put up a fight and was little more than a walking heavy bag.

 

True, but Hopkins was treated like Jesus Christ 3 days after crucifixtion,.. "He is!, he is the saviour!"...:doh: and I thought Jermaine had put an end to this nightmare...

 

Shouldn't Hopkins get credit for making him BECOME that?

Tarver wasn't scared until after Hopkins blasted him with some good right hands.

 

:bears::bears::bears:

 

Why would Hopkins hitting him make him lose focus like that? Dude is a boxer and he's been in with fighters just as good as Hopkins and others who hit him harder and he never looked that bad. I think he came to the fight like that because he never put up a fight. RJJ gave more of an effort in the 3rd Tarver fight than Tarver did in that Hopkins fight.

Hopkins did what he had to do but that fight was won before he even did his ring walk.