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[easywork]

Hopkins-Calzaghe in Vegas on April 12th?

"I believe the date the 11th or the 12th of April. I know I'm just looking to make it happen. I don't believe anything is signed yet. I got a letter from Arnold Joseph and Richard Schaeffer saying that we have an oral agreement. I could say oral agreements have stood up for the last five years of my career. They expressed to me that we have a deal and I'm expecting an official confirmation on that no later than Monday. I was hoping to hear something yesterday or today, but I'm expecting things to be wrapped up the middle of next week the latest," stated light heavyweight king Bernard Hopkins in a recent interview.

Hopkins revealed that the fight would likely take place in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay or the MGM Grand and he hopes that HBO will be willing to do another 24/7 series for the fight. "I think maybe with a 24/7 if everybody is willing to pitch in, that's HBO, Golden Boy and Frank Warren, if they're willing to pitch in because that ain't free, but I think it would do everybody justice, not only in our bank accounts, but I think the fans will get to see the behind the scenes back and forth that goes on with the game. Again, this ain't a salespitch to convince anybody, I'm just saying that this is one of them kind of fights where I think 24/7 is needed to uplift what's already there. Coming off the heels of the big blockbuster that happened on December 8 one month later, I think it would be great."

Hopkins also revealed that he's been training lightly for the past two or three months, but he's planning on beginning serious training for the fight in about two or three weeks. Along with Brother Nasseem and Freddie Roach, Hopkins is considering reuniting with Mackie Shillstone. "I didn't use him for the Winky Wright for one reason or the other, but for this fight I see that his biggest weapon is punches in bunches and trust me, from what I've experienced with the Tarver fight with Mackie Shilstone, he got me to the point where I was throwing so many punches per round that it was unbelievable."

When asked whether or not Calzaghe would be one of the toughest southpaws he's ever faced, Hopkins emphatically stated, "Oh, No. No. No. Absolutely not. The best southpaw I ever fought in terms of being tricky is John David Jackson." In fact, Hopkins went so far as to say that Calzaghe was at the bottom of the list of southpaws he's faced, behind the likes of Robert Allen, Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright.

[Method]

IMO Kessler at 168 is better than Winky at 170, Oscar and Tito at 160 and also Tarver at 175.

I disagree. IMO, Winky, Oscar AND Tito are all better fighters, skill-wise, than Kessler. The one advantage Kessler probably enjoys over them all, at 168, is punching power. But I would say Winky and Oscar are more complete fighters, hell maybe even Tito., and that P4P Tito is the mure pure puncher. That said, Kessler was done after 6-7 rounds. He had nothing left in the gas tank, something none of the aforementioned three have ever been in their respective primes or in their comfort zones. What's more, his foot movement and balance were for shit. He stood stright up and down, and most times square.

Like you said, time will tell. Styles make fights, and that is the only thing, at this point in Hopkins' career, that keeps Joe in the game. Cause boxingwise, skill set for skill set, Joe Calzage does not do ANYTHING better than Bernard Hopkins. The only reason Joe gets a "W" at this point, and it is definitely possible, is if he just "out actives" Bernard. We've already seen with the Taylor fights, that the judges will award inneffective aggression if you are the fighter perceived to have more money in you for the industry to squeeze out, so it is distinctly possible that we could see Joe awarded a victory for those wack ass wining 5-7 punch hook-to-the body flurries that we saw versus Kessler. Very possible. But on the other side of that fucking coin, this is Bernard Hopkins we're talking about here. When the fuck has ANYBODY landed that kind of shit 5-7 times in a row? Roy Jones wasn't landing any of that shit and Roy was at LEAST...at LEAST as fast, and much more of an ackward guy and better fighter at the time he and Bernard fought.

I can envision Hopkins smothering, tieing up, and roughing up Joe all night long. I could imagine a stinker of a fight to the common guy too.. I can see Hopkins winning a decicion. I could also see Hopkins losing a decision in a fight where he comes out unmarked too. Who knows. We'll see. At a current +180, I laid down some money on Bernard. If that number increases to make Hopkins a bigger underdog, which I doubt - ESPECIALLY as he talks leading up to the fight and people see and hear him - then I will lay some more on him. If that number comes in, I may lay some on Joe.

I favor Hopkins to win this fight. I just think he has the more complete game. That does not mean he wins.