Hopkins: "I Won't Let Calzaghe Make History"

[Guest]

OOO!! OO!! I KNOW!!!


Because he rarely appeared on television in high profile fights becuase he was high-risk/low-reward fighter and Tito was a phenominal welterweight who got lucky against De La Hoya, beat up "The American Dream", America's only Gold Medalist from 1996....the very green David Reid, and he out slugged a young Fernando Vargas in prime time.

So, you've got a very visible power puncher in Felix Trinidad and an unheard of counter-puncher/brawler/mauler Bernard Hopkins.....and people always bet on "the star".


How's that?

Then why was Hopkins the favorite over DLH if "people always bet on 'the star?'"

[Kid Achilles]

Calzaghe was always turning and getting in quick hits vs. Lacy. He had too much respect for Lacy's power to make an earnest attempt to take him out early. Against Hopkins, he would be hitting him with real punches, and a lot of them.

[K-DOGG]

Then why was Hopkins the favorite over DLH if "people always bet on 'the star?'"

Because B-Hopp was a natual middlewegith who had earned his reputation by schooling Trinidad.....the fighter De La Hoya had blown it against; and De La Hoya started his career as a jr. Lightweight, where Hops had started at Light Heavy.

[Shanus]

Because B-Hopp was a natual middlewegith who had earned his reputation by schooling Trinidad.....the fighter De La Hoya had blown it against; and De La Hoya started his career as a jr. Lightweight, where Hops had started at Light Heavy.

I would also say the performance that Oscar put on against Sturm is a major factor as of why Hopkins was the favourite.

[Guest]

Because B-Hopp was a natual middlewegith who had earned his reputation by schooling Trinidad.....the fighter De La Hoya had blown it against; and De La Hoya started his career as a jr. Lightweight, where Hops had started at Light Heavy.

That's my point. Hopkins proved himself prior to the DLH fight, but not prior to the Trinidad fight. If Hopkins had fought DLH before fight Tito, he would have come in as the underdog then too...

[K-DOGG]

I would also say the performance that Oscar put on against Sturm is a major factor as of why Hopkins was the favourite.

Aye! Good point. I forgot about that part.

[K-DOGG]

That's my point. Hopkins proved himself prior to the DLH fight, but not prior to the Trinidad fight. If Hopkins had fought DLH before fight Tito, he would have come in as the underdog then too...

De La Hoya, as Shanus pointed out, looked dreadful against Sturm...which aided in the odds.

Going into the De La Hoya fight, unlike going into the Tito fight, the general public had a better feel for who Bernard Hopkins was...not because he had fougth nobody; but because "nobody" had seen him fight.


....and De La Hoya had looked terrible at 160 in his only appearance.

[LiLHopkins]

If we see the same weaker looking Calzaghe we saw against Sakio Bika. Hopkins will win.

[deuce_drop]

you guys forget that hopkins has fought more outside the ring in the court room then inside the ring and still came into the ring and won.

for years after a dispute with Don King hopkins never got any televised fights, king made it a point to keep hopkins off tv even when king had nothing to do with the fight, hopkins had to fight his way to the championship and keep it for X amount of years before getting any exposure.

it's tough to keep winning with all the outside distractions.

and the reason hopkins was an under dog against tito was because tito was a hype machine for starters, two no one (general population) knew who hopkins was, three tito was a huge star undefeated and knocking out guys, four everyone was on tito's nuts...................

all i can say about that fight is hopkins made me about $600 buck between bet with my friends because they all thought that hopkins was a nobody, but as it turned out they like most of so called fight fans didn't know what they were talking about............

and although the division was weak and not the thinkest with talent, hopkins did rise to the occasion to beat whoever they put in front of him at the time. gotta give credit where credit is due...............

[deuce_drop]

If we see the same weaker looking Calzaghe we saw against Sakio Bika. Hopkins will win.

we won't to joe's credit he steps up his game when there is a real challenge.