Calzaghe vs. Hopkins - Post fight analysis

My thoughts:

- Hopkins fought as I expected. As far as boxing goes his tactics were to lure Joe in and counter almost exclusively with the right hand. This seemed to comprise about 30% of his gameplan, the other 70 being fighting off the ropes, boaring in with the head, hugging, hitting on the break and even gamesmanship to try and fool the ref into taking points

- Joe started off very poorly, which I did not anticipate, culminating in an embarrassing knockdown, which dan-b called. It certainly took a period of adjustment for Joe to get into this fight, which I would put down the the natural stylistic advantage Hopkins has as a counterpuncher

- Once Joe had adjusted, he seemed to take control and the fight became fairly repetetive. Joe would back Hopkins up, where he would unleash a flurry of arm punches, sometimes effective, sometimes not so much, and Hopkins would hold. Inbetween these exchanges, Hopkins would catch Joe with sporadic right hands - probably the cleanest punches of the fight

- Hopkins kept it more competetive than I anticipated, and I must hold my hands up and say I got that very wrong. Not so much on the scorecard, but the nature of the fight was simply that Joe landed few meaningful shots and one could even argue Hopkins landed the best shots of the night

- Joe is most definitely deteriorating, which I have noticed in his last couple of fights, and it continued tonight. One more fight and call it a day please Joe...

- Hopkins would make mincemeat of Pavlik, whos **** is getting quite the work-out by the hordes of bitter gimps in the general

- A note on Cortez, since there is much whining in the general. I was happy enough with his performance. He broke the clinches as quick as he could. It must be said Joe more than held his own in those exchanges, it was never going to be a classic, and in a perverse way I enjoyed it as it showed the other side of Joe's game

Final scorecard: 117-111 Joe Calzaghe.

 

Fair post. I agree with everything except the score. I guess it comes down to how you score rounds.

 

He was probably more apprehensive about whether the judges would pull one of their famous Las Vegas tricks rather than worried in his own mind. Then that dumb ***** Byrd scores it for Hopkins as if to prove his point

It was not really close.

 

Yep.

But Hopkins has not had punching power for a very long time and you have to go back a few years to find his last credible KO. I thought he fought to his tactics well and he believed with his corner that he had cruised the fight.


Joe was good at times and poor at times but no one ever looks good against Hopkins. He adapted and came through the fight well nicking consecutive rounds.


About them retiring, maybe Hopkins but not Joe. Joe could fight RJJ, Tarver and Dawson. No one in the Light Heavy division or Super Middle are able to beat Joe, he could clean up this division with ease, he has now fought and beaten the best guy in it who would have offered him the hardest fight so now he may as well pick up some more big money fights. Hopkins would be my pick to beat any other Light Heavy and Super Middle.


I had it 114-113 Hopkins but most of my Hopkins rounds are the ones everybody else gave JC.

 

Yep. That is why I had my close rounds to Hopkins for that very reason. Hopkins caught JC as hard as he could while JC just made sure he got them landed, he did not care of quality. Over all apart from the flash knock down Hopkins failed to hurt Calzaghe or come close to causing any danger.

Both came out of the fight looking they had just been for a jog. JC had a cut onhis nose but nothing more. I think if Hopkins had put some damage on JC then the close rounds would have gone to him instead of the other way round.


The big shame is that the gulf in class between thses two and the rest means we have no more hard to pick winners from future match ups. I picked Hopkins before the fight.

 

Yep.

The main other picks offer nothing that gets the pulse racing. I found it hard to pick a winner before last nights fight but if JC fights Dawson, RJJ, Pavlik, Taylor or Tarver then I could only ever see Joe winning.


RJJ would be great just to say that it happened, financially very good too.

Dawson is maybe the best other Light Heavy but he is far far from being real top class.

Pavlik is dangerous but just a simple fight for Joe.

Taylor could be interesting but Joe has the size and everything alse to beat him.

Tarver could be cool but why face the man who lost bad to the man you just beat?



I think RJJ will happen but I would not be surprised if someone chucked in a re match of lasts nights fight. I would not want to see it but we could get it depending on the money.



I think Hopkins could have another fight and I am sure he will want to go on at least untill next year. He may believe he can get two good fights before the year is done. A re match with RJJ or a cunning jump to cruiser to fight Cunningham. The man is not interested in money so that fight would help his legacy.