What is the best case that can be made for Hopkins as the best opponent for Calzaghe?

I'm impressed, he just dominated and stopped a top 25-30 guy who had never been stopped in his 7th fight, he showcases incredible reflexes, timing and speed/power.

He's like Joan Guzman with more power.

Time will tell if he develops into a Supernatural, but the odds are stacked as the favourite that he will be one of boxing's few Supernatural's. He has the capability and potential to develop into that kind of boxing deity.

However, a Mijares he will never be.

 

Mijares is all that anyone needs, God, Jesus, the saviour, all form into 1 version of Cristian Mijares.

Convert to Cristianity now or forever perish, sayeth the Mijares.:yep

 

But if it's that easy, why was Hopkins so tentative in two fights vs. Taylor? Calzaghe is better in every aspect than Jermain, and the Taylor fights were in 2005 -- and every second you add to Hopkins' career he loses more and more.

Hopkins will make it an ugly fight, and there's virtually no chance he gets stopped. He'll mug, hold, butt, elbow, crowd and wrestle. That will nullify some of Joe's offense, and Hopkins will land the occasional sneaky right hand counter.

Still, Bernard has gone into a shell when he's being punched, and Joe still has his legs. More than anything else, that's why Bernard can't win. Wright no longer has his legs (especially that heavy), and Tarver no longer has his. Taylor does have his, and even if he doesn't really move them, he was able to keep the fight at his distance.

Unless he gets old overnight, Calzaghe will win a lopsided decision in which the crowd spends a great deal of time booing.

 

I believe that he was starting to feel drained at 160 when he moved up in weight his workrate and stamina improved. I don't think there is any question that Tarver hits harder than Taylor, but Taylor's jab which is better than Calzaghe's gave the weight drained Hopkins trouble. Plus Hopkins seems to have more trouble with very good orthodox fighters than southpaws. Taylor was a very good fighter no matter what some people on here say, his defense and ring intellegence are his biggest downfall but his chin isn't that bad he just kept getting caught by making novice mistakes, but his talent is world class.

 

Fair enough. I just don't see Hopkins dealing with an aggressive, fast, fighter who throws that many punches. Maybe if Joe were chinny I'd give BHop a chance, but if Joe were chinny, he'd probably have been stopped by Kessler.

 

just watched hopkins v wright again

( and i was not paid for doing it)

the ref was very very poor and made a **** fight worse than it had to be.

winky wright was positivley slow both in speed of hand and foot chasing hopkins and he still held his own in every round, hopkins hardly threw a nice jab that landed in the fight and was soley concerned with slipping moving/single lead and grab ala sven ottke.

when assesing this fight with a look to the calzaghe possible fight , there was not 1 single round in the whole fight when you could say, yep hopkins dominated that round , showed some of his old style and boxing skills and this was against a slow winky wright.

hopkins relied totally on expierence and the goodwill of the judges because this fight could have been scored anyway and while he will spoil calzaghe he is never going to outland him/outspeed him and IMO at this stage of his career outbox him.

 

Hopkins is easily the highest rank fighter Calzaghe will have fought. In most peoples P4P lists, he is between 4-7, which is miles ahead of where Kessler, Lacy, Eubank etc. where.

 

In terms of ability, I'd rate him less than where a past prime Eubank was, IMO. Hopkins is very much diminished from his prime form, Eubank vs. Joe had some of his speed and timing still, Hopkins not even that.

 

There is no case cos Bhop wont take the fight at anything less than 70/30 and only Stateside.Joe would want nearer 50/50. Not sure JC is that interested in legacy, if he was he'd a gone looking for it sooner. Biggest money fight for him now is Woods in Cardiff or Manchester and JC could take 65/35, maybe take the title, (maybe), and then defend at 175 for his farewell fight.