Official Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe Poll/Prediction Thread

[bluemax]

This fight is almost to easy to call. Calzaghe will win this fight by a WIDE decision. Hopkins only claim to fame since losing the Middleweight tilte is winning the Light Heavyweight tilte from a shot Tarver. Calzaghe, if he doesn't get old over night will simply out work Hopkins in every round. He'll win this fight even easier than he beat Lacy because Hopkins doesn't punch hard enough and just doesn't have the endurance to punch non-stop every minute of 12 rounds. Once again Calzaghe by WIDE unamimous decision

[Truth]

BoxingScene is speaking 5 to 15 right now for Joe Calzaghe...

[Truth]

I'm suprised Hopkins even got 6 votes. I would have thought everybody would have chosen Joe.

[PeROxiDE]

If B-Hops grabs will he really have such an advantage in the clinches anyway. Joe quite likes it in there.

An excellent post, and possibly the most accurate statement I have read about this fight so far. Joe loves getting on the inside, and it is probably the most underrated part of his game, even more so than his deceptive power. If Calzaghes hand hold up well in training and he has the confidence to throw them as hard as he can, then Hopkins is in trouble. If Calzaghe boxes he wins a UD, but if he gets drawn into Hopkins fight and actually sits down on his punches in the clinchs, he will hurt Hopkins and Hopkins will either try to stay outside and counterpunch or continue on the inside and get stopped. I know I'm going to get a lot of hate from Hopkins fans for saying Joe could stop him, but Joes power is deceiving and if he sits down on his punches he stops anyone with the volume he lands.

[Silencers]

Calzaghe....

[GoodBoxfella]

Since i'm not British, i'll actaully be realistic. Bernard takes the fight over at the end, and wins a UD/SD.

[Kobe Bryant]

I'm rooting for Bhop. Cal will probably win though.

[MELLY-MEL...]

Joe wins 8 rds to 4!

[Method]

Hopkins by UD.

Too complete for Calzaghe's amateurish, European style.

the straight right hands down the pike while Calzaghe wings, and the short, accurate hooks and uppers to counter will cause Calzaghe fits.

Calzaghe's footwork and balance/stance are bad. That, coupled with Hopkins' superior movement/footwork/ring generalship will give Calzaghe a look he has never ever seen before. Bernard will clinch/maul and get rough when he needs to, and his in-fighting skills are superior to Joe Cal's.

Furthermore, Bernard's defense is not only better than Joe's, but it's a defenseive look the likes of which Joe has never faced.

Bernard has the uncanny ability to take your best weapons away from you.

Work rate is Joe's best attribute, and we have seen Bernard take that away from fighters already (See Holmes, Trinidad, Taylor, Wright, Tarver)

I really think Bernard has the more complete game here, and he's going to be ready with plans A, B and C. Age will not be a factor. I believe people are looking way too in to the Wright fight. NOBODY has has looked good against Wright, and, what's more, nobody has beat Wright as convincingly. Wright was flat out beat up in the championship rounds of their fight, and gassed at the end.

Joe can say whatever the **** he wants about "Who have you fought", but truth is that Joe Cal was targeting a few guys that Hopkins beat (Wright, Tarver) as a way NOT to fight Hopkins.

Time will tell, but I love Hopkins chances in this fight.

[sparked_85]

Since i'm not British, i'll actaully be realistic. Bernard takes the fight over at the end, and wins a UD/SD.

so he realistically takes a split decision that infers that he might have lost. Excellent.