Bernard Hopkins vs Joe Calzaghe ['08]

[2-0-Sixx]

Looks like this fight is gonna go down in '08. Most likely at Light Heavyweight.

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Hopkins: "I'll Hand Joe Calzaghe His First Loss"
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By Mark Vester

WBC/WBA/WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe (44-0, 32 KOs) is beating the drums for a fight with recognized light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs). Calzaghe and his promoter Frank Warren, said they are willing to make the fight in America or even Hopkins' backyard of Philadelphia - if the money is right.

Hopkins told boxing scribe Dan Rafael that he is very interested in answering the challenge and making the fight in America, but has no interest in fighting Calzaghe in Wales, which could become the big stumbling block.

"That's impossible. It won't happen because I don't have to go there," said Hopkins. "He said he would fight me anywhere. I have no interest in going there. Why do I have to go? He has to bring his butt here to fight the living legend Bernard Hopkins. We know he can do well in Britain, but step out of your neighborhood."

Hopkins said that Calzaghe's best weapon is the high volume of punches he throws per fight. Calzaghe threw over 1,000 punches in his unification win over Mikkel Kessler last Saturday in Cardiff, Wales. Many experts have knocked the record of Calzaghe, but not Hopkins. He respects Calzaghe's 21-defense record because he's been there and done that. Hopkins defended the middleweight title 20 times before losing via split-decision to Jermain Taylor in 2005.

"Do I feel I can give him his first loss? Yes. Can I neutralize the best weapon my opponent has and use it against him? Yes. His best weapon is that he throws a lot of punches. I know how to adjust to any style out there," Hopkins said. "He's made 21 title defenses, and I don't care if it was against 21 Charlie Browns or Donald Ducks. I'd be a fool to not respect a guy who made all those defenses. I know what he had to do within himself to get up for those fights."

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Bernard Hopkins - 48 (KO 32) + lost 4 (KO 0)
Notable wins: Winky Wright, Antonio Tarver,
Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad.

Joe Calzaghe - 44 (KO 32) + lost 0
Notable wins: Mikkel Kessler, Jeff Lacy, Peter Manfredo Jr

 

[Thir$ty B]

I don't see there being a KO. Its hard to predict how these styles match up, but I would think Calzaghe would be busy enough to win a decision.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

No way there will be a KO. Calzaghe proved on saturday he has a good chin, and Hopkins has never been KO'd in his life.

Personally I think Hopkins is too smart in the ring to lose this fight. He doesn't make any mistakes and always maintains control of his fights. Calzaghe does make mistakes and he can get frustrated, which he did against Kessler early on and I actually thought Kessler had control and was winning the fight up until the mid rounds, but lost confidence when he realized his best shots weren't really hurting Joe. I don't see that happening to B-hop.

 

[Tony]

If B Hop lost to Taylor he sure would lose to Calzaghe.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

lol, whatever. I had B-hop winning AT LEAST one of those fights. And its not like Taylor even hurt Hopkins once, in those 24 rounds either.

 

[Tony]

I had B-hop winning both... but his inactivity cost him early rounds and the fight. I don't see him outworking Calzaghe at this point in his career especially the way he looked when he fought against Winky.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

I had B-hop winning both...

Then why make the point that he lost to Taylor when you even thought Hopkins won both fights??

but his inactivity cost him early rounds and the fight. I don't see him outworking Calzaghe at this point in his career especially the way he looked when he fought against Winky.

Right, so that's the only question, really, is if Calzaghe will be able to outwork Hopkins. That's obviously his only chance, there certainly isn't any chance he will KO him.

I wouldn't argue against that though, I mean Hopkins is 43 now and he did look a lil sluggish against Wright. Father Time has to catch up with him eventually.

In my mind, I just see Hopkins taking control of the fight and frustrating Joe. Should be good though, a chess match for sure and could even turn ugly.

 

[Tony]

Because he "officially" lost and that was the main reason... his inactivity. You see how many punches Calzaghe throws? Bernard's dirty tactics won't stop dude from punching.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

I don't think that's true - Winky Wright threw 1,011 during his fight prior to Hopkins. His game plan against Hopkins was to throw around 80-100 punches per round and "outwork" Hopkins. Look how that turned out. Hopkins is the master at controlling the fight and making his opponents fight how Hopkins wants them to fight.

And for the record Hopkins landed more punches than Taylor in both fights.

 

[Tony]

^Then I don't understand how he lost... Hopkins landed more but I guess Taylor threw more... Like I said I had Hopkins winning both fights but he lost on the cards because he was outworked. The same will happen against Calzaghe...

 

[2-0-Sixx]

^Then I don't understand how he lost... Hopkins landed more but I guess Taylor threw more...

Yeah, Taylor threw more, but hopkins landed more and obviously had a better percentage. Hopkins also landed more power shots.

Like I said I had Hopkins winning both fights but he lost on the cards because he was outworked.

He wasn't outworked. I think the judges were biased towards Taylor since he was the younger undefeated future star and a built up HBO product that was being pushed through the doors as the greatest fighter in the middleweight division since Sugar Ray.

The same will happen against Calzaghe...

Well thats where I disagree. If they fight in the US, which they will have to, then there is no bias for the UK fighter. If anything there would be more favor for Hopkins.

 

[Tony]

Hopkins doesn't stand a snow ball's chance in hell against Calzaghe right now. The Hopkins that fought Trinidad would give Calzaghe fits but the Hopkins that fought Winky recently would lose a boring lopsided fight against Calzaghe...

 

[2-0-Sixx]

alright, no point in arguing. A lot of people said that about his chances against Winky...and Tarver. But hey, maybe you're right, but I don't think so. I don't think Calzaghe is all that special and he's not that young himself (36) and he didn't look like the same Calzaghe that fucked up Lacy against Kessler. In the early to mid rounds he looked confused and frustrated. Something I think b-hop will exploit to the fullest.

 

[Tony]

I hear you about Calzaghe but man he's a busy fighter... he punches all damn fight. Bernard at this stage in his career won't be able to keep up with Calzaghe's activity.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

well like I said, winky threw over 1,000 punches his last fight and his entire strategy was to do the same and outwork hopkins. Hopkins is very crafty in the ring and does not allow himself to be hit cleanly. He completely took away winky's plan of attack. The same I think will happen against joe. He's not going to be able to throw that many punches when hopkins throws a counter and jumps towards him with his head sticking out. lol, that's exactly what happened to winky. Calzaghe was able to throw over 1,000 punches against Kessler because Kessler just stood in front of him the entire night. Hopkins isn't that dumb

 

[2-0-Sixx]

Calzaghe is officially ducking B-hop!! What a bitch move after talking all that shit about Hopkins not wanting to fight him.

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Joe Calzaghe Turns Down Hopkins' Fight Offer


By Mark Vester

According to a report in IC Wales , undisputed super middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe claims that Golden Boy Promotions offered him a fight with recognized light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, which he turned down because the offer was "less" than what he made for his November unification clash with Mikkel Kessler.

Calzaghe's promoter, Frank Warren, is working around the clock to put the fight together. He thinks it will happen, in America, and is even willing to step aside and let Golden Boy Promotions be the sole promoter of the event.

Warren said the reports of Calzaghe fighting IBF light heavyweight champ Clinton Woods are false. They don't view Woods as a frontrunner for a future fight.

“I’ve had an offer from Golden Boy to fight Hopkins," Calzaghe told IC Wales. “But, to be honest, the offer wasn’t as much as I got for the Kessler fight so from a business point of view the deal doesn’t make sense for me. Hopkins must really convince me with hard cash that he really wants this fight because I’m not sure he does. Hopkins and I are two of the biggest names in boxing at the moment. Hopkins is my No 1 target but the numbers must add up before I agree anything. I’m very optimistic it’ll happen because while Hopkins is a big name, he has nowhere else to go but fight me."

“Frank said he’s more than happy to pay Hopkins the same as he offered me to come fight over here, but he’s a home-boy and won’t leave America, so that’s a non-starter. I’d love to fight Hopkins in New York, at the Yankee Stadium or Madison Square Gardens, and with the number of British ex-pats and Italian Americans in New York I’d attract more fans than Hopkins – he’ll be the enemy in his own country.”​

It's clear Calzaghe is full of shit because he has NEVER had a PPV event in his life. A fight with Hopkins will be more money than Kessler or anyone else he has ever faced. Who else out there can bring Calzaghe more money than b-hop? The only two big names out there are Pavlik, who isn't a super-star yet, and Roy Jones Jr., neither of which would be as big of a sell as b-hop.

 

[Tony]

The money gotta be right!

 

[2-0-Sixx]

The money is right - it will be the most money Calzaghe has ever made.

More than likely b-hop offered Joe a 60/40 split, which is more than fair, since Calzaghe would be the one moving up in weight to Light Heavyweight to challenge Bernard for the LH Title.

As I mentioned, Joe has never had a PPV event. Hopkins is a proven PPV success. The only guys higher than him would be ODH, Mayweather and Pacquiao.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

In addition, Joe is saying he would make more from a Kessler fight than hopkins. Check:

From Thomas Hauser's recent article on SecondsOut:

"By way of example; the network poured a $3,000,000 license fee plus another seven figures for marketing and production into Joe Calzaghe versus Mikkel Kessler, which garnered a 2.8 rating (the lowest prime-time HBO World Championship Boxing rating ever). But that shouldn’t have surprised anyone. The live afternoon telecast of Calzaghe against Peter Manfredo earlier in the year came in at 1.4"

Joe is full of shit! HBO LOST money on that fight. He should be lucky someone as big as Hopkins is offering him a 60/40 split

 

[4fifteenRolla]

i dunno mayne. I think B-Hop is bound to look old 1 of these days, and I think it will happen in this fight. The man can only go on 4 so long. I think Joey-C will outwork him. B Hop been fightin some slow paced fighters. I dunno tho. I hate to count B-Hop out and Ive been on the man since his ESPN2 days. We'll see. THis might be the only fight i look at the 24/7 tv shows to see how he's holdin up physically