The Hopkins /Calzaghe debate once and for all....

Thats pretty much as i see it but that fight was so ugly I vowed to never watch it again.Mainly down to Hopkins gameplan...
Not to say I wouldn't watch Hopkins again 'cos the Pavlik fight was ace and hopefully thats the aggresive tactics he'll use the next time.

 

:rant

 

It's really quite simple. If Calzaghe's punching was so ineffective a fighter of Hopkins calibre would simply have walked through them and knocked him out. He didn't,he got on his bike.

 

Hopkins is definitely well past his physical prime, but not washed up.

 

Bhop is past it. Bhop have gotten smarter as he got older but the man have no real pop in his punches anymore. Bhop in prime would have KOed Kelly. Bhop used to be the hunter and throws hard shots for 3 mins.

 

Joe is about to be past it too. He still got his work rate. His competiton has always been soft. CHad would beat Joe down. He knows it.

 

Hopkins is definitely past it. Even the Hopkins who beat Pavlik is past it. That being said, he still has a lot left in the tank, and yes he is past his prime he is not shot, and still can fight. He chose to do the bare minimum against Calzaghe and paid for it. Hopkins landed the leaner punches, but Calzaghe outlanded him with slaps

 

totally agree with your account ted stickles

 

'once and for all' - not going to happen!

I thought Joe won too, but it was very close and it could have gone either way.

 

Spot on.

I think the decision to give Joe the nod was correct as he did more throughout the fight and deserved the win.

 

Past prime yes. Not sure on the phrase 'past it' though. He's one of the top active fighters still.

 

Calzaghe won the fight. They were both past it, but the difference is that these two being past it was still good enough to be, at the very very worst, top 15 p4p. So it was still an excellent victory.

That said, I would have gone for Hopkins in a rematch. But Hopkins should have done it in the first fight, and fact is, he didn't, so Bop fans just have to avvept that the better man on the night won.

 

thats exactly what all calzaghes opponents say before the fight if Hopkins was so confident that calzaghe was pitty patting why didn't he just stay in the pocket like he did against other less punchers?? the reason why was that Hopkins had one game plan to get on his bike wait for a opening and land the right hand -thats all.

He knew he cnt stand in front of joe, as joe beat him to the punch and out work him,
he cnt outbox joe, as he is not as mobile as joe, he cnt outwork him as this fall into joes strengths
He can't match punch output and just throw leather to keep joe off as he doesn't have the stamina/style to do it.
They can't fight calzaghe like pavlik as Joe is TOO good and fall right into Joes hands if he faught like that.

This leaves Bhop and Naazim to do the only thing they can, the counter punch, accuracy -right hand. Joe adjusted to the tactics and people should give joe credit for the pressure/game/ring smarts he put on bhop.
We should give calzaghe the respect he deserves as he put the pressure on bhop and took away the right hand and left bhop to do nothing but hold and as soon as he saw a good opening (after joe commited to throw) he threw his punch -1 a round.