Calzaghe retaliates to White Boy Remark

Joe Calzaghe makes Bernard Hopkins act his age

BY TIM SMITH
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Sunday, April 20th 2008, 9:57 PM

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Couldridge/Reuters Joe Calzaghe gets boost out of split decision over Bernard Hopkins Saturday night but close nature of contest has Hopkins also smiling at final bell, before result is announced.

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-

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would not concede victory to

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, who took a 12-round split decision Saturday night in their light-heavyweight match at

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.
"I don't think he won so how can I give him credit," Hopkins said. "He got the victory, but he shouldn't have gotten it. I believe I did a lot of things in the rounds to get the win."
But the 43-year-old Hopkins may have to blame Father Time as he faded down the stretch and couldn't hold off the 36-year-old Welshman.
Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs) sounded like a man who was close to hanging up his gloves.
"What am I doing bouncing around the ring at 43?" Hopkins said. "One fight could change everything. Why keep pushing the envelope?"
Calzaghe did a slow burn while Hopkins droned on and on and refused to acknowledge his opponent. Hopkins had started the promotion by saying that there was no way a "white boy" was going to beat him.
As Hopkins was leaving the press conference, Calzaghe, who had shrugged off the comments during the lead up to the fight, reminded him of the statement.
"A white boy kicked your butt, Bernard!" Calzaghe shouted.
Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs) had kept his undefeated record intact, but it came the hard way - a tough, ugly fight that didn't suit what he does best. But he displayed the kind of skill in adjusting that has allowed him to successfully defend his 168-pound title 21 straight times over 11 years.
"I didn't fight my best and I still managed to win," Calzaghe said.
Later he added: "I'm happy that I won, but I'm not happy with my performance."
Calzaghe got caught with a short right hand in the first round and went down on the seat of his pants. He was not hurt, but his father and trainer, Enzo, was worried.
"Dad was rocking and rolling," Calzaghe said. "I told him I slipped. I don't think he bought that. We knew he was a good counter-puncher and he had a good right hand. I just fell straight into the punch and went down for the third time in my career. I wasn't hurt."
Calzaghe had trouble with Hopkins trying to make it a rough fight inside. But as soon as Hopkins ran out of steam, matters shifted in Calzaghe's favor.
"After six or seven rounds I could feel him struggling more," Calzaghe said. "I relaxed after eight or nine rounds. I knew he was tired. He didn't want to fight."
Hopkins said he will have to sit down with his wife and his partners at

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to determine whether to continue boxing.
Meanwhile Calzaghe, who said he wants to fight two more times, seems to have set his sights on finishing up his American seniors tour by taking on

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Jones worked the

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broadcast and attended the post-fight press conference. A match with Jones, 38, would be a big event since Jones has revived his career. But the real test for Calzaghe might be middleweight champ

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(33-0, 29 KOs), who is from

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and who, at 26, has something that Hopkins and Jones don't - youth.