Why Joe Calzaghe Should Fear Bernard Hopkins

[FLY TY]

I did read the whole article. I found the writing style entertaining, but the writer just didn't provide anything credible for Zaghe to fear from Hops specifically.

I respect you opinion, but many of the reasons you mention have hovered over several of Zaghe's fights and he's always prevailed. You mention nothing that he hasn't faced before, except that it's Hops. I love Hops man, he's a living legend who has an actually legacy, but he doesn't bring any new brand of fear for Zaghe.

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except the fact that he's better than anyone zag has ever faced. he's not just another fighter, and he's so skilled defensively that he amy be able to take away the things zag relies on (his punch output), and turn them into disadvantages. u tell me any1 like that zag has ever faced. everything zag accomplished, so has hopkins. both reigned as champs for some 10 years, with some 20 consecutive title defenses. hopkins himself is just a difficult fight unlike anything joe has seen.

consider this, hopkins in 53 fights has lost 4 times. take a closer look at his losses. his very first fight, 14 yrs ago he lost to rjj (who reigned as p4p king for a number of years), and he had 2 very disputed decision losses to jermaine taylor, but for the sake if argument, im going to tell it like it is, and say hopkins hasn't lost a fight in 14 years-to then rjj. that makes hopkins damn near unbeatable, and beating him will be an unlikely mission in itself.

couple that with the fact of joe fighting outside his country for the first time, in las vegas of all places! then u add all the pressure from his country, father, everyone close to him, then every1 in general offended by hopkins' comments, plus his legacy and his credibility........................

the point of the article wasn't to say, "joe better watch out for hopkins' straight right." u were reading into it too much. the point was to say joe has a tough, if not insurmountable task in front of him, and many ppl keen on picking him as a favorite may want to rethink. that's all. the point of the article was to highlight hopkins as a person, not just a fighter who does one thing "extremely" well that joe has to watch out for. the point if the article was to show hopkins as a fighter who does everything well, and is just a breed of fighter that zag has never seen before.

point taken.

[xfiles]

joe shouldnt fear shiet...hopkins lands one punch joes lands 1000+

Spoken like a true moron in denial. Calzaghe is out of his league in this fight. He's going to sleep!

[xfiles]

I'm sure Joe's biggest fear is the Vegas Ref and Judging.
The End.

I see your already brushing up on your excuses!

[xfiles]

Nice post. I agree. The key is this: throughout his career Joe Calzaghe has consistently demonstrated his ability to outbox AND outfight his opponents, often in the same fight.

That's true! The only problem is all of his opponents suck a fat one!

[dmendoz6]

A lot of hopkins haters, whoever says hopkins doesn't have a chance is insane.I say hopkins wins ud or ko

[xfiles]

It's insane.


Is there anyone who actually thinks Oscar or Tito would stand a chance against Kessler or a pre-Joe Lacy?

Blah, Blah, Blah, Tito and Oscar have actually done something in this sport. You know who else was a welterweight? Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns! All these fighters are great, Can you say that about Lacy and Kessler? I didn't think so! Your just a boot licking loyalist who can only complain trying to justify your miserable life. You should move to the UK and make this country a better place.

[Chase8400]

Obviously that is pending a medical inquiry, you never know.

I work in a library so if you fancy some boring peace and quiet you could get a job there, alternatively you could listen to Joe's interviews

As much as i hate to admit it, I like you and your response. I dont however, like the article. You seem like you don't like "Super-Joe" too much. But, I wonder if you are a fan of Hatton. You better be , being from Manchester. Also, if Calzaghe beats Hopkins: will you become a fan then?

[Neckodeemus]

As much as i hate to admit it, I like you and your response. I dont however, like the article. You seem like you don't like "Super-Joe" too much. But, I wonder if you are a fan of Hatton. You better be , being from Manchester. Also, if Calzaghe beats Hopkins: will you become a fan then?

It's all banter in the final analysis so no problems there.

I've nothing against Joe. I met Joe and his father prior to the Lacy fight at Bob Shannon's Fighting Fit gym. His father in particular was great to talk with and both men sought out the gym owner to thank him for his time, in contrast to Lacy who had to be dragged over to offer his thanks. I've a lot of time for Joe, I went for Lacy but that meeting made me respect Joe and his father and the way they usually do things. It is not personal for me, I just think Hopkins will win and that his part in the fight was being overlooked.

I like Hatton, he has done a lot for boxing. I was never a huge fan stylewise but am getting into pressure fighters, I like Rocky Marciano a lot these days, plus Hatton defeated my hero Tszyu, what Ricky does he does very well and I've more appreciation for his style now. I've joked a few times in articles that over the past years, in relative terms, Jamie Moore has been the best boxer in these parts, I'm a big fan of Jamie's fighting style.

If Joe wins I'll give him all respect that is due to him, I'm not a fan of his style and I would be shallow to follow him on the basis of one win, I wish him well though, odd as that may sound given my prediction, and I will always approach his fights with an open mind. I was burned bad by the Lacy win, that was the only time I went against him and he delivered!

[Neckodeemus]

This is good story-telling, but the title seems detached from the text.

Nothing here justifies "why" Zaghe should fear Hops. Nothing.

I'm one of those guys who can use a lot of words to say very little. There was a Coda on the article that pushed it way over word limit where I talked about the main points but also going through Hopkins' ability to fight southpaws and other factors. Here it is from my word document, hope it indicates why I felt there should be some fear there, cheers:

Coda:

Writing about Hopkins' life and mindset is almost enough to tip one into melodramatic expression: you can almost imagine Bernard spending the winter secreted away in his subterranean lair, working on a plan to derail Calzaghe's strengths, a plan to be brought to light like dark flowers blooming in the dazed mind. Although Hopkins recently bristled at suggestions he is merely a tactician. He feels that his craft is his gameplan.

Joe repeats his “thousand punches a fight” mantra in the hope that it may ward off the fact that Hopkins, on past form, can make his opponent miss many shots. Every one of those thousand shots will present a chance for Hopkins to slip, block, cover distance, hold, smother, foul, before slipping in the eye-catching shots.

Calzaghe cuts also; it is out there in the public domain. Butts have caused some of the cuts; but given that Hopkins butts there is clear scope for Joe cutting in this fight. We could see Joe fighting with blood in his eyes and, as we saw in his fight with Sakio Bika, Joe fighting with blood in his eyes spells rich pickings for a guy good enough to land right hands.

Calzaghe sets for a flurry, lifts his chin and trusts in his reflexes, which let him down in the Bika and Kessler fights, Hopkins may be a forty something but Joe himself carries the hands of a 90 year-old typist, when he has to crack they break, he will have to crack to keep Hopkins honest, therefore we can expect either his weak hands or his cut-prone skin to conspire against him, this means that all bets are off.

Calzaghe's biggest boon is also a massive foe for him. Hopkins loves fighting southpaws. Calzaghe prides himself on a unique style. Hopkins has the antidote for that, in taking in a plethora of southpaw styles he can quickly sift through their differing make-ups and find the exemplar of Joe's style.

Hopkins was taught to fight southpaws by a southpaw in John David Jackson. Hopkins repaid this help in the only way he knows how; he beat the hell out of Jackson in defence of his IBF middleweight title. Hopkins does what anyone should do against a southpaw, make the action messy then pick your shots; even Kabary Salem did this against Calzaghe, flooring Joe to boot.

Hopkins will sometimes line himself asymmetrically before his southpaw foe, and then close the space and landing his shots, before negating until the break. That ability to beat southpaws is not a gift of youthful reflexes; it is down to having knack of fighting a southpaw.

If Hopkins can beat a southpaw with a tighter defence than Joe in Winky Wright, plus Wright threw 618 shots in their fight, then Hopkins can beat Calzaghe, who has a leaky defence.

Joe must bear in mind that, in every aspect, Bernard will come correct, showing Calzaghe respect whilst negating the Welshman's flurries, and movement, with every understated step.

You can throw a KO win for Joe out of court also. In recent years Joe has had the finishing ability of an anorexic girl sitting before an 18-ounce steak, it is not happening. Hopkins would have to hit 60 before Joe could muster an attack to stop him. Joe could barley get Peter Manfredo out of there and Manfredo's chin presented itself as subtly as Jennifer Lopez's derrière, in a basque. So, no KO for Joe.

[Sweet Pea]

Comliments to the author for a very good read!

However, the talent and focus that Joe Calzahe represents will have most of us on Sunday morning acknowledging that indeed, 43 years is just too old to fight at the very highest levels.