Calzaghe tried to fight Hopkins in the early 2000's

You're just a propaganda mill.
Yeah, Hopkins must have been insanely concerned about his reputation when fighting the Allens (3 times), Echols, Holmes, Daniels and Hakkars of the world.

People like you are amusing because you really haven't a clue what you're talking about. Prior to his win over Tito there weren't scores of online fans (or fans in general) raving about the greatness that was Hopkins.
He chose safe fights against Hakkar, a diminishing Joppy and Robert Allen (multiple times) after that win.
Then big whoop!! He beats a Oscar at a catch weight after Oscar already looked **** poor against Sturm and Mosley.
Then he fights a snoozer with Eastman that was one of the more frustrating fights to watch, with more clinching than a slow dance.

No, you're just a record reader. You don't actually know what happened, you parrot what you hear others (who are just as uninformed as you) say.... and maybe hope on boxrec and then think you have a clue.
But you really don't.

 

:goodso why does Calzaghe get so much grief for avoiding big names from America?

 

blatent denial, which i predicted in this thread:good

 

It's simply a matter of perspective and nothing more. Whether or not one likes the fighter in question is usually the difference between a smart businessman who clears out his division and a ducker who picks nothing but the easiest fights for easy money. Same process, different label. And trying to win over every fan- forget about it.

 

agree with you:good

 

Calzage didn't seriously try to fight anybody at that time, it's all BS. he was content in staying in the UK, and defending his worthless belt against mediocre fighters.

 

And your premise, dingbat, is that you stand for nothing and have wasted an hour of your life arguing...nothing? What is your point, praytell? Or are you just another empty-head internet cipher? atsch

 

I've actually boxed, unlike a you smarmy, arrogant, pathetic keyboard warrior like you.

 

Funny how Slappy Joe was allegedly ducked when everyone else who went on to become HOFs and ATGs seemd to meet up? Hmm...

This doesn't seem to hold water. I can give Slappy Joe the nod if he would have fought the best of them all at the time RJJ. He didn't. Nor did he fight the others. Then he got put on his ass by shells of the guys? Please.

Considering the horrible things going on with fighter's safety in the UK at the time I completely understand why nobody would go to fight him in the UK.

 

Makes sense.

Still makes sense.

Because he didn't actually fight any when it mattered. That is not to say that all the hatred he gets is warranted. It is a little extreme. The guys who say Calzaghe was afraid to fight good fighters are viewing it in a very one-sided fashion. There are many, many reasons why fights that should get made don't. Personally, I think he was simply satisfied doing what he was doing.(Although Frank Warren has alot to say on not being able to get Joe to leave his comfort zone..... not sure if I believe it all though.)

But it is also one sided when JC fans use revisionist history(not implying that you do personally)to say that he was ducked because he was so fearsome an opponent back then. He was not a major player at the time and was treated as such.

 

I don't see that in the last line.

What I see is the past and the present. Larkin doesn't mention the future.

The story is told usually as a counter to the notion that Calzaghe never tried for big name fights earlier in his career. Other than Jones, wich couldn't really have happened as Jones was already long gone from SMW before Calzaghe had a name, Hopkins is the only big name Calzaghe could have pursued, and he did try to make the fight.

IT was Bernard who ducked out here.

And I don't believe Hopkins was the least bit scared of Calzaghe.

Just greedy. And poorly managed at the time.

 

Reading your counter arguments maybe you should step out and let someone who's better at it take over, just some friendly advice BK.

 

This is old news. Joe was an unknown and a bad matchup for Bernard especially Prime Joe. Bernards right to kill the deal.

 

It's amazing that the fans of these 2 fighters argue so much when there are so many similarities with their careers. Surely I am not the only one that sees the parallels.

Both were great fighters who were underated and had long title runs. Both fighters fought in relativel obscurity in weak divisions and throughout their prime years struggled to unify the titles because the other champions were being protected from them. Both are slated for supposedly ducking big name fighters of the time (in other divisions) when the reality is that nobody wanted to fight them because they had little marquee value and were simply too big a risk. Both made it big by dominating a young rising start who was meant to beat them.

 

That you are not, I've noticed them too. Seems like we're in the minority though. :thumbsup