New Hopkins/Calzaghe presser: Hopkins "I'm gonna kick his British A**"

A xenephobe and a racist.

What a guy.

 

how much is it goin to take for one of the two to throw a punch??? i mean before the fight hahaha

 

So unnessecary all this nasty trash talk. This is a classic clash of styles, and a potential punishing but tactical match. I like to watch the old time press conferences when the fighters acted civilized. Too bad but it seems in some ways, society is returning to the primitive.

 

He didn't take almost a single clean connect from Wright in the first 3 rounds and it's time to stop this unserious talk about Winky's conditioning. Wright would give a very tough fight to Calzaghe at 168 and possibly would steal it due to experience, he came out strong and even throwing overhand rights... You know what happened? Bernard steps away, Winky's right jab and left counter come short and Bernard fastly changes over and charges in with rights... Ties him up inside and connects, circles and turns away from corners on very light feet... Man, there's a chance Calzaghe connects once he traps him down but it's not easy to walk this guy down - he kinda uses his left to block the right jab and inverts the movement quite fast, sneaks in with his right and reflexes are above-average. People who expect Bernard to look old and rusty in April are clearly not aware... Go and watch the Hopkins-Wright fight with more attention and seriousness if you please?

 

I think alot of it is staged and for promotions, but I think joe is looking
more comfortable in an amercian style boxing promotion that he did in the first days after the hatton/mayweather fight. I don't think hometurf advantage is going to be a problem for Joe. I just worry about the judging. No way can bernard impose his will on joe. This will come down to skill in that ring on april 19th. And joe is without a doubt the more skilled competitor.
Joe Calzaghe UD !!

 

It's different when your doing that to a guy who fires the jab with set feet like wright does, and a guy who throws two just as quick with light feet. Also, while joe is no ernie shavers, he def hits harder than wright.
He's also lightyears ahead at infighting. In addition, what edge in experience does wright have over calzaghe that would over come being smaller, slower, and less powerful. It's easier to anticipate a punch from wright than it is calzaghe. In short, a victory over a blown up jr. middle
( an ugly win at that ) in no way gets you ready for the greatest 168 lb
fighter of all time. Wright would've lost to joe at any stage of either of their careers.
I'll say it like i've said for the last 5 years. Joe will retire undefeated!!
Bank it!!

 

The crowd will be on Joe's side.

 

hopkins has done very welll against southpaws, plus he is rough on the inside and joe seems to slap with his punches sometimes

 

1: Joe Calzaghe is no ordinary southpaw
2: Joe Calzaghe can make it rough on the inside just as well as Hopkins
3: Joe Calzaghe doesn't slap. To quote Eubank: "Some people think he slaps, but let me tell you, there is steel behind those fists". "I have never been hit as hard in my life".

 

There was a problem with Wright's legs and he planted his feet alright, but I don't know if Calzaghe can speed in and dive into Bernard's guard - it's not just a problem of feet, it has to do with the right co-ordination of hands, head and feet and seems to me Cal charges in to close the gap a little bit recklessly.

I also put serious doubts in the hitting department - Winky's jab is no push and he can hit you right on the money. Calzaghe is still lean-long-muscled and his power has to do with being a much wilder puncher - some of his shots carry more power like the hooks but he can't lead in with hooks.

Wright has a lot of experience and in infighting - the guy has some 50 plus fights and has fought at the highest level recently against Vargas, plenty of IBF Jr Middle fights, Mosley twice, Tito, Soliman, JT, Quartey... He's smaller and less powerful than Calzaghe but look at the problems he gives to more powerful, bigger men - why wouldn't he give problems to Calzaghe? Winky can steal fights from guys like JT, AA, KP, RJJ and I'm all serious about this.

It's not easy to antecipate Winky's jab - try sayin that to Tito - Bernard could do it cause he applied an effective game plan and I'm not sure others would. The aesthetics of the Hops-Wink fight have nothing to do ( Cal had horrible fights with Starie, Salem, Ashira, etc) and since it was a fight at 170 lbs against a busy, high-output lefty who was a middleweight contender ( 160 pounds, not 154), it gets you prepared for Calzaghe to a certain degree.

I always said that Calzaghe can easily drive Bernard back cause Bernard is already moving backwards anyway. Now, he has to drive him back and connect with effective punches - then, I can see a decision for the Welshman.

 

Eubanks also said that he has never been booed as much as Calzaghe in the David Starie fight in the undercard of Tyson-Francis. He and Piper said more than once that Calzaghe is a good fighter with great hand-speed... Eubanks was hit hard but even more so because he opened up and took big shots by a faster puncher, and Eubanks had no defense at all in 97. Jeff Lacy clearly said that Calzaghe slaps a lot "I'm not saying that all his punches are slaps, but wouldn't you say that he slaps?" and his shots on Lacy and Manfredo didn't look to be hard as steel.