Non-British perspective: Froch easier to like than was Calzaghe

[TitoFan]

I beg to differ with the Calzaghe/Hopkins/Marciano opponents comparison. Hopkins, throughout his remarkable career, fought more than a handful of big name opponents. His list more than stacks up against Calzaghe's opponents list, IMO. Marciano I'm not too sure about.

Explain the difference between Hopkins and Cazlaghe's title defences?

First, you claim I said Calzaghe ducked people. There goes what little's left of your credibility right there. Second, I said "opponents". You're specifying "title defenses". Another blow to your negligible credibility. But I'll humor you and list the opponents:

Hopkins

Glen Johnson
Keith Holmes
Felix Trinidad
William Joppy
Oscar de la Hoya
Howard Eastman
Jermain Taylor (twice)
Antonio Tarver
Winky Wright
Joe Calzaghe
Kelly Pavlik
Roy Jones Jr.
Chad Dawson

Calzaghe

Eubank
Jeff Lacy
Kessler
Hopkins
RJJ


Oh...... and Peter Manfredo.

Next!

Those Nard fights weren't all his Middleweight defences and he lost to 4 of the guys on your list.

B-Hop's reign at MW was no better than JC's at SMW. JC's opposition was medicore until Lacy/Kessler. B-Hop's opposition was mediocre until Tito. Doesn't mean that either one of them was not the best in their division, but both records are pretty equal.

My original claim was that Bernard's list of opponents stacks up better than Calzaghe's list of opponents, and I still feel that way. I went back over both lists, and there's no way I can feel any different. I do agree, however, that they were both the best in their respective divisions during their reigns. In all honesty, I probably should have omitted DLH from the Hopkins list. De La Hoya had no business at 160..... never did anything worthy of note at 160, other than get a gift decision against Felix Sturm. DLH's fight against Hopkins, IMO, should not be considered a major accomplishment in Hopkins' career. But the rest of the list is still more impressive than Calzaghe's. Maybe not JC's fault, just like it won't be Wlad's fault that his list of opponents has been shit when he's done with his career. It's just circumstance. And yet... I failed to see a "Peter Manfredo" in Hopkins list of opponents at a comparable stage of his career. There's no way to talk up Manfredo. He was a bum.