Bernard Hopkins 2001 vs. Joe Calzaghe prime, who wins this fight?

I thought Joe won their actual fight going away and that Bhop should have been DQ'd or received a deduction for that acting job on the "low blow". That was total rank bull**** from a guy who couldn't control the pace and then the pace got too fast for him.

That said, in 01 or anytime for that matter, it would always be a toss-up. Two great fighters, anything can happen.

 

Bernard's optimal physical prime ended as the 90s ended.

That said, 8 lbs of muscle while still in his prime means he KOs - STOPS - Joe. Joe never could avoid taking punches from superior athletes (which is one more reason why he only fought them when they were past prime). Joe struggled with pedestrian athletes (Starie, Reid, Salem, Brewer, also Kessler, Mitchell, etc.). BHOP would have hunted him down and finished him.

The neophytes often talk about Joe's hand speed but it was negligible against an OLD BHOP (who isn't considered to have exceptional hand speed). Joe's vaunted hand speed was more so BECAUSE of the shitty comp he was able to employ it against. It looked great by comparison. Get in the ring against lousy athletes and it is easy to seem great (when you are merely good). BHOP is simply as good as Joe in his best areas and superior in every other facet. Only age and conditioning made a difference when they met in 2008. A prime BHOP puts on the 8 or 15 lbs of muscle and lands what Joe can't see or avoid. OVER.

 

Calzaghe beats Hopkins everytime, all day long.

 

Hopkins hands down. He almost stopped calzaghe so a prime version would destroy Joe easy

 

Eubank, Benn, Jones, Hopkins, Jackson (Julian), McCallum, McClellan, Hagler, Flowers etc would all beat Calzaghe in their primes.

 

What difference could Bhop realistically do - he could open up more sure, and give Joe far more opportunities (Joe is a natural counter puncher) to land his own shots.

I think Joe is one of the few fighters who'd always be poison for Bhop - both incredible fighters, but I see Joe winning this one.

 

No way Calzaghe outworks prime Hopkins. Prime Hopkins could match Calzaghe punch for punch for the full 12 rounds. Just watch his fight against Glen Johnson and you will see the kind of workrate he could set. In that fight he threw over 60 punches a round in the quiet rounds when he was taking a rest. He was regularly throwing 80-100+ punches in the majority of the rounds in this this fight.

Calzaghe is a damn good fighter and would not be an easy win for anyone but he doesn't beat prime Hopkins. Hopkins wins a hard fought but clear decision in their primes.

 

Get over it black people, **** Hopkins got his **** pushed

 

Hopkins made Calzaghe look like an amateur when they actually fought and was robbed anyway so a 2001 version beats him any day of the week for me

 

I had Hopkins win the actual fight by one point.

I don't give Calzaghe any chances against younger Hopkins...

 

Not 100% sold on '01 Hopkins, because his activity level had already started to tail off, but the Hopkins who mauled Glen Johnson and made it look like a sparring session beats a tag team of prime Calzaghes.

 

suck my dick. if he knocks him down like that and stuns him then he surely stops him in an actual fight

 

james toney would beat calzaghe any day of the week