Hopkins (BBC) : Jones will beat Calzaghe

Bernard Hopkins has tipped Roy Jones Jr to beat Joe Calzaghe when they clash at light-heavyweight in New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Both men have beaten Hopkins, Calzaghe most recently in a split decision last April and Jones unanimously in 1993.
"I'm an American and I like to root for the American guy... but I'd be foolish to say just that alone," Hopkins said.
"Roy Jones has been in there with guys that Joe hasn't, other than Bernard Hopkins. Experience, experience!"
Wales' Calzaghe is unbeaten in 45 professional fights and became the undisputed world super-middleweight champion before leaving that division behind for this fight with Jones.

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Been in with both, Roy punches 10 times harder than Joe



Bernard Hopkins


Jones has lost four of his 52 pro fights, two to Antonio Tarver and one to Glen Johnson between 2004 and 2005 , while the other blot on his record was a disqualification against Montell Griffin in 1997.
But Jones, who won his first ever title against Hopkins - the IBF middleweight crown - has held titles at four different weight divisions.
"Me and Joe had a close fight, you had people over there in your world believing that Bernard Hopkins edged out a win with Joe," Hopkins added.
"So the thing is this, styles make fights. Roy Jones can emulate and imitate the style that Joe has been successful with for many years.



"It's amazing that his style hasn't really been exposed until I fought him.
"But at the end of the day I look at the quality of the fighters that Roy won, survived and made his career out of.
"Then I look at the quality of fighters (Calzaghe has fought) - setting myself to the side, setting (Mikkel) Kessler to the side, setting a young, not advanced Jeff Lacy to the side but you can't downplay the performance.
"I've gotta go with the experience, I've gotta go with the fresher Roy right now, the quicker, harder puncher.
"Been in with both, Roy punches 10 times harder than Joe. Joe fights for points... Roy fights that way but he also fights to hurt you."
Hopkins roared back from his defeat against Newbridge product Calzaghe to dismantle the highly-rated Kelly Pavlik last month, handing a 12-round beating to a man 17 years younger.

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Now 'The Executioner' has challenged Calzaghe and Jones to produce a fight to better his performance in Atlantic City and has not ruled out a possible rematch with the winner.
"I'm here to see if the bar can be set higher than the bar that was set on 18 October," Hopkins added. "I will fight the winner if the winner wants to fight Bernard Hopkins, but I'm not putting myself in the situation where I need both of those guys to survive financially or to signify my legacy."


BBC article 8/11/08