If Calzaghe fought (today's) Hopkins again...

Hopkins could easily have got the decision in both of the Taylor fights.

I think there was far worse needle between B-Hop and Joe than there was between B-Hop and ol' Bad Intentions.

Personally, I don't see even a microscopic chance that the Joe who failed to stop Jones could stop the B-Hop who spanked Pavlik.

 

I wouldn't favor him to win the rematch even if it'd happened straight away.

In a rematch, what are the odds of Joe traveling again and Hopkins getting a ref like Cortez to bail him out? Let alone that Calzaghe would be in his 2nd fight at 175 and not just coming up in weight, going against an older Hopkins whose gameplan he'd figured out from about the 4th round on the first time around. Hopkins fought the most negative fight he possibly could, executed it the best he was capable of, and still couldn't win despite Calzaghe moving up in weight, traveling, and Hopkins having Cortez ref in his favor.

Exactly where does Hopkins gain any advantages vs Calzaghe in a rematch? I'm just not seeing it other than wishful thinking. If he decides to open up more offensively vs Calzaghe, he'd lose more clearly than he did the first time around because he's still at a speed, workrate, and conditioning disadvantage.

 

who cares? srsly

 

Or scores more than just the one KD that both he and the charred remains of Roy Jones managed?

 

Whether you go in for it is irrelevant, Rochester. It's there.

Calzaghe was fighting for the first time in the US, and the first time at 175.

And he took three or four rounds to figure out the wiley old fox. After that, Hopkins could do nothing and lost all the remaining rounds.

Calzaghe's pressure and swarming pushed him to exhaustion.

A histrionic oscar-winning performance that delayed the game probably saved him from the humiliation of being stopped by a white boy.

 

Hopkins's histrionics were indeed rather lame, but he definitely did do the more effective work IMO, even if it wasn't quite enough to put clear daylight between them. Of course, Hopkins may have gassed even more dramatically in a return bout, that is of course a very real possibility, but all we can do is speculate since the fight didn't happen, and I think the resurgent B-Hop of the Pavlik fight could have edged home in a convincing fashion, which he failed to do first time out. I wish they had met again, it's always interesting when there is genuine bad blood between top fighters. A rematch at the Millennium Stadium would have been quite on occasion, imagine how loud 70,000 people booing B-Hop's long walk to the ring would have been!!

 

But he didn't. Five of six judges scored it 7-5 for Taylor.

And if you feel his being pissed off would have been motivation, that would have been the time to trot out the wrath and leave no doubt.

No 'probablys.'

I'll take it that this is hyperbole, 'cause otherwise you don't have much hope of ever being taken seriously.

And Joe could have stopped Roy any time after the cut.

He was just clowning around, as Roy often did. The two guys are friends.

He carried Roy, same way Roy carried Tito.

 

That's at least a bit more reasonable.


And have you considered that, rather than a resurgence, the reason he had so much less trouble in his subsequent fight was that Pavlik was no Calzaghe.

Calzaghe's style and pressure were more determining than the relative condition of Hopkins on the two nights.

 

Hopkins's greatest flaw was thinking that his cuter, cleaner work would be more appreciated by judges than mere volume. He made that mistake in both Taylor fights, he didn't learn from the first fight. It was a real flaw, because you can see he always thinks he is going to get the decision before it is announced. The way he tried to close the show vs Pavlik when already miles ahead makes me think the penny had finally dropped after the Calzaghe loss. Of course, this is all conjecture and speculation on my part, but really that's all we have in our respective musings on this sweet science.

I'm not that fussed about being taken seriously at all times by everyone. I genuinely do not believe there was a realistic/legitimate possibility of the Hopkins of the Pavlik fight by either KO'd or TKO'd by the Calzaghe of the Jones fight. My honest, considered opinion.

And Joe could have stopped Roy any time after the cut.

I don't believe Joe carried Roy, I don't believe Roy carried Tito. Once more, we simply disagree on key issues to do with this thread.

 

I've mentioned before that IMO, Calzaghe would always have the style to trouble Hopkins and I would pick him over Bernard at any stage.


Jones is another matter.

While Joe would have always been one of Roy's tougher challenges, I would pick a prime Roy (version from the Toney fight) over any version of Joe, and by a clear margin.

 

I agree that Hopkins found Calzaghe a far tougher night's work because he forced a fast pace whereas Pavlik did not. It's the same reason why he found Taylor far more difficult than Tarver. However, the closeness of the three fights with Taylor and Calzaghe lead me to believe the result could have been different on a different night. For instance, Hopkins and Jones both dropped Joe in the 1st round. Had Hopkins committed a little more to his inside counters throughout the fight, he could easily have scored another KD. Joe was always open to that sort of shot. 2 KD's in 1 fight = a certain points win, in a Hopkins-Calzaghe encounter. 2 KD's for Hopkins is most definitely more likely than a Calzaghe KO or TKO, IMO. But this is all if's, but's and maybe's.

 

cuchulain, the little engine that can't. But he keeps trying.

 

San rafeal.

The little fool who can't argue the points in the post.

So he keeps trying to a attack the poster.

But he's not much good at that game either.

 

You want to read back the **** you post, MORON? WHO DOES WHAT AGAIN? You're a ****ing idiot. NATIONALIST ****. Like I'm not better than YOU, of all people, AT EVERYTHING. Just be glad I go easy on the mentally handicapped. Quit making me look good. I don't need any help.

****ing SPAMMER jumps on my nuts every time I type the word "Calzaghe." **** OFF. TOOL.

 

As before, you put a lot more significance into the flash KD in the fight than I did. It confused Mrs. Byrd, nothing more.

Calzaghe was in no trouble at any time in the fight.



This has been done to death.

As stated, I can't see Joe coming back, and I think Bernard shoule have made Pavlik his crowning and final glory.

He's not a top fighter any more and his use of the same stalling tactics in the recent Jones farce showed he just can't box at a high level for more than a few rounds at this stage.

His last fight eroded the respect of most neutrals and even some of his diehard fans.

He risks finishing up like Roy if he continues.

Another farcical end to a great career, unless he hangs them up.