Hopkins Can't intimadate Joe Calzaghe

[javelin_fangs]

So stop this "smartest fighter in the world" bs he is nothing.

Well, actually, he's the 175 lb World Champion.

But the fact is he is and always has been a very solid boxer technically, especially defensively. Calzaghe doesn't really do much in the way of defense. Offensively he overwhelms most opponents with hands speed and constant motion. He's not going to beat Hopkins the way he beat Kessler. Hopkins isn't going to sit in the pocket waiting for pile on flurries like Kessler did.

This should be a close fight. Hopkins should slow Calzaghe's work rate down with his footwork, which is one area where he's very technically skilled. What Calzaghe gets a lot of credit for is his willingness to stay on offense all three minutes of every round. That may be crowd pleasing, but it doesn't necessarily make someone a better technical boxer.

Hopkins, on the other hand, goes offensive in spurts. Because it's a less crowd pleasing style, he doesn't get as much credit for the things he does well. He makes his opponents work hard to land punches, he sets up power shots well and he used to crowd well, but now more often than not he clinches.

[RichCCFC]

Yeah, that is his best fight ever. You can suck him all you want for ***** slapping your favourite boxer, doesn't bother me.

[javelin_fangs]

This is evidence of why boxers "duck" other top fighters sometimes over money. Bernard Hopkins probably made no more than $50,000 for this fight and even though it was a very important win in his career it's all but ignored by all but his biggest fans.

But, more people remember Hopkins' win over Howard Eastman because it was fought on a big stage. Eastman was a decent win, but it doesn't compare to Johnson even though it made him more money.

[TheGreatA]

Yeah, that is his best fight ever. You can suck him all you want for ***** slapping your favourite boxer, doesn't bother me.

[RichCCFC]

So now you post a video of him beating up a Welterweight. There is no video or highlight reel of Hopkins which can change my mind at the moment and I've seen the majority of his fights anyway. He was a very good fighter but is highly overrated for beating up on midgets or shot fighters. I respect Hopkins but he isn't a genius like people say he is.

[TheGreatA]

I'm just showing the difference between Hopkins in his prime and Hopkins today.

In his prime he was known as a very active fighter, today he throws about 20 punches a round and that's why he will probably lose to Calzaghe.
It's still impressive how a 43 year old man is good enough to get fights with top p4p fighters like Joe Calzaghe.

[RichCCFC]

I'm just showing the difference between Hopkins in his prime and Hopkins today.

In his prime he was known as a very active fighter, today he throws about 20punches a round and that's why he will probably lose to Calzaghe.
It's still impressive how a 43 year old man is good enough to get fights with top p4p fighters like Joe Calzaghe.

You would love Hopkins if he was Welsh.

I like Hopkins now, I just don't believe he was as good as people make out. His resume although looks good on paper is very poor if you disect it properly, at least all of Calzaghe's opponents were his size.