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By CompuBox - It is difficult to fathom that two athletes boasting a combined age of 79 can legitimately claim to be two of the top 10 participants in any sport this side of horseshoes and shuffleboard, but such is the case with 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins and 36-year-old Joe Calzaghe.
On April 19 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, "The Pride of Wales" (44-0, 32 KO) will make his debut on U.S. soil when he fights "The Executioner" (48-4-1, 32 KO) for Hopkins’ Ring Magazine light heavyweight title. Calzaghe is a 2 ½-to-1 favorite to make his American invasion a successful one.
Hopkins and Calzaghe are two members of a very select group: Champions who have compiled reigns of more than 10 years encompassing 20 or more title defenses. In recent years, each has achieved his success with vastly different approaches, and the contrast in styles is just one element of several that makes this match an intriguing one.
Calzaghe has prospered with a dynamic high-volume offense that emphasizes hand and foot speed as well as unpredictable punching sequences from the unusual angles produced by his southpaw stance. This was most evident in his landmark 12 round trouncing of Jeff Lacy on March 4, 2006 in Manchester, where the longtime WBO super middleweight champion bedazzled his IBF counterpart with unceasing blizzards of combinations. Calzaghe averaged 79 punches per round – 58 of which were power punches – en route to a massive 351-116 connect advantage overall and 280-100 power punch bulge. Calzaghe’s constant work limited Lacy’s offense considerably as he managed just 37 punches per round (18 below the divisional average of 55). While Calzaghe landed 41 percent of his power punches, Lacy could muster 28 percent accuracy. [details]
On April 19 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, "The Pride of Wales" (44-0, 32 KO) will make his debut on U.S. soil when he fights "The Executioner" (48-4-1, 32 KO) for Hopkins’ Ring Magazine light heavyweight title. Calzaghe is a 2 ½-to-1 favorite to make his American invasion a successful one.
Hopkins and Calzaghe are two members of a very select group: Champions who have compiled reigns of more than 10 years encompassing 20 or more title defenses. In recent years, each has achieved his success with vastly different approaches, and the contrast in styles is just one element of several that makes this match an intriguing one.
Calzaghe has prospered with a dynamic high-volume offense that emphasizes hand and foot speed as well as unpredictable punching sequences from the unusual angles produced by his southpaw stance. This was most evident in his landmark 12 round trouncing of Jeff Lacy on March 4, 2006 in Manchester, where the longtime WBO super middleweight champion bedazzled his IBF counterpart with unceasing blizzards of combinations. Calzaghe averaged 79 punches per round – 58 of which were power punches – en route to a massive 351-116 connect advantage overall and 280-100 power punch bulge. Calzaghe’s constant work limited Lacy’s offense considerably as he managed just 37 punches per round (18 below the divisional average of 55). While Calzaghe landed 41 percent of his power punches, Lacy could muster 28 percent accuracy. [details]
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