For Joe Calzaghe`s first fight in America, he took on future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins. Watching it live, I thought Hopkins had won, especially in light of the first round knockdown. In my retrospect, this fit added to the legacy of both fighters. Given that Hopkins would go on to school the undefeated middleweight champ Pavlik and Calzaghe would beat up Roy Jones in way few thought possible in Roy`s prime, we were lucky to have seen these two in the same ring.
Here`s what I thought would happen:
"Big fight tonight on HBO. Two of the top pound for pound fighters today will meet for the light heavyweight championship. Bernard Hopkins is one of the all time greats at Middleweight. Joe Calzaghe is possibly the greatest all time at Super Middleweight. Much has been made of the ageless Bernard Hopkins. While it is not unusual for a fighter to remain in the game into his forties, it is almost unheard of for a fighter his age to be at the top of the sport. He has enlisted a team of trainers and coaches to help him develop a game plan to stop the undefeated Welshman. Hopkins goes into the fight having the edge in defense. His unusual, unique style is unlike any opponent Calzaghe has faced. Hopkins has not had a knockout victory in several years, though early in his career his tendency to finish opponents in the first three rounds gained him the nickname “the Executioner”. Hopkins unorthodox style and use of left hands and straight rights in place of the jab could confuse Calzaghe and get him out of rhythm. Bernard is an excellent counter-puncher and is undefeated against southpaws. A former jailhouse champ in Philadelphia, Hopkins is a master of rough, inside tactics. The crafty Bernard has shown an uncanny ability to neutralize opponents` best weapons. Throughout his career, Hopkins has relished being the underdog and proving his doubters wrong, particularly in his 2001 fight with Trinidad underdog. His resume is far superior to Calzaghe`s in terms of opponents. Joe Calzaghe, the undefeated Pride of Wales, could be the best pound for pound today, behind Mayweather. His “artistic” use of angles and movement makes the southpaw’s style difficult to answer. His legendary productivity often finds him throwing 1000 punches in a fight. While these are often soft or slap punches, his flurries do impress the judges. At the same time, he will mix up these combinations with hard left hands once the opponent has become confused and overwhelmed. He has a tendency to leave his hands low. This coupled with his high punch count leaves plenty of openings for B Hops counter punching. This fight in Vegas will be Joe’s first fight in America. Although it is rumored that 8,000 plus supporters have made the trip, Calzaghe will be out of his comfort zone. He has not fought anyone of Hopkins caliber, and his biggest victories, against Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler, came against fairly one-dimensional, straight forward fighters. If Calzaghe becomes frustrated and moves away from his normal game plan of movement, angles, and superhuman work rate, he could leave himself open to big punches, namely Bernard’s right hand. At the same time, Calzaghe can overwhelm Hopkins with his punch output. Joe can use angles to avoid straight flush rights from Hopkins. If Joe gets ahead early, he could test Hopkins 43 year old legs. Bernard’s tendency to start slow offensively often leaves him in a hole early. As always this is boxing, and anything is possible. With the fight at Planet Hollywood, there has been discussion of the casino’s ties to Golden Boy Promotions, De la Hoya`s company of which Hopkins is the east coast rep. Hopefully, this will not affect any judges’ decisions. I see Joe being too busy to allow Hopkins to win enough rounds to secure a victory. Calzaghe by decision."
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