Joe Calzaghe: "Hopkins a Racist, Got His Ass Kicked"

[Vladimir303]

edit: @Vladimir. Mario Veit was a mandatory for Calzaghe the second time. He had to fight him.

Yes because we all know how much he cherished the WBO and their highly skilled and deserving # 1 contenders.

[Lord13]

^^^
One of the biggest ******s of BS history.

[warp1432]

Yes because we all know how much he cherished the WBO and their highly skilled and deserving # 1 contenders.

Not the point. You said that (or implied) that he was a coward because he would rematch someone who he beat easy, but yet wouldn't rematch someone who he beat close. Joe didn't have a choice in the matter, this case he does.

So you're wrong.

[donray]

After seeing that clinic that hopkins put on with pavlik joe wants nothing to do with bernard, he is scared stiff he fears this more aggressive version of hopkins along with that defense that gave him fits in the first fight.

He knows he would lose if bernard fights like he did in the pavlik fight calzaghe will take a beating and will lose convincingly, what joe fears is this more offensive aggressive version of hopkins, coupled with the defense he has displayed consistently as he has gotten older.

[them_apples]

Last time I checked, Calzaghe was looking more beat up than Hopkins was.

[Vladimir303]

Not the point. You said that (or implied) that he was a coward because he would rematch someone who he beat easy, but yet wouldn't rematch someone who he beat close. Joe didn't have a choice in the matter, this case he does.

So you're wrong.

Does one have to do what the Sanctioning body tells them?

No plenty of fighters vacated their belts if it was a waiste of time.

Hence, he had no problem with fighting a guy he already KO'd years ago.

[Clegg]

True and good point, but yet those were also Middleweight defenses. Hopkins wanted to continue making history by raking up defenses. Super Middleweight is/was a pretty much worthless division to him. He wanted big money to go up in weight and he didn't get it so he stayed at Middle for less.

It's ****** from a money standpoint, but he definietly wasn't scared of Joe. Especially when he challenged him at 42.

I agree that he wasn't scared. I doubt Hopkins is or has ever been scared of any other boxer in or around his weight class.

However...I do think that he fought a lesser opponent for less money, rather than taking a risk, and because of this I feel that Hopkins is more to blame than Calzaghe for them not having met years ago.

Well I wouldn't say neither, but in getting your priorites straight, they should fight each other again. It's all up to Calzaghe. Either fight Hopkins first or retire. It's pretty simple. Dawson does not deserve more of a shot then Hopkins, even if he's way younger.

If not, make Bhop-Dawson. I'm all for it.

Ok, but what I mean is that you still get credit for a win, even if the person in question has a close decision on their record and their best win is over a faded fighter. Beating Calzaghe in 2002 would've gotten him more credit than most of his fights at 160 did, so I don't see the amount of credit he would receive as a factor in him not taking the fight.

Except when Super Middle was viewed as a ****ty division with "Euro fighters" Not really. I don't see why you are justifying that as why Hopkins shouldn't get a rematch anyway, since the first fight was clearly close.

I'm not, I haven't said that Hopkins doesn't deserve it. I just think that, 6 years ago, Calzaghe did deserve it.

But if they don't fight, people will say he is scared and ****. I don't believe that, but you can't have it. If he fights Dawson and beats him, people will say he should have fought Bernard insted.

True, but I think beating Chad proves more for Calzaghe.

Fighting Hopkins is a lose/lose situation. Dawson is the only prime 175 guy Calzaghe will have faced, the only world class southpaw, and the biggest guy he's ever come up against. It also gets him an alphabet belt for those who do not regard the Ring title as legit.

Dawson already has a better resume than Lacy or Kessler. It's possible that he goes on to dominate 175, considering how old everyone in the division is. A win over him might turn out to be the best of Calzaghe's career.

All that a rematch with Hopkins will prove is whether or not Hopkins has declined any further since their last meeting.

The fairest situation would be to have Hopkins-Calzaghe 2, and Dawson-Johnson 2, and then the winners face off. But I believe a win over Dawson brings with it more credit, and would be a lot more entertaining.

Hopkins deserves it more, but Dawson does more for his resume IMO.

[fightnews55]

The first fight was terrible. No network would ever consider buying the rematch. The HBO rating for the April fight were terrible.

It was a hell of allot better then that farce of a break dancing, slap fight against Roy Jones.

[fightnews55]

Anyone who think Calzaghe beat up or even gave Hopkins a minor scratch to think about needs to have there head examined.

[warp1432]

Does one have to do what the Sanctioning body tells them?

No plenty of fighters vacated their belts if it was a waiste of time.

Hence, he had no problem with fighting a guy he already KO'd years ago.

Yes, but he had no reason to give up his belt at the time and no one else to fight. So why not fight your mandatory? If he had given up his belt, he would be throwing everything away. You don't throw away your belt when you don't have any one else to fight.

I agree that he wasn't scared. I doubt Hopkins is or has ever been scared of any other boxer in or around his weight class.

However...I do think that he fought a lesser opponent for less money, rather than taking a risk, and because of this I feel that Hopkins is more to blame than Calzaghe for them not having met years ago.

Well If I had to say if I had to blame someone for them not fighting, it would be Hopkins, but that's not a duck and he deserves a rematch now. It's a lame excuse for people on why there shouldn't be one.

Ok, but what I mean is that you still get credit for a win, even if the person in question has a close decision on their record and their best win is over a faded fighter. Beating Calzaghe in 2002 would've gotten him more credit than most of his fights at 160 did, so I don't see the amount of credit he would receive as a factor in him not taking the fight.

Again you could argue that it didn't. Because Calzaghe's resume wasn't all that hot. I mean Hopkins doesn't get much credit for beating Keith Holmes, another middleweight tilist, so it would have looked pretty average.

It's because Hopkins didn't want to move up in weight. Hopkins is a very historcial man imo. He actually cares about his place in boxing history and he wanted to make more defenses. If he's not going to get the money he wants and wouldn't recieve credit for, why not make history with racking up more defenses at Middleweight?

Get an average win at an "oridnary, non appealing weight class" (to most fans, especially back then) or get an average win at Middleweight, where Hopkins best weight class is and increase his place in history there?

I'm not, I haven't said that Hopkins doesn't deserve it. I just think that, 6 years ago, Calzaghe did deserve it.

Fair enough.

True, but I think beating Chad proves more for Calzaghe.

Fighting Hopkins is a lose/lose situation. Dawson is the only prime 175 guy Calzaghe will have faced, the only world class southpaw, and the biggest guy he's ever come up against. It also gets him an alphabet belt for those who do not regard the Ring title as legit.

Dawson already has a better resume than Lacy or Kessler. It's possible that he goes on to dominate 175, considering how old everyone in the division is. A win over him might turn out to be the best of Calzaghe's career.

All that a rematch with Hopkins will prove is whether or not Hopkins has declined any further since their last meeting.

The fairest situation would be to have Hopkins-Calzaghe 2, and Dawson-Johnson 2, and then the winners face off. But I believe a win over Dawson brings with it more credit, and would be a lot more entertaining.

Hopkins deserves it more, but Dawson does more for his resume IMO.

Agreed. Or if Dawson is willing to fight in Wales, fight Zsolt Erdei on the undercard. That way if he wins, he becomes the "lineal" light heavyweight champion, beat a prime fighter top ranked light heavyweight, and he'd look much better against Erdei then he would Johnson.

So yeah, I get what you are saying that Dawson is better for his resume, but I think a Calzaghe-Hopkins rematch would be better if he could beat Hopkins convincingly. Though I see Hopkins winning the rematch if they do.

So it's not that you're wrong (except for the duck thing imo, but I'm not really sure if you think it is), it's a disagree.