Calzaghe vs Hopkins official Prediction and Analysis Thread *** Brit Forum

Hopkins will frustrate JC into needing to trade and fight stupid thus JC gets stopped late fight.

 

I can't imagine any circumstances under which Hopkins would want to stand and trade with Calzaghe. Entirely the opposite.

 

The build up to this fight has been different to any previous Calzaghe fight I can remember. The reasons are many: fighting outside of Europe for the first time, fighting at a different weight for the first time, fighting an older man for a change, none of his belts on the line etc etc... But the one aspect that could make all the difference is the intelligence (in the ring) of his opponent. I don't think anybody else has brought the ring smarts to the table that Hopkins will bring come Saturday week. Defensively, Hopkins is better than Calzaghe's best victims, much better. Hopkins counterpunching ability allied to this defence, in combination with Joe's sometimes ragged and open southpaw style make Calzaghe a sitting duck for a booming right hand straight on the button. Joe normally doesn't worry too much if he misses a few punches in his combinations (see the Manfredo finish - he missed them all), he simply continues with his unrelenting output... a barrage which has seen him "stop" his opponents by overwhelming them. Some call it conning the ref - regardless, it's always been Calzaghe's style and his intentions are to throw as many punches as possible, not to sit there and pick the right one.

In Las Vegas, it's supposed to be a proper fighters venue where fights don't get stopped until the very last moment and referees won't tolerate slapping. Let's hope Calzaghe refrains from the latter punching technique and sticks to what he did in the Kessler and Lacy fights.

Frank Warren has kept Calzaghe under close tabs for a lot of years, letting him fight boxers everyone knew he would beat. Only once in the whole time that Joe has been WBO champion has he started as underdog in a fight: against Jeff Lacy. If you look back at the reasons why Lacy was favourite, it was as much that Calzaghe looked awful in encounters with Evans Ashira (labouring, limping to a dull 12 round decision) and Kabary Salem (getting dropped and roughed up by nothing more than a journeyman) than Lacy was looking impressive. Everyone involved in the UK knew that Calzaghe looks his best against come forward, aggressive fighters when Joe is properly prepared. Joe was properly prepared and Lacy happened to be one paced. All very good. But see what happens when boxers leave the initiative to Calzaghe - David Starie, Jimenez, Robin Reid - Joe looks less than stellar... in fact, in those fights he looked distinctly average. He's fighting arguably the best boxer in the world at setting traps for boxers just like Calzaghe to barge straight into with wide eyed gumption. Joe has been floored twice before due to his open attacking style and being caught without seeing it coming. The intriguing thing is that this is what Hopkins is brilliant at - countering accurately with a single shot. Nobody has outboxed Joe or got anywhere near to establishing the upper hand with a jab so this will be a waste of time if Hopkins tries it. So he won't (find the compubox numbers for how many jabs Hopkins threw in the Wright (southpaw) fight). Hopkins wants JC to try and control the fight, he wants him to take risks, to dive in and launch flurries. Tactically, if Joe is unable to bully Hopkins by throwing him off balance, giving him a chance to land and crucially, if Hopkins isn't drawn into a slugging match (highly unlikely) then he has the perfect game to end Calzaghe's winning record.

A high paced fight results in a Calzaghe win, probably by stoppage. A slow paced fight as a result of Hopkins repeatedly landing the right hand when Joe gets too close takes away everything good about Calzaghe - the combinations, the handspeed, the power, the fitness and stamina. Then what we have left is a broken man with nothing left to do than desperately try to stop the contest - this is further bad news and could end in an embarrasing defeat.

I posted that on the General forum - Jeff Thomas has also posted a very good prediction for a Hopkins win. It could happen.

 

I think that the smart money goes on a Calzaghe UD but most are aware that Hopkins brings a whole new game to the table and anything can happen. If he can nullify Calzaghe's main weapons then Joe will be in the ****.....but then no-one has managed that yet. I just hope Joe doesn't start getting frustrated and leaving himself wide open because then he will pay.

 

i cant belive i was the only 1 to pick a hopkins points victory!!!

hopkins hasnt KOd anybody since Oscar De la hoya 6 years ago

calzaghe coundt even put away jeff lacy no way is he doing it to hopkins!

Hopkins has big adavantages coming into this fight ,The weight ,the Location, Hopkins has fought the best fighters out there , calzaghes last few fights were against peter manfredo jr??? n mikkel kessler who was a good competition for joe but kessler aint in hopkins league! even looking at the build up for this fight hopkins is talking about how he is getting his team together to beat calzaghe and how to neutrilize his speed, Calzaghe is just talking about how great he is and how old hopkins is! he doesnt realise that his opponent is Bernard Hopkins!!! who is known for controling the pace of fights he has a soround defence and has more experiecne against high class oponents than calzaghe, Hopkins is a great fighter not good fighter like kessler or a average fighter like lacy, Joe has went one step to far in this 1!



Hopkins UD

 

POW spot on.... I like you am not Anti JC! I love the guy but he's underating Hopkins..... So are a lot of people on this forum. Its so obvious to me that he is the superior fighter.

 

Love that point... trainer of the year better have come up with a winning gameplan. At top level game plan is 9/10 the deciding factor.

 

I aint anti JC , im one of his fans, read his book, but im a boxing fan first and to many people are underestimating hopkins! and so is joe which will be his downfall in this fight!

 

what will calzaghe do if his combos doesnt work! well he will start swinging hoping to catch him where hopkins will counter and start winning rounds because calzaghe is frustarted , n this is where calzaghes dad always seems to say "work behind the jab joe!" where already hopkins has faced fighters with a superior jab than calzaghe and also won through his great countering skills!

haha thats how i c this fight playing out

 

I agree with you.

 

thanks who u c winning this jeff

B hop or Cazlaghe?

 

i am a big JC fan but the close the fight gets the more i am picking hopkins for this one, i started by thinking it would be wide UD for joe but the close the fight gets the more i am worried. i still pick JC UD but joe is certainly underestimating hopkins ability to change fights, slow the pace down and fight dirty. joe has not fought anyone like that

 

Lads (Jeff and CHop), you both know your boxing. Do you really believe that JC and Enzo are underestimating Hopkins? I think Hopkins has a chance at winning this, do doubt, and I find it hard to believe that a world class trainer and a world champion fighter would be so stupid as to underestimate, or even dismiss a great like Hopkins.

Surely, it's all bravado? They know it's going to be, potentially, his toughest fight to date?