b-hop vs calslappy fair decision? or not?

[KostyaTszyu44]

was it fair? did joe deserve the win?

i personally think hopkins did enough to make it a draw, not sure if he threw enough to justify the win......he did make joe fight poorly and look ordinary though, that could have tipped it for him


ill put up a poll

[Silencers]

It was fair IMO.

[abadger]

I literally just posted this off the topic in another thread, here it will be on topic, so here you go:

I'm sorry, but this 'piss-poor performance-against-a-43-year-old man-who knocked-him-down-in-the-first-round' that you are all repeating like a mantra and seem to believe is the gods own truth about the fight is little more than yank propaganda. It is as though you think if you keep repeating it enough it will magically come true.

What really did happen in the fight? Was it Calzaghe's best performance, no, lets get that out of the way right away. Did he get knocked down, yes, but lets not pretend that Joe staying on his feet didn't look a distinct possibility until Hopkins bundled him over. What about the rest of it?

The reality of that fight is that Hopkins usual tactics, the tactics that had beaten Tarver and Winky, the tactics that say, be cagey, back off and when your opponent throws bundle into him throwing first an overhand right and then short punches, did not work. Why didn't they work? 1) because Hopkins mauling style did not intimidate Calzaghe in the slightest, unlike Tarver, and he responded with shots of his own every time, 2) Joe's pressure was so relentless and he threw so many shots that Hopkins was forced to concentrate on shutting Joe down rather than doing anything himself, 3) that Calzaghe was actually smarter than Hopkins and from R6 or so had worked out that all Hopkins had was this actually rather one dimensional gameplan and shortened his own punches in exactly the way Hopkins usually does to beat Hopkins at his own game and 4) that the pace Calzaghe set was far too great for Hopkins who was exhausted by the later rounds. These are all things done by Joe Calzaghe to win the fight. It was an ugly afair, much different than Calzaghe's normal style, but he still won, outright, fair and sqaure, over the acknowledged linear LHW champ.

As for Hopkins age, yes, he was 43, but when was the last time Hopkins was young? He beat tarver and Winky in his 40s to become the #1 LHW. Did he look shot or incapable in that fight? No, he looked strong, quick and capable, just as much so as in any of the recent fights he won. Did he tire at the end, yes, about R10, not 4, 5 or 6. Jermain Taylor and Zab Judah tire in fights faster than Hopkins did. Can you even say him tiring was solely due to his age, no, Calzaghe forced a much higher pace and pressurised Hopkins much more than any other opponent he had ever faced.

Calzaghe's close win was both deserved and impressive and making excuses to try and discredit it is weak.

[kayjay]

Give it up. You saw the other poll where 90% agree Joe won. Do you think if you keep at it eventually you'll get the answer you want?

[KostyaTszyu44]

I literally just posted this off the topic in another thread, here it will be on topic, so here you go:

what a load of utter crap

[T-97]

Joe OWNED him. It wasn't even close, All Hop did is throw one punch and try headbutt Joe, he even had to fake injuries to stop himself being KO'd by Calzaghe. He clearly lost everyround from 4 onwards. JOKEY MCJOKE

[Roger Yomama]

This is getting old boys.

[abadger]

what a load of utter crap

How so? Please provide your alternative account of the fight.

[popkins99]

popkins lost, deal with it.

[KostyaTszyu44]

How so? Please provide your alternative account of the fight.

joe was outclassed, it was close but he was

most of the time he charged in wildly b-hop just nailed him with a short right or tied him up

b-hop dropped him also, and there were many other times he showed how open joe is when he flies in with his little slaps

he never had b-hop hurt, and at no one time was b-hop looking subpar or slopy, but joe certainly was looking poor

joe made it close with his constant attack and b-hop admittedly didnt throw enough to firmly secure the win but b-hop should have won a close decision IMO

either that or a draw which i can accept