Calzaghe/Hopkins article

[ICB]

I don't know

Were you?

Maybe you're having a Calzaghe bashing day?

Your comments.

Tarver looked awful beating Jones the 3rd time. He had been messing about with his weight making Rocky movies.

Fighting him at that point was an extremely shrewd pick from Hopkins. He was there for the taking.

So i comeback using Calzaghe as an example considering this is a Calzaghe and Hopkins thread yes ?? and i used the facts about most of Calzaghe's best opposition had looked garbage shortly before fighting Calzaghe. You keep bashing Hopkins but forget that your favorite fighter Calzaghe or one of your favorite fighters, has also done the same. But except Calzaghe was a big favorite in those fights i mentioned where as Hopkins was the underdog against Tarver.

I didn't bash Hopkins.

I PRAISED Hopkins for making an extremely shrewd fight pick.

Get your facts staight, son

You was taking credit away from Hopkins,

He was there for the taking.

Tarver looked awful beating Jones the 3rd time.

Fighting him at that point was an extremely shrewd pick from Hopkins.

You know what you was implying so don't try and twist it around, you was taking credit away from Hopkins. Even though Hopkins was a big underdog, and Hopkins gave Tarver a boxing lesson and won every single round. Hopkins deserves all the credit in the world for taking the risk to move up 2 weight divisions to beat Tarver.

No I wasn't taking credit away from Hopkins. YOU just assumed that.

Do you believe Hopkins would have fought Tarver if he didn't think he could beat him? Tarver was ready for the taking. Old BHOP recognised that. It takes skill and intelligence to recognise that type of thing.

Guys like you THOUGHT Hopkins was a big dog, guys like ME and old BHOP KNEW he could beat him.

Yes you was you was implying Tarver was there for the taking, even though hardly anyone thought that before the fight. You also tried to take credit away from Hopkins basing Tarver's performance against Jones in there rubber match, but lets not forget Jones was incredibly gun shy and was there to survive. And its hard to look good against someone who is there to survive but he still won easily by 9 rounds to 3 or 8 rounds to 4. Tarver was still a big favorite and Hopkins was considered the underdog by mostly everyone and he moved up 2 weight classes and took a major risk.

You just contradicted yourself with this comment.

Guys like you THOUGHT Hopkins was a big dog,

Now your the one assuming that i thought Hopkins was the big underdog when i never said that. I said *MOST* people considered Hopkins the underdog. I thought Hopkins would win but i thought he would win a close decision i don't think anyone could of predicted that Hopkins would of shut out Tarver.

Anyways i still think Calzaghe wins a UD 115-113, 116-113, 115-113.

[Fenster]

Oh right so now YOU believed Hopkins would win and you're NOT part of the *MOST* people that made Hopkins a big dog.

You da man Icey, You da man.

Hopkins was 41, coming off two losses and moving up two weight-classes (clearly avoiding Calzaghe at supermiddle).. Why did you believe Hopkins would beat Tarver when *MOST* thought otherwise?

And why are you so impressed if it wasn't an upset to you?

[ICB]

Oh right so now YOU believed Hopkins would win and you're NOT part of the *MOST* people that made Hopkins a big dog.

You da man Icey, You da man.

Hopkins was 41, coming off two losses and moving up two weight-classes (clearly avoiding Calzaghe at supermiddle).. Why did you believe Hopkins would beat Tarver when *MOST* thought otherwise?

And why are you so impressed if it wasn't an upset to you?

I thought Hopkins would win a hard fought close decision, what is impressive to me about it is that Hopkins shut out Tarver completely and gave a masterclass, i was shocked when i watched how Hopkins so easily handled Tarver, like Tarver was a sparring partner. And moving up two weight classes to shut out a big Light Heavyweight like Tarver, when most people thought Hopkins was crazy moving up is very impressive and Hopkins deserves all the credit in the world.

I think this *avoiding* talk should be stopped, because Hopkins and Calzaghe are both fighting now. So whoever wins will get the bragging rights and will be considered one of the best of there era. Lets just hope it isn't a messy fight like i expect it to be.

[Fenster]

It was all Hopkins good work was it?

So you didn't think Tarver looked absoulutey shockingly TERRIBLE then (even worse than against Roy 3rd time) probably due to weight loss after going all Hollywood?

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Tarver was a weak champion, Without a Prime Roy, 175 is a weak division.

Hopkins won the universally recognized, linear, supa-dupa ring-magazine belt by beating a weak champ.

Not meaning to knock him down a peg in relation to Calzaghe.... He's career is defintely more elustrious than Joe's..... But truth be told n all that.

No one considered Tarver a weak champion before the Hopkins fight, like i said earlier Hopkins moved up 2 weight classes to take on Tarver after Hopkins was coming off 2 losses. He deserves all the credit in the world, and i think people are forgetting how many were picking Hopkins to lose, and how many were picking Tarver to win, Hopkins was the big underdog and absolutely shut out Tarver winning every round and gave out a masterclass.

And then we all realised Taver is shite

[superheavyrhun]

Sorry bro, but I just can't see where you're coming from calling it a bulls**t statement. Calzaghe's 35 years old and has always made it clear that he's not going to go on fighting too long like a Holyfield.

You state yourself that Hopkins is a never-aging phenom, so you can't put everyone up against his yardstick. The only reason that Hopkins is still fighting at 43 is that he's picked his fights carefully, choosing those he can win, and fighting in a style that makes him very difficult to hit and in a way where he doesn't take too much damage. I wouldn't want Calzaghe to go down that route and become a spoiler to negate the aging factor.

Same goes with your comment mate, I mean if u think Hopkins has picked his opponents carefully then u must agree the same can be said about Joe C who has historically fought lsser opponents than BHOP.

Sorry, but I think the way that Hopkins has picked his opponents is different to the way Calzaghe has. Calzaghe has chosen not to go to light-heavy and start from scratch where there was, for a long time, a bit more competition.
Hopkins has picked his opponents over recent years that he knows he can drag down to his level and that he can utilise his roughhouse spoiling style on effectively.
I agree that career-wise Calzaghe doesn't have the huge names that Hopkins has, but the Hopkins revival with his fights against Tarver and Winky were very well chosen opponents for him.

I disagree about Tarver. I think you're looking at it retrospectively. When the fight was announced very few people on here were picking Hopkins to win and most of us felt he was just taking the fight for the money.

Tarver looked awful in that fight but he hadn't upto that point and in winning back to rematches with Jones Jr and Johnson he was firmly established as the Ring Champ at 175 lbs.

That was a great win for BHop in my opinion and ironically considering the weight class it took place, possibly the signature fight of his entire career.

Not quite what I said Bilbo, but I accept your points in the Tarver was well-recognised and respected at the time. However, the point I was trying to make was that in Winky and Tarver Hopkins chose opponents that he believed he would be able to tie up, spoil, and make to fight his fight.

And that's his mistake, because in picking Calzaghe, he's chosen a guy who is lightning fast and isn't as easy to pin down.

[Kev]

I don't know

Were you?

Maybe you're having a Calzaghe bashing day?

Your comments.

Tarver looked awful beating Jones the 3rd time. He had been messing about with his weight making Rocky movies.

Fighting him at that point was an extremely shrewd pick from Hopkins. He was there for the taking.

So i comeback using Calzaghe as an example considering this is a Calzaghe and Hopkins thread yes ?? and i used the facts about most of Calzaghe's best opposition had looked garbage shortly before fighting Calzaghe. You keep bashing Hopkins but forget that your favorite fighter Calzaghe or one of your favorite fighters, has also done the same. But except Calzaghe was a big favorite in those fights i mentioned where as Hopkins was the underdog against Tarver.

I didn't bash Hopkins.

I PRAISED Hopkins for making an extremely shrewd fight pick.

Get your facts staight, son

You was taking credit away from Hopkins,

He was there for the taking.

Tarver looked awful beating Jones the 3rd time.

Fighting him at that point was an extremely shrewd pick from Hopkins.

You know what you was implying so don't try and twist it around, you was taking credit away from Hopkins. Even though Hopkins was a big underdog, and Hopkins gave Tarver a boxing lesson and won every single round. Hopkins deserves all the credit in the world for taking the risk to move up 2 weight divisions to beat Tarver.

No I wasn't taking credit away from Hopkins. YOU just assumed that.

Do you believe Hopkins would have fought Tarver if he didn't think he could beat him? Tarver was ready for the taking. Old BHOP recognised that. It takes skill and intelligence to recognise that type of thing.

Guys like you THOUGHT Hopkins was a big dog, guys like ME and old BHOP KNEW he could beat him.

So by your logic Hopkins is only fighting Calzaghe becuase he knows he can beat him too right?

Or is he just taking a final big payday against Calzaghe?

Oh but isn't that what everyone said when the Tarver fight was announced?

[Fenster]

I don't know

Were you?

Maybe you're having a Calzaghe bashing day?

Your comments.

Tarver looked awful beating Jones the 3rd time. He had been messing about with his weight making Rocky movies.

Fighting him at that point was an extremely shrewd pick from Hopkins. He was there for the taking.

So i comeback using Calzaghe as an example considering this is a Calzaghe and Hopkins thread yes ?? and i used the facts about most of Calzaghe's best opposition had looked garbage shortly before fighting Calzaghe. You keep bashing Hopkins but forget that your favorite fighter Calzaghe or one of your favorite fighters, has also done the same. But except Calzaghe was a big favorite in those fights i mentioned where as Hopkins was the underdog against Tarver.

I didn't bash Hopkins.

I PRAISED Hopkins for making an extremely shrewd fight pick.

Get your facts staight, son

You was taking credit away from Hopkins,

He was there for the taking.

Tarver looked awful beating Jones the 3rd time.

Fighting him at that point was an extremely shrewd pick from Hopkins.

You know what you was implying so don't try and twist it around, you was taking credit away from Hopkins. Even though Hopkins was a big underdog, and Hopkins gave Tarver a boxing lesson and won every single round. Hopkins deserves all the credit in the world for taking the risk to move up 2 weight divisions to beat Tarver.

No I wasn't taking credit away from Hopkins. YOU just assumed that.

Do you believe Hopkins would have fought Tarver if he didn't think he could beat him? Tarver was ready for the taking. Old BHOP recognised that. It takes skill and intelligence to recognise that type of thing.

Guys like you THOUGHT Hopkins was a big dog, guys like ME and old BHOP KNEW he could beat him.

So by your logic Hopkins is only fighting Calzaghe becuase he knows he can beat him too right?

Or is he just taking a final big payday against Calzaghe?

Oh but isn't that what everyone said when the Tarver fight was announced?

For sure

Don't you know Old BHOP is a superior human being to any white man? He'll never lose to a white person. You better believe it cracker.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Or is he just taking a final big payday against Calzaghe?

Oh but isn't that what everyone said when the Tarver fight was announced?

No

[Fenster]

Or is he just taking a final big payday against Calzaghe?

Oh but isn't that what everyone said when the Tarver fight was announced?

No

When did anyone ever rate Tarver?

He sparked out an ancient Roy Jones. Flukey as that win was, it was completely diluted when Glenn - robbed every fight, although really one-step above journeyman - Johnson sparked out the ancient Roy Jones.

Was it not?

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

All this and we havent even started on Hokins fighting Light-Middleweights...

Na seriously in light of everything i have much respect for Hopkins making this fight... We had to wait a while for it but even so, taking the fight at 41 (42?). Thats something.

Calzaghe unfortunately cant rest on this fight (due to Hopkins age) so i hope he dosent think about retireing after this one. I wanna see him spank Pavlik back at 168.

[MtnFraggle]

Jones was shot after fighting Ruiz. Dropped 25-30 lbs of muscle to fight Tarver. Cutting weight is one thing, but Jones was a shredded heavyweight. Jones was all about fast twitch muscle. When your body starts breaking down muscle, it doesn't discriminate, fast twitch, slow twitch, heart muscle, etc. So like others have said, Tarver beat a SHOT Jones, Bhop beat a lesser movie star version of Tarver. Still love Bhop, but he'll have his hands full against Calzaghe. I like both guys, but I predict unanimous decision win for Joe, MAYBE late stoppage for Joe, but I doubt it. Sorry if others have already covered these thoughts.