Cazlaghe - Hopkins, why they canceled each other out IMO..........

Cazlaghe - Hopkins, why they canceled each other out IMO..........

Calzaghe is a busy, aggressive, combination punching, fighter by trade, now he assumed because he was fighting a 40+ year old, that he would turn up, apply the pressure, throw lots of combination's, and that Hopkins would be neutralized because he would be made to feel his age, especially fighting at that pace, only Joe, whilst being an aggressive combination puncher, is not a particularly accurate fighter, infact he throws wide loopy punches at times, has also has a tendency to get square when he gets excited, now against a smart counter puncher who's offense comes from his defense, its a recipe for disaster to inaccurately (due to a lack of punching technique)apply sustained pressure, cause applying pressure tactics, throwing lots of punches, dictates that you generally close distance fast, which works against you against a slick counter puncher, cause if you dont pin him down with the first punch, its either easier for him to move away, or he makes you pay with a counter for not respecting the distance, which is precisely how Joe got dropped, however Joe adapted in the fight, he realized later in the fight that he could only close distance slowly, that he needed to peck, work his openings before building a momentum of pressure, rather than applying pressure with punches, only he still did not have a great degree of success doing that, because! he is not a particularly accurate fighter, which again, comes down to a lack sound punching technique, that said, whilst Joe did not have a great degree of success connecting!, he did negate what Hopkins was trying to do somewhat, because before Calzaghe was closing the killzone too fast and giving Hopkins more counter punching opportunities, only due to him adapting his tactics, staying on the periphery of the killzone, pecking at Hopkins, it shut Hopkins down somewhat, cause he needed to draw Joe into the mid range to killzone, get wreckless throwing those volley of punches to present him with more counter punching opportunities, its slightly how Taylor beat him, by disengaging him from behind the jab, picking at him, what tells me, that to beat Hopkins, its generally always going be a close fight because he is so defensive, but also because the best way to beat him is NOT to throw lots of punches and commit yourself, but to peck, pick and poke at him, maintaining your distance, composure, which is why, when people make the assertion that Calzaghe would of had more success against Hopkins had Hopkins been more active, is off base IMO, Hopkins, even when he is active, is not a guy who leads, not post Mercado (for the most part)anyway, so the idea if Hopkins opened up, that Joe would have more success, does not stack up imo, if Hopkins threw more punches, they would be more counter punches, not leads, and if Hopkins were throwing more counter punches, that would mean Joe would be throwing more leads, and as we have established, throwing lots of punches against Hopkins is not going to work, not if your throwing them inaccurately like Joe, which is why you would have to think that these two would always cancel each other out somewhat, that said, if they fought in their prime, and Hopkins did get shut down offensively because! Joe adapted his tactics, and Joe somewhat shut himself down just to his lack of accuracy, I would still roll with Hopkins's straighter, more accurate punches, better defense, to Joe's wider/loopy combo's, at times square stance, and general leaky defense, which is why I have always felt, that at the top level, Joe is not technically good enough to beat the elite guys like Jones/Hopkins, although would be in with a shout against any because! of his adaptability, stamina and chin.


Dont hate on me please, just my own perception. :thumbsup

 

Agree.

Yeah man, aint it ironic, strange :huh

 

Its a relatively close fight if actually score punches that land !