Comparing Calzaghe and Hopkins

Comparing Calzaghe and Hopkins

Calzaghe's best wins during his super middleweight domination.
Calzaghe beat a prime unbeaten multiple super middleweight champion in Kessler.
{Kessler has since gone on to win multiple world titles at super middleweight}

Calzaghe beat a prime unbeaten multiple super middleweight champion in Lacy.
{Lacy was called the 'new Mike Tyson' and was ruined forever both mentally and physically}



Hopkins best wins during his middleweight domnation
Hopkins beat a shop worn career welterweight in Trinidad.
{Trinidad had won only one title at middlweight}

Hopkins beat a career lightweight/welterweight in DLH.
{DLH had only won one title at middleweight}

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Other good wins
The next best wins possibly for Calzaghe are Mitchell and Reid both won lots of World titles, the next best wins possibly for Hopkins was Joppy and Glen Johnson, Joppy had won world titles but it was Glen Johnson's first title fight at the time.

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Other wins {and losses}
Those are just the wins, Calzaghe beat multiple ex world champions at the super middleweight weight in Eubank, Brewer and Woodhall. Calzaghe won every fight he ever had that was not the case for Hopkins even at his career weight of middleweight he lost against Taylor twice, he lost against a young green Roy Jones Jnr having his first title fight and he drew with a guy from Ecuador.

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Calzaghe V Hopkins head to head
Then finally Hopkins and Calzaghe meet, Hopkins had originally agreed {or at least his team had} to fight Calzaghe in 2002, only too demand double the money the next day, the fight was going to be in the USA with Hopkins getting $3 million but he wanted $6 million the following day, so the fight did not happen at that time.
The fight eventually took place in the USA, with Calzaghe winning. {Calzaghe won by split decision, Hopkins getting the nod by a single point on one scorecard, but Calzaghe getting the nod on the other two scorecards by a 3 point margin and a 5 point margin}
Hopkins was already operating at light heavyweight when Calzaghe moved up, to have his debut fight at the weight.
Hopkins was older in age but Calzaghe was nearer retirement with shot hands, Hopkins having started his boxing career later in life.

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Retirement and the End game
Both Calzaghe and Hopkins went onto beat Roy Jones at light heavy, Calzaghe retired but Hopkins continues fighting.

 

Sorry wrong hole meant for the 'classic'.

 

Calzaghe may because of the facts be ranked a league higher than Hopkins, but because of the facts Hopkins cannot be ranked a league higher than Calzaghe, only in the same league at best.

 

Trindad and DLH are little small men trying to fight the big boys, towards the end of their careers, they are pretty names on Hopkins resume but its like a fight in the school yard between a 5 foot little thin boy and a filled out lad of 6 foot.

 

Calzaghe beat Hopkins head to head, understand, the Welshman went to the States and beat the Yank head to head.

Hopkins fans and lots of Amricans in general dismiss boxers that are not theirs, Hopkins best win at middleweight is against a past it nearly retired welterweight {Trinidad}, Hopkins best win full stop is against Tarver, hardly an ATG, no disrespect to Tarver.
Calzaghe's best wins are against Hopkins and Kessler, you cant tell me or any unbiased sane person that Hopkins best wins are better, people say Hopkins is a top of the tree type ATG, Hopkins was very close to his peak fighting Calzaghe as his wins straight before and straight after suggest, so Calzaghe beating Hopkins is one win that Hopkins cant match on his resume, Calzaghe beating a prime unbeaten multiple champ who goes on to win many more titles at the weight is also a better win than Hopkins beating a nearly retired welterweight boxer in Trinidad at middleweight.

Hopkins fought lots of nobodies during his reign at middleweight, he even fought one guy three times and another guy twice for his version of the title, I think Hopkins is a great boxer and I think Calzaghe is a great boxer, I think Calzaghe beating Hopkins was a great win, but Hopkins fans think their man is great and Calzaghe is not, well that does not add up, the facts and evidence say that there is minimal difference in resume, one boxer eg Calzaghe is unbeaten and the other has lost some fights against mainly top opposition and one boxer eg Calzaghe won the head to head fight, so its Hopkins fans that need to accept that their man lost to a great boxer with an equally good record as their man in Joe Calzaghe.