if this happens within the next year or so, who would u pick ton win and why? And how does it effects each man's legacy?
Calzaghe would take this due to his speed, workrate and pressure. He would just switch tacks untill he found one that worked. the winner would be universaly acepted as the best fighter under 175 lbs and perhaps an all time great fighter under that weight.
Calzaghe would win this fairly easily. Hopkins cannot sustain the pace he would need to win this fight. He'd have to stop Joe and I can't see him doing that. Even if he has him hurt Hopkins no longer has enough in the tank to follow up. Prime for prime is a different matter (a much closer fight). Hopkins knows he can't win now and the fight won't happen.
Although Hopkins is a southpaw specialist (he seems to beat 'em all pretty cleanly), the way to beat Hopkins is with speed. Calzaghe should win a decision in this one if it happens.
I think Calzage would have beaten him, 5 yrs ago, and I think he is one of the few fighters who can beat him now
Wouldn't mean an awful lot for Calzaghe to beat a 44 year old fighter whose best days are far behind him. Would however be a massive win for B-Hop. A young Hopkins would destroy Calzaghe IMO, these days I'd have to give Joe the edge.
I think this fight is rather easy to call. A great stylistic matchup for Joe. Hopkins is a bit bigger but he throws way too few punches to deal with Calzaghe's pressure and work rate. Unless Joe ages overnight, i cannot see a scenario in which Hopkins wins. And even then it's a tossup. Calzaghe aged extremely well, i think he's 36 but he looked 26 in his fight with Kessler. Despite Hopkins' age, i'd like to see this fight. Hopkins is the biggest name around that weight, Pavlik is dealing with Taylor, Kessler he just beat, so Hopkins would be a logical choice.
Janitor is right, Calzaghe has this fight in the bag if and when he and Hopkins ever lace 'm up. Calzaghe isn't just a fast punching, southpaw volume puncher, he proved against Kessler that he can FIGHT. Youth, of course will be on his side, and he might even have a harder edge to his offense being since there's bad blood between him and the ol' racist Hopkins. I pick Calzaghe to outright whip Hopkins by a wide decision, unlike Bernard's previous conquerer Jermain Taylor, who, contrary to popular opinion, DID defeat, however narrowly, Hopkins, and did deserve both decisions.
Calzaghe would beat Hopkins at any stage. Hopkins is very overrated. Calzaghe has too much speed and would leave Hopkins in the dust. If the fight happens (Does Hopkins have the courage to sign?), in the next 12 months, Calzaghe will potentially stop Hopkins late or win by a wide margin.
Calzaghe wins but it doesn't really have any impact on either man's legacy. Hopkins is 42 with his best days long past. Calzaghe is still pretty fresh but even he is probably heading downhill. This is a good money fight with very little reputational risk. it probably won't happen because Hopkins ego won't let him take the risk of getting his ass kicked by a guy he carefully sidestepped over the past 10 years.
Yeah, honestly don't know. We've seen Hopkin's methodically dissect men several years younger than himself before. Not to mention he's a dirty ******* who wouldn't have a problem butting Joe in round two.
