Prime Hopkins versus Prime Calzaghe ... Let's End It Here

[IMDAZED]

Dirk's last statement about Hopkins switching his style reminds me of the Foreman-Merchant exchange during the fight. Loved George but when he didn't know a fighter he was horrible.

George: Hopkins is feinting now! And boxing! Can you imagine that?

Larry (exasperated): George...Hopkins is a Philly fighter. You couldn't survive the famous Philly gym wars if you didn't know how to BOX!

[Doctor_Tenma]

Please with the volume of punches Calzaghe has thrown his entire career, you are not throwing 5 punches at him unanswered, the volume coming back will stop you. You kinda have to potshot and move/clinch to be effeective against Calzaghe because if you trade he's going to hit you more than you hit him.

he's made an entire career of doing that.

Those punches wouldn't phase B-Hop. A prime B-Hop would have made him pay and have broken Calzaghe down to the body. I know how good Calzaghe is/ what he is capable of. I may sound like I'm overrating B-Hop but Calzaghe isn't in that level in my opinion.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

Perfect example of someone who never watched a prime Hopkins.

LOL @ Hopkins changing his style with Trinidad. It was that style that led so many people to pick him to win in the first place! Well then again, those people had actually watched Hopkins fight before.

Is this all you've got to go on? "These foolz aint never seen Prime BHop lolz".

Hopkins hunted Glen Johnson down like a rabid dog. Whereas he slipped, moved and countered Tito and put on a clinic. They were two very different performances in my eyes.

[Kris Silver]

An awful style match up for each other at any time in they're careers.

But Hopkins biggest weapons of extremely good defence, being wily, sly, neautralising, tactical, experienced in getting the win were in some respects better later on.

A more agressive Hopkins would suite Calzaghe more, speed beats Hopkins as Roy showed and in general he can struggle with it.

So Calzaghe simply gets the better of Hops again.

The idea of Hops being unstoppable in his prime is ridiculous, Joe and Hops are both past it, 5 years ago the result would've been similar.

[street bully]

Please with the volume of punches Calzaghe has thrown his entire career, you are not throwing 5 punches at him unanswered, the volume coming back will stop you. You kinda have to potshot and move/clinch to be effeective against Calzaghe because if you trade he's going to hit you more than you hit him.

he's made an entire career of doing that.

He would throw way more without gettign hit, like he showed at 43 Calzaghe could not land clean at all. it would be the same back then, only Hopkins would throw 5 times more and hurt him many times, and then stop him. You try to pressure a prime Hopkins and use activity you will get owned, ask Glenn Johnson a man who threw 80 punches a round only to miss them all and get sonned and stopped, mind you Johnson is tougher than Calzaghe and takes punishment better.

[Doctor_Tenma]

People are making it sound like Calzaghe's counter punching would back B-Hop off, NO NO!

[IMDAZED]

Is this all you've got to go on? "These foolz aint never seen Prime BHop lolz".

Hopkins hunted Glen Johnson down like a rabid dog. Whereas he slipped, moved and countered Tito and put on a clinic. They were two very different performances in my eyes.

How about his performance against Andrew Council? John David Jackson? What did you think of those?

[street bully]

An awful style match up for each other at any time in they're careers.

But Hopkins biggest weapons of extremely good defence, being wily, sly, neautralising, tactical, experienced in getting the win were in some respects better later on.

A more agressive Hopkins would suite Calzaghe more, speed beats Hopkins as Roy showed and in general he can struggle with it.

So Calzaghe simply gets the better of Hops again.

The idea of Hops being unstoppable in his prime is ridiculous, Joe and Hops are both past it, 5 years ago the result would've been similar.

Hopkins defense was just as good in his prime, matter of fact I would say it was better since he would not get hit like isthe case now, and have more openings to hit them back, and would hit them a lot more frequently.

[Easy-E]

Cuts? He was knocking echols silly and the ref stopped it (TKO) and the same occurred against Glen Johnson. Neither fight was stopped due to cuts.

He knocked out Echols, I know that. But Johnson was cut over the right eye, the ref and ring doctor came and looked at it before the 11th. The doc said something the the ref, and although I dont know what it was, he seemed to imply that he should not let the eye get more damaged.

The stoppage was way to early, and that may have explained it. Your point is inherently right though.



Hopkins looks GREAT in this fight, though.

[street bully]

Is this all you've got to go on? "These foolz aint never seen Prime BHop lolz".

Hopkins hunted Glen Johnson down like a rabid dog. Whereas he slipped, moved and countered Tito and put on a clinic. They were two very different performances in my eyes.

he didn;'t hunt Johnson down. Johnson was the one putting the pressure on, but Hopkins used his movement and defense he has today, and a 100 mile per hour offense as well to stop Johnson. Hopkins only went after Johnson when he was clearly out of it.