Calzaghe vs Hopkins

heavymental
heavymental Posts: 2,094
edited April 2008 in The bottom bracket
I'm worried for Joe :? hope he does the biz in Vegas but looks like a tough one.

Comments

  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    It'll be a fugly fight.

    Joe on the over.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    Bernard is a shot fighter

    But Joe is no spring chicken, moving up to light-heavyweight is a big ask, it's a tough away fixture and the stable isn't exactly in form.

    it won't be pretty. I think the Vegas judges will give it to Hopkins.
    <a>road</a>
  • xcman27
    xcman27 Posts: 72
    if you knew anything about boxing, you would know that joe will be too fast for hopkins..like he was for kessler also you say calzahghe is no spring chicken? he's 6 years younger than hopkins!!
  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    I want to say Joe, but watching the performances of the British world "champions" lately I'm beginning to wonder, did you see the Clinton Woods fight at the weekend? I just hope Joe does the business or the Americans will never take another Brit boxer serious again!!
  • SunWuKong
    SunWuKong Posts: 364
    Hopkins is a great fighter but as long as Joe carries his intensity at Light Heavy he will beat him. Joe is most susceptible to brawlers, he then starts to brawl with them and loses his skill and speed advantages. Jeff Lacy was going to retire Joe and he gave him a lesson. Kessler was good, strong, younger and really wanted it and that ended up reasonably comfortable ( as a tough fight gets).

    Personally I think if it was in Wales, Joe would batter him. Just have to see how he travels.
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    xcman27 wrote:
    if you knew anything about boxing, you would know that joe will be too fast for hopkins..like he was for kessler also you say calzahghe is no spring chicken? he's 6 years younger than hopkins!!

    He may be 6 years younger than Hopkins but he's still 37.

    Yes he is quick, but at that age he won't get any quicker and moving up a weight won't help that either. Hopkins was always a brawler and has less to lose as he ages I think.

    Hopkins won't be stopped, and the home judges are prob worth 1/2 a point a round.

    Hopkins on points
    <a>road</a>
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,094
    xcman27 wrote:
    if you knew anything about boxing, you would know that joe will be too fast for hopkins..like he was for kessler also you say calzahghe is no spring chicken? he's 6 years younger than hopkins!!

    He may be 6 years younger than Hopkins but he's still 37.

    Yes he is quick, but at that age he won't get any quicker and moving up a weight won't help that either. Hopkins was always a brawler and has less to lose as he ages I think.

    Hopkins won't be stopped, and the home judges are prob worth 1/2 a point a round.

    Hopkins on points

    Thats my fear. Can get 5-1 on Hopkins to win on points apparently. Worth a punt I think.

    On the other hand. Calzaghe seems to turn it on for the big ones. Wouldn't it be great if he destroys him like he did Lacy or its a great fight like it was against Kessler. I fear the worst though....
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    That is a good price HM and I, for one, will be investing
    <a>road</a>
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,094
    Down to 2-1 or 3-1 now depending where you go. Kept my money in my pocket.
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    Already backed at 4.9 on BF plus a saver on the draw at 24
    <a>road</a>
  • Stewie Griffin
    Stewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
    If it goes all the way (I believe that it will) my worry is American based Judges might not score a lot of Joes punches as he quite often appears to slap rather than punch . He has been criticised for this for a long time and I have always wondered what Judges would make of him when he fought away from home. There is also the possibility that the ref may penalise him during the fight if he believes he does it too much.

    However, I will be watching on tinternet in the hope that I get to see Hopkins coming around on his stool asking Freddie Roach (his trainer) "what happened"? :D Or even more pleasurable would be Hopkins doing the chicken dance ala Zab Judah;

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esRMgF6KuM0
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,094
    Wow...how embarassing!
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Good one Joe,

    Always good to beat an arrogant yank, especially in his own backyard.
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  • Mark Alexander
    Mark Alexander Posts: 2,277
    Nice one Joe that dirty B******rd though, that wasn't a low punch that was his belly, couldn't handle Jo so he tried to cheat.
    http://twitter.com/mgalex
    www.ogmorevalleywheelers.co.uk

    10TT 24:36 25TT: 57:59 50TT: 2:08:11, 100TT: 4:30:05 12hr 204.... unfinished business
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,094
    Well, pretty surprised he won it when listening to the commentary. Sounded like Joe got caught with all the better punches. I thought it was all over after that first round knockdown but he got straight back up. I think Joe was lucky to get the result really. Pleased though! Just that it would have been nice for the result not to have been in dispute.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Well, pretty surprised he won it when listening to the commentary. Sounded like Joe got caught with all the better punches. I thought it was all over after that first round knockdown but he got straight back up. I think Joe was lucky to get the result really. Pleased though! Just that it would have been nice for the result not to have been in dispute.

    Listening to commentary is different to seeing it though. True Hopkins did hit with the better shots, but they were few and far between and apart from the first round they did little damage. Calzaghe worked harder, got more shots on target (albeit not big hits), and all round was better.

    It was a pretty close fight though, and Calzaghe didn't look comfortable at all.
  • SunWuKong
    SunWuKong Posts: 364
    Totally agree with you hammerite. I thought Calzaghe was poor compared to some of his recent performances but Hopkins did a good job of stifling him.

    Up until the Hatton v Mayweather fight I had always thought of Joe Cortez as a really good ref, but in that fight he just wouldn't let Hatton work on the inside at all. Yet in JC v BH he let Hopkins hold and headbutt all night long.

    Not a great performance but a good win.
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,094
    Hammerite, guess you're right. I did catch snippets online but the site kept messing up so mostly relied on the Radio 5 commentary. They kept mentioning Hopkins big shots getting through but I think the stats have showed Calzaghe landed alot more shots and thats what won him the fight. Not a vinatge fight but a wins a win. Just a shame he didn't put him on his arse.

    One more fight for him now. Wonder who it'll be against. That would be good to go watch in Cardiff.
  • cbj
    cbj Posts: 44
    Well, pretty surprised he won it when listening to the commentary. Sounded like Joe got caught with all the better punches. I thought it was all over after that first round knockdown but he got straight back up. I think Joe was lucky to get the result really. Pleased though! Just that it would have been nice for the result not to have been in dispute.

    Due to a Setanta cock up I ended up listening to 5 Live and the commentary was constantly talking up Hopkins as though he was dominating and had Calzaghe's number, especially Duke mackenzie who had actually backed B Hop to win.

    The next day I actually got to watch the fight for myself and wondered if Duke had let his prediction blinker his outlook. It was close but calzaghe clearly won the fight and Hopkins low number of punches per round, negative style of going backwards, holding and feigning injury were never going to do him any favours with the judges.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Hammerite, guess you're right. I did catch snippets online but the site kept messing up so mostly relied on the Radio 5 commentary. They kept mentioning Hopkins big shots getting through but I think the stats have showed Calzaghe landed alot more shots and thats what won him the fight. Not a vinatge fight but a wins a win. Just a shame he didn't put him on his ars*.

    One more fight for him now. Wonder who it'll be against. That would be good to go watch in Cardiff.

    Thats always the thing. In a lot of peoples eyes you don't look like the winner if you've hit the floor and your opponent hasn't. If Hopkins wasn't as old as he is I reckon he'd be gunning for a re-match (although he still might).
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    No chance of a re match and if there was it would be in Cardiff and BH would have little to no chance there with his tactics.
    Next fight will be in Cardiff with R.Jones junior in November.
    Nice to see two fighters respect each other as they do. (BH is a tosser)
    For that I just about tip JC to win, mainly as he will have home advantage but should be a classier fight.
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    No chance of a re match and if there was it would be in Cardiff and BH would have little to no chance there with his tactics.
    Next fight will be in Cardiff with R.Jones junior in November.
    Nice to see two fighters respect each other as they do. (BH is a tosser)
    For that I just about tip JC to win, mainly as he will have home advantage but should be a classier fight.

    Jones is a shadow of the man he once was, Calzaghe would beat him with something to spare. Tarver has thrown his hat in the ring now which would be much more interesting but to be honest I doubt if Calzaghe would take the fight.
    <a>road</a>
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,094
    Shame all these opponents are past their best isn't it. JC will be remembered as very special but its a shame he's not mixing it with fighters at the top of their game. Then again, that often happens in boxing doesn't it.
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    Shame all these opponents are past their best isn't it. JC will be remembered as very special but its a shame he's not mixing it with fighters at the top of their game. Then again, that often happens in boxing doesn't it.

    Ideally he should have been fighting the likes of Jones / Hopkins / Trinidad / De La Hoya 4 or 5 years ago

    Did he dodge them or they dodge him?? who will know
    <a>road</a>
  • Well, given that BH was 43 and ran him very close, perhaps it's better that he didn't. He lacks a strong enough punch to have beaten the best of the higher weights at their peak. Was a good fight though, and BH was awesome given his age. Did cheat a bit though, but who would blame him?
    Dan
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    Shame all these opponents are past their best isn't it. JC will be remembered as very special but its a shame he's not mixing it with fighters at the top of their game. Then again, that often happens in boxing doesn't it.

    Ideally he should have been fighting the likes of Jones / Hopkins / Trinidad / De La Hoya 4 or 5 years ago

    Did he dodge them or they dodge him?? who will know

    They avoided JC for years.
    Who says he has not fought the best? Did the yanks not say Lacy was the best only to get slaughtered? Kessler? he is a good fighter, basically JC has beaten all put in front of him, it is hardly his fault if they all avoided him and all now want a go to get final pay days !!
    45-0 is a hell of a record. Funny how brits prefer loosers and always find something to criticise when we eventually get a "real winner".
    Credit where credit is due, whats the point of who would have done what if they had met, they did not and he has won all his fights, we can ask no more.
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    Fair enough OW, I was not really criticising JC and as you say he has beaten anyone put in front of him. Just that in the murky depths of boxing politics, often both sides will accuse each other of avoiding the fight and it's impossible to tell the true story.
    <a>road</a>
  • SunWuKong
    SunWuKong Posts: 364
    Agreed, Welshman. Frank Warren has repeatedly claimed that Roy Jones (whom I think is/was brilliant) twice verbally agreed to fight JC only to back out. Not that I particularly trust Warren but where was the benefit for them fight him and risk losing for potentially a relatively small purse as JC isn't huge in USA.

    Also, why did BH jump from middleweight to light heavy without stopping off at super middle? I think the reason is JC.

    I've followed JC since his amateur days and even back then he was clearly a class fighter.
  • My point was only in regard to the light heavy division. I don't think he is a destructive enough puncher to have beaten the best genuine light heavies at their peak.
    Dan