no not everyone. just hopkins. and it wasn't just warren saying it Jay Larkin, head of showtime back then said it.. Jay Larkin, head of boxing for the American Showtime television, said: "With Bernard you never know. I think he comes to us from outer space sometimes. But a fight against Hopkins is a natural for Wales and we would like it to take place here." Larkin confirmed that Hopkins last year agreed to a purse of £1.9million to go in against Calzaghe, only to demand double the money the very next day. This content is protected on the BBC.. "We have to get Joe to America and the right fight is Bernard Hopkins," said Showtime boxing chief Jay Larkin. "Hopkins turned down a lot of money from us to fight Calzaghe last year, but after what Joe did to Mitchell we can up the ante and offer more." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/3030004.stm And Jay Larkin in his book.. ..."A teleconference was set up in my office in New York for July 30th, 2002, and on the call was myself, Don King who was in the room, Frank Warren and Bernard Hopkins' lawyer, Arnold Joseph. Along with Arnold was a woman named Linda Carter, who was there on behalf of Bernard. We asked Arnold if Bernard wanted to fight Joe Calzaghe and we asked him how much money would he want if he did. The response we got was $3million and the fight would have to take place in the United States. After a little scratching of the head, we said 'Okay, done.' Frank Warren agreed on the spot, Don King agreed and we agreed so as far as we were concerned all parties were singing off the one hymm sheet. Arnold excused himself with Linda and I can only assume it was to call Bernard. Either that day or the next day, they came with a new demand: $6million, double the sum that had been agreed, the deal blew up.....he had then and still has no desire to fight Joe Calzaghe, that much is pretty clear." from Hopkins himself.. Hopkins stated: "Right now I'm negotiating along with Don King and Jay Larkin of Showtime. Who we spoke to and we're going to talk to him about two fights, maybe my mandatory too, which makes it a three-fight deal. "It would be the mandatory, Harry Simon and Joe Calzaghe. While Calzaghe fights for that other super-middleweight title, I'll wait for that and knock off Simon after the mandatory and fight the WBO title." This content is protected from Roy Jones According to both King and Hopkins, the two worked out an agreement for Hopkins' next fight, no small accomplishment considering Hopkins spurned a $10.5 million three-fight Showtime offer made earlier this year that would have sent him into the ring to fight Morrade Hakkar, Joe Calzaghe and Harry Simon. "He's desperate for a fight and he needs to fight me because he messed up his deal with Showtime," Jones Jr. said in the dressing room prior to Saturday's main event. http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2002/vol6n35/PRSportsBeat0635-en.html Hopkins again..this time in 2006 The original plan cooked up by Team Calzaghe was for Joe and Bernard to meet next March for a £10million showdown, according to the Sunday Mirror, but the never-at-a-loss-for-words Hopkins put a kibosh on those plans, not temporarily, but once and for all. "Calzaghe is a good fighter but right now it would be a backward step for me," Hopkins said. "It is not a big enough fight right now and I need a big fight to get motivated. A fight against Maskaev would be exactly the type of fight I need." http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/articles/4526-hopkinscalzaghe-not-so-fast :deal
ok attach your original comment that i posted on and go over it Where did i make that claim?that he was the best in 20 years? you are putting words in my mouth check your facts!!! you did say hopkins was shot! I never claimed you said kessler was shot read it in the context that it was written!! i was saying he was a meaningful fight!! i never said you were american i made a reference to the american boxing writters who were putting lacy on a pedestal.
You prepared to stand by that if he ends up whipping Pascal's ass again? Loses the 160lb title in two close ones to Taylor. Beats Winky and Tarver, two of his biggest/most credible wins, then lost to unified 168lb champ Calzaghe in a close fight for the 175lb lineal championship. Then beat up Pavlik, taking his 0. Then has a couple gimme's and beats up Pascal for the lineal 175lb championship, but comes out with a draw. Now he's going for it one more time and imo it's at least a 50/50 fight. Here's what he's done in the last 5 years: Taylor--close loss (middleweight championship) Taylor--close loss (middleweight championship) Tarver--win (light-heavyweight championship) Wright--win (light-heavyweight championship) Calzaghe--close loss (light heavyweight championship) Pavlik--win Ornelas--win Jones--win Pascal--controversial draw (light heavyweight championship) That could just as easily be a 9-fight winning streak. The losses and draws were that close. So what had Hopkins done before that run right there that convinces you that he used to be better than he is now? De la Hoya, Trinidad, and Johnson are his only big wins from before 2005. Hopkins was definitely not shot, and is arguably at the tail-end of his prime years right now, based on his accomplishments. Early 40's, ******. And Calzaghe was in his late 30's. Hopkins dominates the middleweight division for years fighting nobodies. Calzaghe dominates the super middleweight division for years fighting nobodies. Hopkins moves up to light heavyweight and wins the lineal championship. Calzaghe moves up and takes it from him. Both guys spent their 'prime years' in lower weight classes fighting nobodies. Their best wins came toward the end of their careers. And no, Calzaghe isn't the best fighter of the last 20 years, obviously. But he was damn good.
Hopkins by his subsequent fights showed that he is still an all time great boxer. And no one has looked as good against him as Joe did in their fight. He outboxed Hopkins and did better as the fight went along. Anyone that could do that to a still effective version of Hopkins is a great boxer. To this day Hopkins is outboxing younger champions, but he did not do that to Calzaghe. Does anyone really think Calzaghe wouldn't have completely outboxed Pavlik and/or Pascal?
the guys retired no one cares why the constant Joe Bull**** threads you dont see them on the Brit forum they do it to **** with us ignore these threads. Im only writing this so that these trolls are ignored I will never ever reply again to a Calzaghe thread do the same.
