11 years ago today: Joseph William Calzaghe, CBE SD12 Bernard Humphrey Hopkins Jr.

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First time, not the last..

 

Actually was it even the first time? Come to reflect, I don't actually know for sure whether Clinton Mitchell (to whom B-Hop lost in his pro debut) was African-American...most of us I think just assume so. He only fought a few times professionally. There's no extant footage of him, and no images come up on a quick Google search. I guess he could've been a white boxer from Brooklyn.

 

And for all we know he could have rumbled with some Aryan brotherhood members and been on the wrong side of a shower or yard jumping in prison before his boxing career..

 

Anyway, let's avoid too much derailment of the overarching topic (Calzaghe's flurrying his way into the HOF with the first half of his swansong 1-2 punch of legendary opponents conquered while they were all in their collective twilight) by dwelling on the (admittedly hilarious) blowback of Bernard's dumbass statement.

My intent wasn't to spawn a race war in here and get the mod forum inundated with reported posts..

 

Your comment was fine, I more just wanted to head off any more escalation at the pass.

I wish it was possible to have a little fun at someone like Hopkins' expense for a cocky verbal gaffe like this blowing up in his face without it potentially inviting the lowest common denominator to crawl outta the woodwork..

 

I think, like with PBF, a whole generation is going to have to pass before the Italian-Welsh Dragon is rated objectively by enough people to secure a solid footing as far as his place in history among the greats. He's still just as divisive as Mayweather despite retiring several years earlier, with as much emotion clouding both the lover & hater ends of their respective spectra..

 

Also, how did everyone score this in 2008?

Slash, if you feel like re-scoring it today (since this is the rare Friday with little to no quality boxing televised worldwide), how do you have it now in comparison with then?