Hopkins ought to just retire.

i agree

 

It is true. If he had been a lesser fighter he could go down the Erdei route, for example. But with his legacy secure, if he doesn't fight the best now...what is the point? He has more than enough money and fame...he should call it quits and look after his health.

 

Definitely. I thought he should either retire or take a legacy fight with Ibragimov, but Klitschko will destroy him, so he could forget that. At 43 he doesn't have a good chance of beating Sultan anyways.

The worst possible thing that could happen is Hopkins actually taking a fight with Calzaghe and getting destroyed. He must retire being one of the few fighters in history who never really got dominated in their entire career.

 

Yup.

I recently saw the Mercado fights, and beside being exciting and entertaining, they really highlighted how old he has gotten.

I mean most people can only dream of being in such great shape at 43 - but the 30-year old Hopkins was really something to remember.

 

I cant understand why Calzaghe wants to fight him so bad. If he beats him, he isn't going to go down as a legend because of it. Everyone will just say Hopkins is past it, he's over the hill. And they are right. Hopkins just needs to retire, it isn't a good fight for either boxers.

 

1. because it's a resume win. Hopkins is a NAME and would tart Joe's resume up quite a bit:-(
2. because Hopkins is overrated in America and by beating him Joe would win a lot of recognition from Americans, strangely enough...:huh
3. $,$$$,$$$ :yep - it's a big fight with mass appeal
4. It's a guaranteed win for Joe and Joe wants to keep that "0" at all costs :roll:
5. Because Joe wants to beat the **** out of the guy who dodged him at the beginning of the decade - he blames him for having prevented him from having a shot at the big American boys and from getting the recognition he feels he deserved in having done so...
6. Joe wants Hopkins either to dodge him a second time and have the whole world know it - which "proves" that Hopkins was scared of him in his prime because he knew he would have been beaten, or, to beat the **** out of him to "prove" that he would have beaten him even in Bhop's prime.

 

Hopkins-Calzaghe has to happen before either of them retires.

 

...what's all this calzaghe nonsense, i thought hopkins was interested in a fight with david haye

 

I agree, Hopkins should just go home and be quiet.Roy Jones should too, as well as DeLaHoya and Trinidad.More attention to be paid to guys that really come to fight like Paq, Vasquez, the Marquez boys, Cotto and the rest of the welter weight division.I've seen enough of Hopkins poke and clutch, Ster-Royd
Jones ego, and DeLaHoyas pick and choose.

 

Hopkins had been picking and beating smaller fighters in his heyday IMO. Why wonder if we see a picky or cautious fighter now that he is in his true weight? Bernard must consider hanging gloves before he embarass himself and ruin the memory of his fans.

 

Nobody but a few idiots would bare a grudge if he came out and said "I am 43, I obviously cannot beat Calzaghe. I will not accept a payday, just to lose/risk being hurt."

It wouldn't excuse his behaviour in 2002 though.

 

I want to see Calzaghe lay him a beating as a retirement gift.

Hopkins has ruined a lot of big fights, rematch with Jones, fight with Toney, it took quite a while before he finally agreed to fight Winky, Tarver, etc.

And now Calzaghe.

It would be a great coincidence that these were all the other guys' fault.

 

yeah, but you know if this fight went ahead and Calzaghe wins it (which i am sure he would), he isn't going to get massive recogonition because of it. Nobody will have new found respect for him because of it, its not going to convert Americans into believing he truly is a great fighter. Everytime a british boxer beats a another good boxer, that other fighter is 'past it' or was 'overrated', just look at Hatton vs Tszyu or Castillo and Calzaghe vs Lacey or Kessler. This time they really would have an excuse.