The love given to Hopkins and the hate given to Calzaghe

What does that add to the discussion or take away from the discussion?

If Calzaghe's best win was Kessler and he lost two close decisions to Taylor? then the other thing that gets him respect his unbeaten record would not exist.

 

just think that calzaghe would have got slaughtered for losing to taylor twice whilst everybody just brushes hopkins 2 losses to taylor under the carpet.

 

When Hopkins lost to Taylor in 2005, he had been in the top 10 P4P since 1999, being #1 in 2002, and 2004, with good wins over Hoya, Trinidad, Holmes, and Glen Johnson (Who had just KO Roy Jones Jr, and beat Tarver), and the losses to Taylor (especially the first one) were still being debated whether Hopkins actually lost or not.

Everyone was saying Hopkins is done, and rubbish at that time, he was being slaughtered, but then he went on to beat Tarver, Wright, and Pavlik, with another controversial loss to Calzaghe.

If Calzaghe retired with the best wins over Kessler, Hopkins, and Lacy, and with 2 losses to Taylor and then people still claimed he is top 50 Boxer of all time, then he deserves some negative feedback.

Despite Hopkins losing twice to Taylor on record, do people still deny him being top 50 ATG?

 

I don't believe that. It would have been a case of him taking on a good fighter in his prime.....something he is roundly criticized for. Also, his having been beaten would have negated the whole argument before it even got started. Calzaghe fans wouldn't be touting him as an ATG and his detractors wouldnt be lining up to take potshots at him. In Hopkins case, they are blemishes on hi record. But even if he had beaten JT once or even twice, it woudn't have boosted his record all that much.... his legacy is built on a lot more than Jermain Taylor. Calzaghe doesn't have that. Taylor would be his crowning achievement had they fought and Calzaghe won.

 

And don't forget Hopkins was what 39 or 40 when he fought Taylor........so losing at that age is no big calamity.

 

i just don't consider the likes of tarver or johnson as great wins. they both made a name out of fighting jones at the right time. if you take jones off either of tarver and johnsons records, then you see two very average fighters with 2 very average records. they got jones at the right time to cement there place in history and good luck to them for that, but neither are elite fighters imo.

i think those 2 wins boost hopkins legacy in many peoples eyes. i think they are over-rated wins.

hopkins win against lighter fighters like trinidad and de la hoya are also tainted victories in my eyes.

then you look at hopkins losing twice to someone of equal weight like taylor, and then see what happenned to taylor whenever he fought any quality opposition after that fight and i think there are holes in bernards record that get ignored by too many considering how highly he gets regarded.

 

Tarver's record is fine, Johnson's record is full of holes. But both guys fought anyone including prime p4p'ers(Dawson) late in thei career. I'll grant you they may hold less stock than they are credited for, but in Tarver's case, again, he would be JC's biggest fight and toughest opponent (at the time he fought Hopkins), but he is somewhere like 4 or 5 on Hopkins list of top opponents. Again, take and rank the prime opponents each guy fought and you'd get all the way down to Kessler or Lacy before you even come across any of JC's opponents....which could be anywhere from 6-9 on the depth chart.

 

ANY younger version... you saw how their fight panned out. Calzaghe was only in the fight cos he punches like a machine. but the pitter patter did not hurt b-hop. what betrayed bernard were his legs and his stamina - BUT he was still controlling the fight. A younger b-hop has enuf to keep away from JC and pick him apart whenever he chooses to engage.

and early loses don't come into it for mine. look at pac's early losses. nobody with boxing knowledge would even doubt pac's greatness. pac also lost to a legend in morales, hopkins did with roy jones. Fact is pac, like b-hop have had better opponents. JC didn't. and that's the end of it

 

smack down!!!! you're right. b-hop legacy >>>>>>>>> calzaghe!!!!

 

Hopkins looked in trouble against Jones and Tarver twice when he lost.

 

That's because you buried whatever question was there under so much crap. Many people can't find it.

 

funny how these jokers forget to mention hopkins ducked calzaghe in 2002 by pulling out of the fight in the last minute!

hopkins is just the american love child. very over rated and was made calzaghes ***** when the duck clock stopped.