Hey you Rotten Tooth Limey's: Yes I do care about the fight
I'd be pissed if I had to wait until 3am to watch a pavlik fight.. Good thing I live in such a kickass country!!
Happens all of the time as our big fighters such as Calzaghe and Hatton are looking to cash in now (can't blame them) and the states is the place to go.
Fortunately in Dec I was in Seattle so I watched the Hatton/Mayweather fight on US time!
Back to the actual fight, I can tell you boxing fans in the UK will really be looking forward to this one albeit at 3am. It really has the potential to be a fight of the year candidate. Should this go 12 (which I doubt) it will be an all time classic. Roll on the weekend.
I believe this will go the distance, but Calzaghe will outwork Hopkins. He'll win this by 4-6 rounds in my opinion. As with Kessler, we will see a couple of big punches land on Joe, but his chin is good enough to take them.
Hey you Rotten Tooth Limey's: Yes I do care about the fight
How dare you, you capped teeth Yanky Doodle!
I guess it will be a late night and an early afternoon wake up call on Sunday. Lets just hope it's worth it!
Although they may not be the best, I'm always behind British fighters. Growing up things were about Bruno, Eubank, Benn and Lewis (even if he is an adopted Brit!), then there was Prince Naseem and Johnny Nelson for me to get behind. Right now I really look out for Calzaghe, Hatton, Witter, Alex Arthur, Clinton Woods, Carl Froch, Amir Khan, Haye and Enzo Mac.
Not all are the best in the world - but they're my favourite fighters because they are Brits looking to do well on the world stage.
Quality-wise, Calzaghe and Hatton still have to be up there modern day, Amir Khan is really good to watch, and I have really enjoyed what I have seen of Irishman John Duddy, his come to fight style really appeals to me.
I didn't realise that the fight was on as late as this - bit of a joke to be honest, especially as this has been billed as the biggest Brit fight since Benn v Eubank!
I will be hoping Haye comes through this, so that he can step up to Heavyweight without a recent high profile loss to his name. It really can't look great to have a cruiserweight take you out before your Heavyweight quest.
If Haye is to win, and step up to win a world heavyweight crown - then maybe in a few years if Enzo moves up too (he has said this would be hard as it isn't his natural size), we could have one hell of a rematch. If Haye loses, will the heavyweight scene take him seriously to start with? In this scenario I do not see him being fast tracked to a world title.
I'm a bit concerned for him, especially as he has been quoted as saying there isn't much in his legs at times as he is not performing at his true weight. Enzo is smack bang where he should be weight-wise which for me makes him a huge threat, especially with the punch power we have seen from him too.
Knowing how the Calzaghe camp is with Joe Calzaghe, you have to think Maccarinelli will be totally prepared. I really think this is a 50-50 fight and one Haye shouldn't have taken before moving up. His heavyweight quest could be derailed before it has even started!
Whatever the outcome, a few years down the road we should see a real good rematch and on Saturday night/Sunday morning we should see a really good match. I'm hoping for an epic.
Audey's got to step his game up for sure. I thought a few years back that he could go in to the heavyweight mix which has been awful for some time now - but he really needs to look as though he wants it.
Once again he looked lazy, scared of getting tagged and basically like he did not want it enough.
After getting banged out by Sprott (who Audley was doing a real number on to that point) he really needs to come out, fight 3 or 4 more fights stepping up each time and knocking some guys out impressively before getting on with someone half decent.
Haye is being talked about at the end of the year. That's a bad fight for both guys in my opinion. I would be looking to keep them apart, and have Audley fight a couple more bums, maybe fight Sprott or get Rogan (Prize Fighter winner) in with him, then look at Skelton who is the ultimate awkward fighter who will come to get Audley.
Should he win that then let Audley step up, away from domestic level and start pushing for any kind of title shot.
Keep Haye in another direction.
I seriously wouldn't mind seeing Audley, especially after he has apparently written to Frank Warren explaining that he knows where he has gone wrong and will be looking to put it right.
As long as he will be on, I'm very tempted to stay up to see him hopefully press an opponent and try to knock him out.
By the look on his face after the first round knock down. by walking into right hand leads all night. His face looking like he was in a knife fight. by his corner screaming on him after every round. and the amatuer girl swinging when in trouble. look at the sheepish look on his face waiting for the final decision. and finally getting owned by Max Kellerman for trying to call the knockdown a "slip". Joe took a severe ass kicking tonight and admits that to himself.
Ha ha, the Americans really do not do sarcasm do they. If you listened intently you would have heard Joe say, nah, it was a joke, I got caught flush.
Maybe if Hopkins pressed a bit and landed a few more punches rather than using his head, being evasive and tieing up for 12 rounds he could have won it. Hopkins just can't last 12 pacy rounds, that is what did for him. Maybe if that fight was made 5 years ago we would have seen a different outcome - it wasn't though and Joe deserved the win by being busier, landing more punches than anyone else has against Hopkins, and simply being more aggressive throughout the fight.
Boxing isn't all about knockout punches. Lets stand back and admire a man who simply outworks every opponent he faces, no matter how awkward their style, and comes out on top.
Got to say I scored this in favour of Calzaghe by 3, but I can't see how one judge went 9 in his favour. That was crazy.
Calzaghe was busier and pressed the fight from Round 4 onwards. Hopkins was too cagey but very awkward, kind of what everyone expected. He did catch Calzaghe with a handful of good shots, but over 12 rounds that really isn't enough for me. Add to this the FACT that Calzaghe hit Hopkins more than any other fighter has, I'm not surprised Calzaghe won, but am a touch surprised it was by split decision.
I believe Calzaghe hurt Hopkins on two occasions during that fight, although I can't remember the exact rounds, Hopkins definitely winced once and shifted on the other occasion. Not a great contest, but definitely a very interesting contest.
...and although hit lowish during one round, what was the phanton low-blow all about later on. That fooled no one, and could have actually swayed a judge in to thinking, this guy is being outworked and doesn't fancy it.
Maybe Hopkins wants a rematch now, to be honest I do not want to see it as I can only see the same outcome. Hopkins being cagey, not working enough because he can't due to his age and Calzaghe outworking him.