Greater Fighter: Bernard Hopkins or Joe Calzaghe

They offered what he asked for by all accounts, then he figured it was worth more and doubled the asking price. The Delahoya fight was certainly not guaranteed and Hopkins was lucky Mosley turned the rubber match down, as it may not have happened otherwise. Warren hardly has a good track record with his demands but Hopkins would fight Hakkar for 250k in his next fight after turning Calzaghe down.

All in all it was a really bad period for big fights falling apart

 

Im sure I read he asked for 4 million pound at one point :admin

And this was in 02 aswell...waaay before the Hoya fight.

Thats a bit of a priceout but from memory I treated the article with some suspicion because it only quoted Warren.

Im reading he earned over a million US for the Hakkar bout aswell PP..whats you source for the 250K mate?

 

Yes Warren being the source does leave question marks. The fight after was either Hakkar or Daniels and I read 250k but no I don't have a source, I've heard it repeated 100s of times.

I certainly wouldnt expect Hops to make 1million against Hakkar. Given Hops wasnt a draw and Hakkar was a no mark

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/2511439.stm - was I wrong about, this article states Hopkins was still with King, who'd probably rob him blind, so I have a feeling King is the reason it didnt happen

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/1991289.stm - Hopkins talking about a Calzaghe and Harry Simon fight, remember him? He beat Winky and was undefeated from memory before killing someone with his car

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/boxing/2196199.stm - Hopkins demanding US 6million

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3030004.stm - - Larkin of Showtime saying Hops turned down a shedload

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3023766.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3021034.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/2992148.stm - Saurland talking about getting an Ottke Hopkins fight on

There seemed to be a bit of talk of a super 6 type tourny back then -Calzaghe, hopkins, Simon, Joppy, Otke and trying to lure Jones in for good measure

 

Yeah I just found two American articles that had him earning 1.1 million for the Hakkar bout...which is pretty unbelievable I agree but to take that much of a pay cut so soon after the Tito win seems just as unlikely.

Ill post em in the morning mate.

Dont know about the Daniels fight...but thats half what he earned for the Vanderpool bout, roughly I think. He earned about 500K from that If my memory serves me.

 

Hopkins had to be dirty against an even older Jones than the one who lost to Calzaghe.

Hopkins was a serial stark foulist.

Hopkins feasted on smaller men.

Hopkins benefited a very weak division.

Hopkins simply had no one to duck as he had no legitimate MW to fight against , maybe except John David Jackson.

Calzaghe was himself one of the smaller men Hopkins fought , but gave him an equal fight despite Hopkins being dirty with him as well.

In a clean fight , Hopkins would have lost a decision to Wright at 170 , but he used his head as early as the first round to put Wright into survival mode.

Calzaghe ducked Jones just as much as Jones ducked him.

Hopkins never belonged to boxing , he is a natural MMA fighter who calls MMA gay , but just can't stop using it .

 

B-Hop by a long way IMO. For me, comparing Joe Calzaghe to Bernard Hopkins is like comparing Aaron Pryor to Thomas Hearns, or Antonio Cervantes to Carlos Monzon, or Hector Camacho to Julio Cesar Chavez - you get my drift.

Hopkins, like Hearns, Monzon and Whitaker, was one of the top few fighters of his era, a bona fide legend who made his mark on the sport forever.

Calzaghe, like Pryor, Cervantes and Camacho, was a very good fighter and is HOF class. But he never made his mark the way that Hopkins did. His resume is inferior, his achievements are inferior, and even at his best he never had that all-round gold quality that Hopkins exuded at his middleweight prime.

 

:finger

 

Was that another one of the fights you couldn't be bothered to watch?

 

They both have their strengths & there`s not much between them (I know, blasphemy here on ESB to say such things) but for me, Calzaghe has that extra special ingredient which enables him to find a way to win no matter which style he`s up against.

Calzaghe for me.

 

Whoever voted `Hopkins by a fair amount/lot` need to re-annalyse some of their **** & not let their heart rule their head.

 

Well, of course, that's always more important than quality of opposition beaten, etc.

 

Yes, because everyone on here is biased for Philly fighters? Or Americans?

Actually, half of the people that have voted Hopkins are probably UK.

 

I actually watched it , another surprise.
Was I wrong when I claimed the headbutt occurred as early as the first round ?

 

i train with jermain taylor for the last 5 years an he beat bernard when he still had heart an the drive to fight, and there is no way taylor or bernard hopkins would stand a chance, does n ebody know how many punches calzaghe throws a round, yea neither does the other guy because they keep landing over and over