Why Bernard Hopkins will slay the Italian Dragon

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I can see what you are saying but Joe can get out of role play when pride comes in. Like Mitchell fight and mid round of Kessler fight. These guys are going to try to show who is Alpha from the gate. So I m not saying he always fights like this but he is a very hard nose when face with comp. He s very proud and thats why he s Joe Cal., but may not be the best trait for this fight against a grimy B-Hop from D-Block. LOL

 

It is as simple as this....and no disrespect intended to Bernard or his fans and supporters....

Joe is as big as Bernard, alot younger, way faster at this point..and Bernard cannot hurt Joe Calzaghe.

Bernard isn't going to WEAR Joe down,..he isn't going to knock him out...and I don't see him outpointing him.

I just don't see how Hopkins can win this one. Five years ago, I may have thought differently.

 

dsimon writes:

People tend to think Tarver is better because he had Roy's number. Also when you mentioned Tarver's age for the Hopkin's fight I didn't realize how old Tarver was.

Tarver always talked a good game and he found a way to beat Roy. He is solid but not, nor ever was, a great fighter.

 

Hopkins has the power to hurt Calzaghe.

 

I'd agree with this. Kessler hurt Calzaghe, as well, something that's been forgotten by some since that fight.

 

dsimon writes:

It is academic who is stronger or faster. The real issue when it comes down to this fight is one of tactics.... Musashi mortally dispatched of prince Koto in one of his duels.... he literally caved the prince's head in with his oar... Few people know that truthfully prince Koto was a much more accomplished swords'man than Musashi.

Bernard really knows how to apply tactical advantages and he knows that Calzighe has never been pressured in a fight, beat up on the inside in a manner that satisfies Bernard. Bernard knows that the battle for this fight is not rounds, or punch output it is who can do what they want to the other person.

I don't think Joe realizes this fact. I think in Joe's mind this fight is a numbers game. And that he can throw more punches a round (he said so much in interviews).

 

"Knowing" that a fight is not for rounds is exactly how he lost to Jermain Taylor twice.

 

dsimon writes:

You know my answer to that and consider this: Jermaine, unlike Joe is truly phenomenally physically strong and Hopkins had him reeling about the last rounds of the first fight and did everything but knock him out. Hopkins had said prior to the first fight that he would take Jermaine to deep water in the later rounds and he did!

The stupidest thing Bernard did was say that he would knock Taylor out the second fight. If he had been the least bit contrite and simply said he would get a fair call the second fight his tactics might have paid off. Instead he looked like a failure because he did not KO Taylor.

 

I didn't think he lost either fight, but he fought too many rounds like winning rounds didn't matter.

 

dsimon writes:

Thats true and it happened because Bernard is a very smart guy. He realized something that I have said about Taylor for a while: He may not have the stats to back it up, but given the right scenerio Taylor's punch, is so far as it refelects his strength, has the potential to take you out. Hopkins did not want to engage Taylor.

Hopkins also realized that Taylor was so strong that he could not beat him up inside without getting mauled himself... so he fought a lot of that fight from a distance.

I don't think Joe is a threat the same way at all.