I'll bet Calzaghe/Hopkins II happens in the summer

I hope it happens again.

I thought Calzaghe won the first fight but had enough level rounds that I couldn't have seriously argued against a draw or narrow Hopkins win. It wasn't an easy to watch fight and I doubt the 2nd fight would be better but if Hopkins approaches the fight in the same manner he fought Pavlik he could put Calzaghe down a few times.

 

I don't think Hopkins would be able to win second time either. The same thing that happened in the first fight would happen again, only this time Joe would be on him earlier.

Hopkins is coming out with this stuff about changing style and throwing more punches but if he couldn't do it in the Taylor rematch I doubt he'll be able to it in Wales.

However, Hopkins is such a class act that there is always that lingering possibility of him pulling it off, and out of all the fights this is one I would want to see again.

 

Hope it happens. I'd rather see JC go against Dawson though.

 

I hope it happens even though it's a lose-lose situation for Joe. Calzaghe still won't get any credit if he wins, 'Hopkins is too old' they will cry. and if he loses? 'We told you he was a paper champion'.

I want it to happen because I believe it's a pretty even interesting and entertaining match up.

 

I know I wouldn't mind seeing them fight again.

 

When has Hopkins been afraid to sign a contract? He's consistently taken the toughest fights and has been actively campaigning to fight Calzaghe. He has already said he's willing to travel to make the fight happen.

 

I don't think Calzaghe is at any risk of being called a paper Champion, really. However, that may be the case if he never rematches Hopkins after their close first fight.

 

That's all this can boil down to. Give Calzaghe any regular-type fighter and he can simply outwork/outsmart them all night long. He'll look good with both throwing punches and him coming out on top. Hopkins, however, fought such an awkward fight that Calzaghe really wants no part of it again.

 

Calzaghe fans are living in a fantasy world where Joe outboxed and outsmarted Hopkins for 12 rounds and won easily, and the judges ****ed up by making it an SD. They now believe that Calzaghe doesn't want to fight Hopkins again because Hopkins is a racist ******* and because Joe has a deep philosophical aversion to rematches, but that Joe is supremely confident that he'd win again, and more convincingly this time.

Indulge me for a moment -

1.Why would thinking someone is a racist ******* make you NOT want to beat them up??

2.Why does Joe have this aversion to rematches when (a) he has already rematched the magnificent Mario Veit, and (b) this sport would not be what it is without rematches. A huge percentage of great fights involving great fighters have been rematches. Think of all the great trilogies etc, why would anyone ever not believe in rematches?? A pathetic excuse.

3.Calzaghe did NOT believe he had won the fight v Hopkins, watch the fight and look at him after the bell and before the announcement. He is a beaten man. And his reaction at the verdict looked like he'd just avoided Death Row.

4.Never mind all Calzaghe's trademark spin and lies and dog**** about not training for Hopkins, not taking him seriously, thinking that ****ing Eubank and/or others were harder fights - Hopkins was far and away the most torrid night of Calzaghe's career. Calzaghe was flat-out working like a dog every minute, and he couldn't land a clean shot or get through with any effective work. He had a horrible night, he knows he was outskilled and won only on workrate, and the eventual verdict won't have changed that in his own mind.

Watch over the next few months him wriggling like a worm on a hook whenever a Hopkins fight is mentioned, running through the full repertoire of lies, excuses and reasons why the fight doesn't appeal to him, Hopkins doesn't deserve it, blah blah blah.

He escaped with the verdict once. He won't put himself through it again.

 

to be honest i'm keen on seeing this again. just to see if old man hoke decides to adopt another style.

 

I think that was a reference to the contract that would have included a move up to SMW to fight Calzaghe, but Hopkins refused to sign in 2002/2003 ish.

 

i believe Calzaghe won the fight by a couple of points and I honestly think that BHop was looking for a breather with the way he reacted to the low blows. although BHop really was hit low, his ridiculous reaction didn't help him with the judges.

In a rematch, though, i think BHop could well win it. He didn't look right in the Calzaghe fight, and you could see by the vintage performance he put in vs Pavlik that he's not exactly past it. He got his tactics and possibly even his training wrong, and might have been guilty of underestimating calzaghe. also, I agree with whoever said Calzaghe has lost his hunger for the sport. If they fought again, I think it would be then (rather than the first fight, like JC claimed) that Calzaghe wouldn't train properly.

Calzaghe won the first fight, but I don't think he won it by enough to suggest he is indisputably better that BHop, meaning a rematch is warranted.

That said, if there is no rematch, I don't think you can blame Calzaghe for getting a win just because BHop got it wrong the first time.