Even Calzaghe fanatics must now admit him or Hopkins isn't even a debate anymore?

Hopkins ranks higher BUT there is still reason for debate, Calzaghe doesn't have the so called 'names' that B-HOP has... but most of B-HOP's notable wins come from beating marque names out of their Prime weight Classes, still good wins though.

 

:good. Thats right Calzaghe beat Hopkins clearly

 

'97 or thereabouts when he stopped Brown and Johnson.

 

I would say the absolute prime Hopkins was against Trinidad. When he was like 36?

 

Rocky Maricano would probably beat everyone that Sugar Ray Robinson beat and he never lost, but I tend to give SRR a higher p4p ranking than Marciano.

If you think Calzaghe ranks higher you gotta use better reasons.

 

I think Hopkins was 35 or 36 when he fought Trinidad in late '01, but he was much faster of foot and hand in '97, while he also boxed smart and well.

 

It was never up for debate. Only some idiot UK fans still believe Joe C ranks higher...

 

Are you still upset I'm glad Hopkins got "jobbed" because he's a racist and homophobic piece of ****?

I don't think you can debate boxing with me, so I understand the hostility. Pretty much any time you read posts like that, you know why it's being said.

 

Physically he might've been prime at around 28, but he was a much complete and better fight in his mid 30's.

 

Hopkins is now the greatest older fighter ever (with the possible exception of Moore). BUT, this makes Calzaghe look even better because after the third round in their fight, he figured out and outboxed (but did not dominate) an obviously still in his prime Hopkins. Look at only the last 9 rounds of that fight and that's what a rematch would have looked like (Joe would never again fall for that head first followed by right hand he fell for (literally) in the first round).

Being able to fight well when you're 46 is not the only factor. You also have to consider prime vs. prime. I think from their head to head matchup that Calzaghe wins that matchup most of the time. And it's now quite clear that Hopkins was NOT over the hill when they fought, as some complained while denigrating Calzaghe's performance.

Try to picture Pascal in there the other night with the Calzaghe that fought Hopkins. Joe would have boxed circles around Pascal.

But I have no idea if Calzaghe would have been able to continue his abilities to a ripe old age like Hopkins. In that respect Hopkins is clearly a marvel and an ATG at middleweight and Light Heavyweight.

Why can't they both be ATGs? They were obviously relatively evenly matched when they fought.

 

:-( Is it really him?

 

Hopkins stepped up to the plate, fought at MW until the young lions in Taylor arrived. IMO and the opinion of the majority, Hopkins got robbed in the first fight, therefore even though a loss is attributed to him, it is commendable.

During his Middleweight reign, which was from 1995 - 2005, RJJ wasnt a Middleweight rival. But still BHop called him out, RJJ instead fought someone like Gonzalez who no one knows about.

He could have done a ***** move and duck Taylor and go up to LHW. Like Calzaghe, when Froch was his WBC Mandatory he disappeared. Dirrell, Ward, Bute, Steiglitz were lurking around the SMW scene, he disappeared. Dawson pavlik, Pascal were lurking around the LHW scene, he disappeared. That was a ***** move IMO, and one of the reasons why Hopkins is far greater than Calzaghe.

When did I say Ottke ducked Calzaghe, both were too ***** to mention each others name at a post fight interview. At least BHop talked about RJJ, Hopkins was P4P #1 when he asked for a 50-50 split, nothing wrong in that.


the bottom line is

Calzaghe was a ***** who refused to give Hopkins a rematch.

he didnt want to step in the ring with Froch.

Got out of the SMW scene when young lions in, Ward, Dirrell, Bute were emerging.

Got out of boxing all together when he was getting floored by past prime old men in BHop and RJJ.

Disappeared out of the LHW scene when the likes of Cloud, Dawson, Johnson, Tarver, Hopkins, Pascal,

This content is protected

were around.

 

Hopkins resume is about as near impressive as it gets. I find it better than Calzaghes.

 

Man you can bring them Calzaghe quotes, there are Sauderland quotes that show Calzaghe was the problem.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BOXING%3A+Ottke+camp+dismiss+Calzaghe+with+'Volkswagen'+jibe.-a0103373950