~ Joe CALZAGHE v. Bernard HOPKINS ~ ANALYSIS and PREDICTION Thread ~

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Hopkins: poise and ring-generalship, good footwork and balance, accuracy and economy of punches, good punching choice out of his broad arsenal, good defence. Most importantly, Hopkins will bring his ring-smarts with him - his intelligence, cunning and gamesmanship, not to mention a touch of the dark arts, determination and will to win

Calzaghe: speed, speed, speed, stamina, work-rate (1000 punches) ring-generalship, good, fast footwork and balance, fast, accurate flurries, a great jab, more power than at SMW where he was killing himself to make weight, great overall skill and technique, good defence, angles, intelligence and cunning, determination and will to win

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Hopkins will try to get under his skin before they get into the ring and especially once they're in the ring, make it rough, throw Calzaghe off his rhythm, get him into a brawl a la Bika, make him lose his cool, make him get messy by fouling and making the fight dirty. He will fight in bursts and when he takes a breather he will do it with his usual panache and poise, to give the impression that he has the upper hand and is waiting to pounce. On the inside, Hopkins will clinch to catch his breath and will try to rough Calzaghe up.

Calzaghe will box, box, box, as he did against Kessler. He will keep his cool, keep to the game plan, keep an even temperament even when Hopkins provokes him and fouls him. Because he will be so psyched for the fight - as he was for Lacy and Kessler, he will not let the fight turn messy but will be confident that by using his jab and by boxing the best way he can, using speed and technique, he will prove much superior. On the inside, in the clinches, Calzaghe will give back as good as he gets, within the rules, but keep his cool in doing it.

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Hopkins could win by making it dirty, provoking Calzaghe and getting him to throw off his gameplan and brawl. Would need a lot of help from the referee. Only way, realistically, is by opening a cut with his head and having the fight stopped on cuts.

Calzaghe will win by boxing, staying calm when provoked and keeping to the gameplan.

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Calzaghe will start by throwing his fast jab and by boxing. Hopkins will avoid some of his punches with his good head movement and by moving around the ring (running) then will try to break Calzaghe's rhythm by throwing a jab, cutting inside, clinching and trying to rough Calzaghe up and to provoke him, before moving out of range and throwing another accurate punch and running. The more tired he will get, the more he will clinch, make it dirty, try to provoke Calzaghe and get him to brawl. Calzaghe will not fall for it, but will put on a master class, roughing up Hopkins badly. Seeing that he cannot throw Calzaghe off his game plan, he will use his head to try to open up a cut, low-blow him, perhaps, kill the game to throw off Calzaghe altogether. Won't work. As Hopkins speed and stamina lets him down in the second half, Calzaghe goes for the stoppage by accumulation, with his flurries. If he cannot stop him, for whatever reason, say, because the ref allows the clinches to go on and doesn't warn Hopkins when he gets very dirty, Calzaghe will have won a very wide decision. If it goes to the cards, though, the judges will call it a close decision to Calzaghe.

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Calzaghe TKO 11

:good

 

Excellent analysis, huki!:good

 

I like both fighters, I just don't think Hopkins is active enough anymore to beat Calzaghe. I'm going with a JC win, 9-3 or 8-4.

 

I myself think too that Hopkins was slower in his last fight than before. Of course Winky can make anyone look bad but Hopkins' absolutely great timing was rarerly there (however those few perfect shots on the inside were enough to decide the fight.) So he's definitely not the one anymore who made the fights very close against Taylor.



So...

I see some VERY CONFIDENT posters who think Hopkins can pull it off, and big time. Hopkins is great and one of my favourites but I wonder how many of you think that Hopkins showed signs in his last fight that he is faded and how many will make an excuse after the fight that it was "nonsense to forsee".

The speed difference will be HUGE in this fight. Make the excuses about Hopkins age now, not after fight!

 

Have you been taking PCP? Calzaghe is gonna beat the **** out of Hopkins. Wake up!

Joe doesn't lose fights. End of story.

 

Calzaghe won't beat Hopkins with simply speed.

He will give Hopkins an education in the finer aspects of the sport.

 

joe by stoppage in 10

 

Does anyone know when GBP and HBO will announce this fight?

GBP usually announces big fights in HUGE official press conference with many of the media present. And when it's two continents are involved, press conferences are usual in both fighter's backyard with BOTH teams present.

Now there was a press conference in the UK with FW seemingly announcing the fight and also JC made some comments. But as far as I know the GBP or the HBO wasn’t present at all. And not a word from GBP, HBO (the fight isn't in their schedule) since then, not one comment on the official announcement or from Hopkins.





Or did I miss something?

 

I see Bernard balancing himself and sneaking in the distance much better than Kessler was able to due to his wiry-frame proportions... And I don't buy that Joe takes a better shot from Mikkel than Tarver was able to in that fifth round against B-Hop... Joe C is not used to take big right hand loads right on the money like Bernard did against Winky and Tarver in their own southpaw stances. This makes the fight go the distance to say the least.

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Nice work!:good

 

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It is stange mate.

It is hard to believe Hopkins would be this stupid too.

 

Thank you!:good

 

Joe will retire the old geezer Hopkins for good.IMO the old man is no match for Joe anymore.An overrated old man vs a true champ in his prime!