Quote Originally Posted by hitmandonny View Post
Yesterday evening, pondering the impending Calzaghe Hopkins fight, I took some time to consider the clash of styles.

Calzaghe is what I view as a "reactive" boxer; at this stage of his career he boxes best when the opponent forces the action and he adapts, countering in volume.
With Hopkins we have a fighter who will take no issue with throwing very little and likes to react to the opponents actions himself.

In my mind Joe does not have the patience of Hopkins and will lead if Hopkins is threatening to cause a stalemate. By forcing the action, Calzaghe will endanger himself of being tied up, a position he does not want to be caught in against Hopkins. Could this be Joe's undoing?

Hopkins is commonly perceived to have one of the best chins in modern boxing. That along with rugged tactics could result in broken hands and cuts on Joe's belhalf?
What do you guys think?

This thread will serve as the abstract prediction thread for the fight. (for example I think Calzaghe gets cut etc.)
I agree with everything you said but in this case things are a bit different...This is not a fight for a title or Joe's 0...this is a bit more personal and will cap either man's career off with a HUGE feather in ther cap's....

Joe is a smart guy his team is smart and even Skank Warren is smart...They would not have agreed to come fight in Vegas if they were not sure of how this will play out...These guys have wanted Hopkins for years...they have been doing homework on Bernard since back when the MW tourney was going on....Joe is no foll..he is not going to fight Hopkins fight...he knows that would be just plain out stupid...he also knows that he needs to win convincingly because anything even remotely close will be a loss for him because the GBP prostitute's..Excuse me sorry I mean the Judges and ref will swing Hopkins way...There is a chance Joe Cortez will sucker punch Joe while the two fighter's clinch....With that bit of uncontrolled sarcasim being said.... Calzaghe's people seen the treatment Hatton recieved in Vegas so they are weary....Joe will be patient and he will not fall into anything Hopkins tries...He knows the speed Hopkins likes to keep and also that Hopkins likes fighting off the ropes to counter...Calzaghe will do his best to keep in in the middle of the ring and back off when Bernard goes to the ropes...The hands will not be a factor,,,IMO everyone is dwelling on the hands a bit too much...perhaps even Hopkins and his people....Cuts happen but again Joe will avoid clinche's and avoid the ropes so the less inside fighting the less of a chance for them to occur...

Hopkins is the onew who will have to adjust the most...he will have an opponent who will not allow him to dictate the pace...Hopkins will have no choice but to fight...Hopkins does not like to start fast and he does not like to keep a fast pace...he needs to counter and most of his tricks are done in the clinch or off the ropes...take those two away from him and even a gy of his stature loses some important tools...Hopkins is stubborn and does not think he needs to adjust anything...IMO he will become frustrated at the pace and frustrated at the fact Joe will not be played...Then hopkins wil be forced if only due to ego to step out of character and try to show Joe up....it will be his mistake...

I see no KO's here and TBH a lot of this fight will be dull while both men try to make the other come to them...EGo will be the key in this one and Hopkins ego is way bigger then Joe's....Joe will out work him 3 to 1 and win a UD