Quote Originally Posted by leftylee
Quote Originally Posted by skel1983
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Recognized light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, in a recent interview with The Sunday Times, said that he respects Ricky Hatton more than undisputed super middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe, because Hatton left the UK to take big fights on American soil.

"I respect Ricky Hatton more because he understood that in order to be considered great in a country that has produced great talent in many sports for many years, you have to get your a** over here. Joe’s known but he’s not well-known, and there’s a difference," Hopkins said. "Until you become known in the world more than you are in your neighborhood, then you’re only a neighborhood champion and Calzaghe’s a neighborhood champion, that’s what he is. So he has to pack his bags and come to the legend that is Bernard Hopkins, step out of his crib in Wales where he’s got his bottle on one side and his pacifier on the other and set foot on my soil so that we can get this on."

Hopkins said that he's only willing to do the fight with Calzaghe if it's on America soil, and if the money is a 60-40 split in his favor. He refuses to do a 50-50 split.

"Joe’s with HBO now, so he’s halfway there already. My offer is 60-40, 50-50 being out of the question, but we can talk," Hopkins said. "When he steps off the plane I’m going to be wearing my Yankee Doodle Dandy red-white-and-blue uniform, just like Apollo Creed, with James Brown’s Coming to America playing on the speakers, and I’ll show Joe what being world champion means, for I am the personification of the American Dream.”
AGREED.

I agree to a certain extent, but Ricky Hatton had Kosta Tyzsu to thank for that, who the fuck could Joe Calzaghe bring over to the uk since he was a champion to get the USA to take notice?? No one is has been slim pickings in the 168 division, Ricky was lucky in that he was a mandatory against a star who in Kosta who he could attract with a big payday to come over the these isles.

Ricky needed the exposure to get him over to the USA just like Joe has got now, i no it has taken him years, but there has been no one realistacly he could of fought, before anyone says RJJ, please the guy was the main man in the world why would he want to fight a guy who no one knows who is a weight class under you? Thats like Floyd coming over here to fight Junior Witter??