Important facts regarding "primes" for Hopkins v Calzaghe...

I think people are vastly overrating how much age counts for Hopkins. He has ALWAYS thrown a low number of punches and been a clever, spoiling fighter with great counters.

Being past his best does not hugely affect his ability to do what he does well. 6 years ago? Would Hopkins have been throwing twice as many shots? Nope. Was he greatly faster? No. Much more powerful? No.

In contrast when you see a fighter who's main strengths are speed and reactions such as RJJ or Calzaghe. Being past your best makes a massive difference. That is why someone like RJJ has been so less effective than he was at his peak.

Calzaghe was much faster 6 years ago than he is now, and his reactions were much better. Not only that but he is someone who has had constant hand problems and injuries, watch earlier fights and Calzaghe threw much more weight behind his shots and hit far harder and crisper.

He has become a much more pitter patter, volume puncher as the years have worn on.

6 years ago, Joe would have thrown much more than he did last night. 6 years ago Joe would have had quicker reactions and thrown harder punches.

This is not to say Hopkins would not have beaten him, maybe he would, Hopkins is an ATG. But to suggest that he would have battered Calzaghe is nonsense and ignores the fundamental differences that age has had on the two men and their respective styles of fighting and what decline has done to their key assets.
Hopkins now fights far closer to how a peak Hopkins fought than Calzaghe now performs in comparison to how peak Calzaghe fought.
Likewise look at RJJ for how a speed and reactions based fighter performs past his best compared to how he did in his pomp.

 

I need to think carefully about the avatar...I will start a thread in the Lounge. Also I will write a review at some point, because I have three good rums to write on.

 

I am not missing that out, because I have not said Calzaghe would have won easier or even won 6 years ago, I am pointing out that Joe is well past his best too and that the effects on his main assets are greater and of more detriment to him as a fighter than to Hopkins.

Hopkins 6 years ago may well have had more gas, but Joe 6 years ago would have thrown more punches than he did last night, and more significantly the punches would have been considerably faster and harder.

Perhaps Hopkins would have won, but then again it is more than plausible that come the championship rounds Joe would already have had a considerable lead due to landing more and landing cleaner, harder punches than the ones he was throwing last night as a man who has had countless hand injuries (due to fragile bones) and who is slower with dulled reactions.

Hopkins might have landed his right hand a lot less against a prime Calzaghe or as you suggest he might have won due to better stamina.

The fact is that I have watched plenty of old Hopkins fights and by and large he fights the same, more combinations when he has a guy in trouble, but by and large he has always been cagey, low output and a counter puncher who is smart.

Watch old Calzaghe fights and the dip in speed is very noticeable as is the slower reactions, but most obvious is the change in how hard he throws his punches. And that is a concious decision on his part.