Calzaghe: “During the Hopkins fight, I was at my best."

Can't believe this is quite right...Joe looked a lot better against Lacy for example.

Sure Hopkins is a lot more skilled than Lacy, and he makes everyone (including Joe) look bad, but it's a bit baffling to claim his Hopkins performance as his best.

 

Well, the tap on his stomach made him double over, wince and cry for 5mins in round 10, and he looked in extreme amounts of pain after the fight too, so that proves that statement false.

 

atsch
Hopkins needeed a breather mate. And were you drunk during this fight? "He looked in extreme amounts of pain after the fight"??

 

Personally I think the current Calzaghe of the last couple of years is the strongest version of him. So in that sense I agree. He has added a strong element of smarts to his boxing. Previously it was just extreme stamina, speed and heart. However, time and time again he got caught up in fighting dumb (or at least not very smart) in fights that he today would beat easily.

So in that sense this is no surprise.

Then why did he not dominate an old Hopkins more? Well - mainly because Hopkins never tried to win - he just tried to avoid fighting. He held more than we would see in an average Ruiz fight. That is the only reason why Calzagh didn;t dominate more clearly. IF Hopkins had dared attempt to win, Calazaghe would have won more clearly and on KO if Hopkins had given his all to win. The main reason is that Joe would have taken over more, the more energy Bernard would expend. Hopkins however just wanted to survive and so he did. His spoiling tactics didn;t really fool anyone except for one judge who hopefully never get to judge any fight again.

So although the fight was ugly, messy and boring - Calzaghe is probably right when he says that he was ready both mentally and physically to fight, but Hopkins just made it so that no fight could happen. Joe of course clearly won, but it takes two to make a fan-friendly fight.

 

He needed a breather because he had the lungs punched out of him with a shot straight to his onion bag, plus he kept rubbing his noggin which was pulsating and bruised from teh amount of times Joe made him eat knuckle sandwiches.

And no, i just had a tipple of champagne after the fight to celebrate.

 

I had alook at the vids to go with the article, and thought I heard him say he WASN'T at his best...but who knows he does mumble a bit when he speaks.

 

And after all the viscious punishment (or at least thats how you see it) calzaghe inflicted how many knockdowns did he get? None Did he come close to getting a tko? No. Did he wobble hopkins? No Did he stun him? No...
I guess calzaghe beergoggles were the cause of your massive delusions then :deal

 

He instead crucified him over the last 9 rounds, disecting every fibre in his body, and mentally obliterating him, don't be suprised if Hopkins resembles a post Calzaghe Lacy in his Pavlik fight.

P.S

I can't stand beer, i have a much more refined taste.

 

:huh You cant be serious

 

How many people have actually watched this fight? Hopkins won! Jesus, It's plain and simple. To the less experienced, when a fighter dodges, dips, ducks, dives, and dodges, or parry's or blocks a punch, IT DOES NOT COUNT AS A PUNCH.

edit. Actually the only one diving was Calzaghe.

 

Youre in the minority, Joe won that fight.

 

Look, Calzaghe threw 1000 punches, held twice. Hopkins threw 50 punches and parried and held 500 times, Calzaghe 10 times. So yes, Hopkins did parry and hold more than Calzaghe, but he didn't do anything himself to win the fight.

Even when he hit Calzaghe in round one did he not have the guts nor the selfbeliev to follow it up in any way. He was just in there to survive.

 

:good

 

Obviously Joe didn't come close to hurting Hops as his hand problems don't allow him to use much in the way of power, he hasn't thrown decent power shots since the Lacy fight.

But why am i attempting to reason with a boxing fan who can't stand beer, it just isn't right.