Hopkins vs Calzaghe (Observations on second viewing)

Why dont you bring up the punch stats. Calzaghe

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over 1000 punches on Lacy

 

Also, considering how shot Roy was at that point and that Joe basically could tee off with little resistance, it's amazing he didn't just go for the stoppage.

 

He tried but couldn't . He landed 200-300 power shots on Roy. Pudding fists.

 

Calzaghe was shot and his hands were ruined, but it camde down to skill, and thats how he beat Roy, on skill

 

:deal

 

It left less doubt that Hopkins at any point of his career would beat Calzaghe, a younger hopkins had less ring smarts, as i said before the hopkins that fought jones first time would get completely out worked and wouldnt have had the ring IQ to nullify. As was pointed out the best version of hopkins still wouldnt have done it due top calzaghe top attributes.

Any way if Hopkins himself was confident he could beat calzaghe why did he back out of fighting him in 2002 heres what hopkins trainer Bouie Fisher said about Calzaghe "he was a tall order. he was by far the fastest fighter bernard had seen since jones and had an un-dentable chin." The respect is obvious as was also seen when they fought.

The strange thing here dino is your ignoring Calzaghes engine, workrate and chin yet you praise Cleverly? Hopkins weakness is he dont like pressure which is calzaghes biggest strengths

 

Pudding fists that in the post fight interview Jones said hurt him. If anything has pudding fists its your agenda

 

Cleverly turns into his punches more and has an overall better technique than Joe imo. I think he can fight smart if he wants to but chooses to stand and trade instead to win over more fans. Id be certin Clev would score a tko over the Hopkins of recent years but not to sure in his prime.

 

and what about Jawson you think he beats Clev?

 

He also hits a lot harder than Nathan did early in his career. Joe's bad hands necessitated the change in technique - although he often sacrificed form for speed, mixing a couple of properly turned shots into his flurries.

He could also whack to the body.

 

yup so many conveniently ignore the fact that calzaghe was riddled with hand injuries going back to his amatuer days

 

One knock out to his name in 46 fights against a a total unknown. He's not the hardest hitter.

Dawson isn't busy enough for Clev. Its a fight id love to see.

 

What are you talking about now?

Calzaghe wasn't a puncher? That guy could bang, he was often criticised for relying on that over his skills pre-Eubank. The fragile hands were the best thing that could happen to him in terms of longevity.

Dawson would obliterate Cleverly, based on current form, I'm afraid.

 

I did

Plus people bang on about Calzaghe "adapting" during the fight which to me comes across as a slightly asinine comment that certain people have made and others just repeat because they think it makes them look more knowledgeable, when the reality is that Hopkins just slowed down as the fight went on, which was something he had been doing for five years prior to facing Calzaghe. Watch the Joppy and Allen fights, these two guys were out matched, out skilled and ready to be taken out by the mid rounds, but Hopkins wasn't the fighter he once was, slowed down, couldn't close the show and both men ended up going the distance without too much trouble, even winning the odd round themsleves in the process. Tarver was also done by the time Hopkins beat him. So really it should come as no shock that Hopkins ended up being edged out by Taylor and Calzaghe, two fighters a couple of levels above Joppy and Allen, who were capable of making an old man fight at a pace for the full 12 rounds. Prime Hopkins though beats both Taylor and Calzaghe, it always amazes me that people think otherwise.

 

He started "slowing down" in the fifth then, just as Calzaghe started moving in and out and putting pressure on Hopkins.