Hopkins vs. Calzaghe Heads To The Mandalay Bay

[HappyBoxingFan]

You think Pavlik would move up to fight Joe? You think he'd stand much of a chance at winning? I don't. But the first question makes the second irrelevant.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I do think that would be an incredible fight. With Pavlik's build, I think he could put on weight on easily. Much like Paul Williams. Once again, I could be wrong.

[Greatwhitehope]

Hopkins with a 9th round KO.

You heard it here first

[BennyST]

Man, too many people are completely missing the point with this fight. It's going to be a hard, dirty and scrappy fight for both guys.

The Calz guys are underestimating B-Hop and vice-versa. B-Hop knows how to win, not how to make an exciting fight and give severe whippings but then again, that really isn't the point. He can definitely win this and as it may well be one of his last big fights he will come in, in incredible shape and very determined.

Calzaghe is very underestimated by a lot of American fans who haven't seen many of his fights. He's had some very tough fights against some very good competition earlier in his career. He has faced every adversity a fighter can go through and come out on top. Lacy and Kessler are his big names but are not nearly the best fighters he faced or his hardest fights. Robin Reid was a very good fighter when he faced Calzaghe and it was a hard fight. Eubank (if you don't know Eubank you're missing out on a great fighter) was a fantastic fighter who would've given anyone in the division hell (Beat some of the best fighters of the times). Anyway, thats not really the point. Calzaghe fights rather similar to Hop in that he completely spoils the other guys fighting style and brings it down to his fight. He has better defense and boxing skill than most are willing to give him credit for and if comes in in great shape he will present a great problem for Hopkins.

They both make scrappy difficult fights and Calzaghe can give as good as Hopkins can in the hard, dirty fight department. Hopkins on the other hand only takes a fight when he knows there is a way he can win and Calzaghe does have some leaks that Hopkins will be able to take advantage of. Also, if anyone thinks Calzaghe will simply overwhelm Hopkins with punches it doesn't matter of he throws 1000 punches if only 10 of them land a round. Hopkins' defense is undeniable and he can still throw more punches than people give him credit for when it's needed.

They are both smart fighters who have all the skill needed to beat the other. Calzaghe has not tasted defeat in his pro career and hasn't actually been beaten in something ridiculous like twenty years amateur or pro! Hopkins has faced some of the best fighters of this era and has won and lost those fights so he knows what to do and how to do it when facing a truly good fighter.

If folks could relax on the record slagging of both fighters and see them for what they are, which is very damn good fighters, they will realise that this is a fight that does count and while it may not be the greatest fight to watch, it will be fight with two highly skilled guys that are both looking for a serious win toward the end of their respective careers.

I really can't decide on who is going to win. If Calzaghe is helped by the extra weight in terms of stamina then he may just be able to get by with a lot of punches but I still don't think it will come to that. I think I'm going to take Calzaghe in a close bout in which he surprises many people by beating Hopkins at his own game in a dirty, scrappy, ugly affair with both showing some great skills at their ages.

[Jim Jeffries]

Hopkins with a 9th round KO.

You heard it here first

Yeah, Hopkins with one KO/TKO in his last 8 fights (a much smaller DLH) is going to stop Joe Calzaghe.

[SHB]

I don't know why people are predicting this fight will go the distance. Two times Calzaghe has fought outside the UK and two times he's stopped his opponent. I don't think he'll risk getting screwed by the GBP judges.

My money is on a mid-late stoppage, with the haters saying that Hopkins was shot anyway afterwards.

[Technical_Skill]

Im not sure about this fight, hopkins is a smart guy, he picks the fights he knows he can win (in his own head), ill watch a little more hopkins before making a real decision, but i wouldnt be suprised if Hopkins wins this, he'll be dirty, wont hang around on the outside, and is gonna smother joe, and hopkins has nice defense too and a decent right hand over the top, i dunno why people are so quick to write him off, plus calzaghe will be nervous too, 1st time in the us and all, look at hatton on the ringwalk for mayweather, he was nervous as ****, i can see a close decsion for hopkins, but also i can calzaghe finishing his career also, could be a contraversial one.

[CraigM]

I'm so tempted to save the money to go watch this one, just think it'll be a prime Calzaghe performance and i think he could well put Hopkins on the canvas, Calzaghe is brilliant at changing his game halfway through a round.

Should be such an interesting match

[pins0099]

I don't know how Joe will react when B Hop uses his "dirty" tactics in the fight. I also believe that we will see THE BEST of BHOP. I like BHOP by UD or late stoppage...

Joe has been in with plenty of dirty fighters, Sheika, Salem, Bika. He out boxed them all and save for Bika continued to knocked them the **** out. And don't start trying to tell me B-hop is dirty in a LEGEND type of way, an elbow is an elbow.

Nothing changes the fact that B-hop can't punch more than 20 a round TOPS, he'd be blowin from round 2 onwards if he tried. Calz is way too fit and agile to let b-hop pressure him. He will win almost every round but because the fight will be in LV the scores will be close. The only hope for B-hop is that he pulls off a Mallinagi!

[COACH WEBB]

Joe has been in with plenty of dirty fighters, Sheika, Salem, Bika. He out boxed them all and save for Bika continued to knocked them the **** out. And don't start trying to tell me B-hop is dirty in a LEGEND type of way, an elbow is an elbow.

Nothing changes the fact that B-hop can't punch more than 20 a round TOPS, he'd be blowin from round 2 onwards if he tried. Calz is way too fit and agile to let b-hop pressure him. He will win almost every round but because the fight will be in LV the scores will be close. The only hope for B-hop is that he pulls off a Mallinagi!

LOL! everything that you typed "sounds" good. But we will see when it happens. Please don't compare those "bums" you named to a LEGEND, in B-HOP. This will be the roughest and toughest fight that Joe will EVER have. BHOP aint no push over, and I believe a lot of Joe's fans will see that when they meet. I've been hearing about how fit Joe it, but BHOP IS TOO! Y do the Joe fans keep talking about his conditioning? BHOP is 43 years old and his conditioning is better than some of the young guys in the sport! He is always in shape. He never walks around overweight. He is a discipline veteran fighter who has been in there with TOP DOGS (Roy,Tito, Oscar, Winky, Tarver, Taylor) As I have stated before, name the ELITE fighter(s) that Joe has fought! The things he did to Lacy, and Manfredo will NEVER happen to BHOP, trust me. He is a different animal and when the stakes are the highest, he brings out his A game. Who has tested Joe's heart? No One! Becuz he ain't fought NO ONE!

Check this out, when Joe gets under those Las Vegas lights, how will he react? He is fighting on the biggest stage he has ever fought on. He will NOT be fighting a NO NAME FIGHTER. He will be fighting the Excutioner himself. BHOP will prove to you and the rest of the boxing world why he is LIVING LEGEND!

[THE REED]

i dont think bernards gonna be able to rush with that head like he did against a non mobile weight drained tarver, and a blown up flat footed winky wright... joe knows how to move... and thats what hes gonna do... i think hopkins is gonna look his age finally in this fight....