Hopkins ready for Calzaghe

[Tuggers1986]

Bernard Hopkins has welcomed Joe Calzaghe's challenge and says he 'would love' to step into the ring with the undefeated Welshman.


Calzaghe improved his unbeaten record to 44-0 with the weekend's fine points verdict over Mikkel Kessler in Cardiff, which gave him the undisputed crown at the super-middleweight division.

With a retirement date in mind of the end of 2008, Calzaghe wants two big fights to sign off his stellar career, and Hopkins has been top of his list.

Although now 42, Hopkins is in superb shape and is still a major name, with Calzaghe willing to step up to light-heavyweight and travel to America to get the big-name fight he feels he needs to cap his career.

Hopkins has been a tough negotiator in the past, but at least on the surface he seems to be relishing a clash with Calzaghe, and insisted it would only take place in his neck of the woods.

"I would love to entertain his request to fight Bernard Hopkins," Hopkins told espn.

"I think he understands now and Frank Warren understands that he needs that final stamp of approval from the American boxing writers and the fans.

"He doesn't have that name of that elite opponent from America on his resume.

"Bernard Hopkins is the guy that Calzaghe and Frank Warren believe they have to defeat to get that stamp of approval over here in America."


Atlantic crossing

Hopkins, who was undefeated for 12 years at middleweight, insists the fight will only go ahead if Calzaghe crosses the Atlantic.

A possible venue in Hopkins' hometown of Philadelphia has been mentioned, while New York's Yankee Stadium has also been initially put forward.

"He said he would fight me anywhere," Hopkins added. "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 neighbourhood."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12183_2863680,00.html

[mickeyb]

we all know hopkins can do well in america but step of his neighbourhood??

why not bring his butt over to Cardiff in front of a 50,000 live audience?

makes me laugh they say brits never fight out of the UK!!! how many times to the americans travel to fight the mexicans in mexico or the brits over here??

i know america has the money but surely the money is in PPV so what does it matter where the fight is?? it can be televised from anywhere. even on the moon.

here's an idea.....why not have it at a neutral venue like canada or asia ??

both are living legends who held the title for over ten years so both should be given equal rights.

plus hopkins is past it

personally i think Joe has nothing to prove, after he beats hopkins everyone will say he was past it and joe wouldnt have beaten him in his prime.

he should retire now as an unbeaten legend and one of the top 10 pfp all time.

[Addison]

Calzaghe is the one that's been saying he wants one in the US.

Here it is.

[Tuggers1986]

This fight should be in Vegas. Hopkins would punish Calzaghe for his mistakes and pick him apart all night. Hopkins is a better boxer than Calzaghe and Joe doesn't have the power to KO Hopkins.

B-Hop would win a UD. I hope this fight is made soon.

[QuCongee]

I did'nt think so many people would pick Hopkins. This could be my biggest JC payday ever lol

Money in the bank.

[El Jesus]

we all know hopkins can do well in america but step of his neighbourhood??

.

He did, when he knocked out trinidad in front of a ****load of hostile puerto ricans in new york, after throwing the puerto rican flag to the ground and throwing beans at trinidad.

America is not any fighters "neighborhood" and like a broken record you people just dont understand how this place is, how our demographic is culturally.

[F.O.S]

Kesler posed more danger to Joe than Hopkins will @ 42yo imo.

If Hopkins thinks he is going to just turn and win he's a fool.

He will need to train harder and be more tactically aware than he has ever been before to beat Joe.

[-CANE-]

He did, when he knocked out trinidad in front of a ****load of hostile puerto ricans in new york, after throwing the puerto rican flag to the ground and throwing beans at trinidad.

America is not any fighters "neighborhood" and like a broken record you people just dont understand how this place is, how our demographic is culturally.

We might not understand how your demographic is culturally but still it's not the same is it as going abroad. That is outside america and you need a passport to do this. Philly to New York is like the difference between London and Cardiff.

Yeah I think Joe should go to the states and spank some yank, but how often are americans willing to travel abroad and prove themselves elsewhere, not very often.

[celt80]

Joe should go to the us for this fight but not phily and certinly not on a goldenboy card, remember steve forbes against d hopkins.

[El Jesus]

We might not understand how your demographic is culturally but still it's not the same is it as going abroad. That is outside america and you need a passport to do this. Philly to New York is like the difference between London and Cardiff.

Yeah I think Joe should go to the states and spank some yank, but how often are americans willing to travel abroad and prove themselves elsewhere, not very often.

No its not, let me ask you this, in New York that night, an american from america fought against a puerto rican (even though puerto rico is an american territory) and there were nothing but puerto rican flags decorating that place. Very few if ANY hopkins fans were in that building, booing him, he might as well have been IN puerto rico.

When have you EVER seen a fight in england where foreign flags like russia, Germany, and turkey dominated in a fight where an englishman was fighting in england? Tell the truth. You and i both know damn well that doesnt happen.

When paul williams fought antonio margarito here in the west coast, that place was dominated by mexicans waving the mexican flag and cheering on margarito, when has that ever happened in england?

Again, i honestly think you guys just dont understand how it is here.

Like i said in another thread, majority of the best fighters in the world are fighting here, you say hopkins has never fought outside of america, but who should he have fought outside of america during his middlweight run?

Heavyweight is dominated by eastern europeans right now, so you had brewster take 2 fights overseas, byrd took one, holyfield took one, etc. American fighters who have a reason to leave will do it if there is a reason to. Thats why youre seeing heavyweights from here travel abroad, because right now the best heavyweights are out overseas and the money for heavyweights is overseas right now.

Pacman fights here, Marquez fights here, Vasquez fights here, Mayweather fights here, Cotto fights here, Hopkins fights here, Juan Diaz fights here, Casamayor fights here, Pavlik fights here, i basically named off the fighters who are at the top of their division, and low and behold HATTON fights here now as well.

I think you people just dont understand that most of the best fighters in the world while not always being american, fight here because they know this is where the best fighters come to make something of themselves. Everyone is within arms reach of each other. Julio Cesar Chavez was the best fighter to come out of mexico, yet almost all his most memorable fights took place in the united states. Manny Pacman is the best fighter ever out of the phillipines, yet all his best fights are here. Vasquez and Marquez are 2 of the best 122lbers in the world, yet they came here and had 2 memorable wars.

Get it through youre heads that its not just americans who have this standard, the world for the most part has made this place the boxing capitol of the world, fighters from every country and cultural background have come here to try to make a name for themselves and if you guys cant understand that people need a reason to leave a country that has all the best fighters from all over the world within arms reach of each other than i dont know what to tell you.