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

scored the fight 114-113 b-hop so in his primes its much wider , maybe 116-112

b-hop is a much better fighter than calzaghe

 

Rewatched their fight last week. Scored it 117 to 112 for Calzaghe, same as Lederman. Both Lederman and Manny said it was "an easy fight to score". Anyone who thinks Hopkins won is seriously delusional. And that conjob of a low blow he pulled in the 10th was one of the most gutless, pussyified moves I have ever witnessed. Bernard simpy could not stand the pace and needed a break. It was so obvious and commented upon by, again, Manny and Harold.

 

I think Calzage beat the Hopkins of 2001,I was not impressed with B-Hop then. I think B-hop was stronger at 175lbs and I think he did everything he could even fake a foul a few times to bide time vs Joe Calzage because he was tiring. B-Hop is a physical freak because he took care of himself and avoided wars in the ring but is far more experienced than the fighters today. I thought Calzage beat him and would beat any version of him. Joe always found a way to win

 

I agree with this totally I thought the fight was easy to score and I also agree with Harold and Manny ...I think it was evident that Hopkins was looking for a rest claiming a foul when the replays and commentators could not find a low blow. He did get a rest and avoid getting hurt but I there was no way Hopkins came close to winning IMO I had it 117 to 112 Calzage

 

Their actual fight told me that a peak Hopkins thoroughly outclasses and punishes Calzaghe. I'd go with a wide, comfortable, dominant decision win for Bernard, with a couple of knockdowns thrown in for good measure. B-Hop was just a much, much better technician, and free of any 40+ stamina concerns he would really put someone like Calzaghe to the sword.

 

I didn't think Hopkins-Calzaghe was particularly close either, I had it to B-Hop by 4 points:



1.....hopkins 10, calzaghe 8

H scores KD, and lands next best punch of round with another right hand similar to the KD punch not long after


2.....hopkins 10, calzaghe 9

could've been a 10-10, wouldn't argue with anyone who saw it that way, C forced action, H got off first a few times


3.....hopkins 10, calzaghe 9

competitive, but a hopkins round. H does cleaner work on inside, and lands couple of right hands


4.....hopkins 10, calzaghe 10

could be a hopkins round, but settled on a draw. H lands a good straight right, but not enough in this one to give it to either


5.....hopkins 10, calzaghe 10

very even round.


6.....hopkins 10, calzaghe 9

first good punch landed by calzaghe comes in round 6! A good left hand at 2.12. But H comes back with a good right to the body then lovely right hand off the ropes. H lands better punches, smothers C's attacks, C misses with a few flurries of punches


7.....hopkins 10, calzaghe 9

H lands good left at 1.26. C comes forward a lot, his jab is not effective, punches don't land. H staggers C with hard punch after C's flurry misses at end of round


8.....hopkins 9, calzaghe 10

C lands nice left on 1.19. H fires back with straight right. Another H straight right at 2.13. close round but C edges it as his jab is better this round


9.....hopkins 9, calzaghe 10

C good short left at 0.40, H comes back with right hand. same as last round, could be a 10-10 but C just does a bit more here


10....hopkins 10, calzaghe 9

a clear H round. H nice straight right at 1.00, again at 1.24. despite C's aggression and output it is H that lands all the best shots


11....hopkins 9, calzaghe 10

C gets more punches in, although neither man lands many cleanly


12....hopkins 10, calzaghe 10

even. both flurry, no advantage gained



total..........hopkins 117, calzaghe 113

 

Agree.

Adding eight pounds of muscle to a prime Hopkins from the late 90s would have made him a nightmare for Joe. Joe can't out punch him, can't avoid taking punishment, and can't out work or out last him. Joe isn't accustomed to running and there would be no place to hide.

 

if you weren't impressed by Hopkins in 2001, which was his absolute peak year, then how could he have ever possibly impressed you?

 

Hopkins, without question.

 

I think folks forget that Calzaghe, an action fighter who relied on his combo speed and reflexes, was further deteriorated for his style of fighting at age 37 than was Hopkins, who likes a slower pace, single shots, tieing up, was at 44.

I'll post my scorecard later, I have it somewhere. I remember Hopkins winning the first 2 rounds big and then an evening of the rounds with Calzaghe taking most of the middle rounds, having a huge round 9 and pulling away. Lederman was there, he scored it 116-111. Manny Steward was there and agreed with the card. Even Hopkins fanboy Kellerman thought Hopkins lost. My scoring from the TV was right in line with Lederman's. I don't really know what to say. Guys I know and respect scored the fight one way, some internet Hopkins fans scored it another.

My one insight would be that what Hopkins does, the style of fight he now fights, is highly pleasing to a Classicist in a purely aesthetic manner. The Jersey Joe walk aways, the should feint counters, all of it IS beautiful, especially if you are enamored with 1940's and 50's fighters. However, his output, and ultimately effectiveness, is much less impressive. Calzaghe was much busier and they weren't all slaps or blocked as some would like to believe. The best judge of the effect of a punch is one who is at ringside. Those at ringside believed Calzaghe's punches were effective. Even Kellerman stated that by the middle rounds Calzaghe was sending sweat flying off Hopkins' head. Joe landed more punches on Bernard than any other opponent ever. It was a simple story of one fighter outworking another, happens all the time.

 

Ahh my better posting days, before I abandoned serious technical pugilistic analysis for talking about **** in the lounge

 

The middleweight division was weak at the time and then lets face it B-Hop feasted on blown up welterweights,HOP dominated but did not really have that defining fight then the Taylor fights. I saw a difference in Hopkins when he moved up in weight and had the strength to go along with his experience...I like Hop at 175, he was very good at 160 but his best fights were over Tito and Oscar...Glenn Johnson was not the fighter he aged to be