**Coach Roach Promises That Hopkins Will Stop Calzaghe In Later Rounds!**

Yeah, although it's not just in comic books that the hometown legend gets a hometown decision..

 

No need to line up excuses already. Whoever is the better fighter that night will win. Most Calzaghe fans have already stated that Nard won't win more than 2 rounds and will get stopped. Therefore, a hometown decsion shouldn't even come into play. Furthermore, the fight isn't even in Nard's hometown. Vegas is more than 3,000 miles from Philadelphia.

 

Hardly. Joe is the favorite in this fight for a reason. He should win this fight. Nard is 43 and at the end of his career. His legs and reflexes aren't what they used to be. I still think he can win though. I've enjoyed watching Nard over the years and I'm proud that at 43, he's still willing to take on challenges. In his last 5 fights(including this one) he's taken on 2 undefeated fighters, one guy hadn't lost in 8 years, he's taken on 3 p4p top 10 fighters, as well as been the underdog in 3 of those fights. That's pretty damn good for an old man. Win or lose, I'm still proud of Hopkins. I don't particuarly like Calzaghe. However, he's a good fighter and there's no shame in losing to him.

 

Yeah, you're right. Calzaghe will win, whatever the ref or judges do.

 

BigReg, have you got an avatar bet on this fight? I would offer, but have half a dozen lined up already; it'd be a shame if you and McGrain - who likes to be seen as the wise old man if either fighter wins - didn't have an avatar bet lined up. :-(

 

Big Reg?:?

 

An avatar bet would be stupid, as I think Calzaghe will win the fight. However, I can't count Hopkins out. He's proven me wrong before and he always comes prepared.

 

What, you changed your mind overnight? Thought you had Hopkins winning, pretty easily!:huh :blood :huh :blood :huh

So, you and McGrain are in the same two boats, then...:-(...either way, you were right...

 

I've never changed my mind. I'm a weird guy. Just because I talk trash about a guy winning doesn't mean that I expect him to win. I've been talking all types of trash about Judah KO'ing Mosley. However, I expect Mosley to win. I talk trash about B-Hop beating up on Calzaghe because he's my favorite fighter and I tire of seeing people giving him no shot. Calzaghe's younger, more active, and faster. He should be able to outwork Hopkins. This is the logical pick. However, Hopkins has the style to beat Calzaghe. He's also very crafty and good at frustrating his opponents. The key here is whether he has enough left in his legs and if he can start out faster than he has been.

 

In that case, I can take you seriously again. That is a stand-up argument. In other words, if Hopkins won, it would surprise you, right?

 

I would be slightly surprised. Either way, the winner deserves a lot of credit. Both men will be hard to beat

 

Yeah. Calzaghe cannot afford to make any mistakes if he is to overcome Hopkins' style advantage, experience and cunning. But it's his fight to lose. People who say: "Hopkins has a chance" and don't mention that he has a chance as long as he forces Calzaghe into a mistake that Calzaghe shouldn't really allow himself to be forced into are trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

 

Roach promised the same about Hoya against Mayweather so he really can't say what will happen. I do think that Freddie and Bernard were in pure interactional synchrony for the Wright fight but that was because everything went well from the start, like Roach said "Everything is working... the thing about the jab is working... Don't back straight up but side to side, give angles to counter" so... This thing about the "Dream Team" is also not that important at fight time because all of them can shout from afar so that Bernard corrects this or that, but it is for Bernard to implement the game plan in real time and that depends heavily on many other factors.

 

Yes but Wright doesnt attack anyone and allows people to come to him (which is why he didnt win the Taylor fight) IMO, Calzaghe will come at Hopkins big time, and B-hop (despite being a master counter puncher) will not have time to respond. Throwing lighter punches (as Joe does now) allows him to throw from all kinds of crazy angles that you couldnt do if you were a big puncher. I have been watching boxing for 30 odd years and have to say that i see thisfight as a CAlzaghe shhut out 12-0 in rounds unless Bernard truely opens up , thats his only chance and unless Roach has changed B-hops game plan for the last 20 years then he is in for a very rough night

 

I will gladly make an Avatar bet with someone because I know Hopkins will win. He is just going to counter puch the **** out of Calzaghe for the first four rounds and break his spirit on then beat him up Tarver style in route to a 10th round tko. Calzaghe will get Lacy'd this time