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| BERNARD "THE EXECUTIONER" HOPKINS VS. "THE PRIDE OF WHALES" JOE CALZAGHE |
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| WHO WINS HOPKINS VS. CALZAGHE? |
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| AGE: |
43 |
| HEIGHT: |
6'2" |
| REACH: |
75" |
| NECK: |
16" |
| CHEST: |
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| BICEPS: |
13" |
| FOREARMS: |
11" |
| WRIST: |
6" |
| FIST: |
12" |
| WAIST: |
31" |
| THIGH: |
21" |
| CALF: |
14" |
| ANKLE: |
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| AGE: |
36 |
| HEIGHT: |
5'11" |
| REACH: |
74" |
| NECK: |
16 1/2" |
| CHEST: |
38" |
| BICEPS: |
12 1/2" |
| FOREARMS: |
11 1/2" |
| WRIST: |
7" |
| FIST: |
12" |
| WAIST: |
32" |
| THIGH: |
21" |
| CALF: |
15" |
| ANKLE: |
10 1/2" |
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You asked for it and now you got it! Over six hundred total votes were tallied. Without further ado, the next Monster Matchup is…Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins vs. “The Pride of Whales” Joe Calzaghe.
To me, this fight is a no-brainer as far as the matchup is concerned. Bernard Hopkins has fought the best competition out there from 160 pounds all the way up to the division where he started his career, light heavyweight. In his last fight, he defeated a very game Winky Wright, who many considered to be the second best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, via unanimous decision. Prior to that, Hopkins put on an impressive performance in his beatdown of the former 175 pound king, the self-proclaimed “legend killer” Antonio Tarver. On top of that, Hopkins had two back-to-back fights with the current reigning middleweight champion Jermain Taylor and although he came up on the short end of the stick, most fans are split in regards to who should have had their hand raised after the scorecards were read. So who else is there for Hopkins to face right now? Personally, I don’t think there’s another fight out there that has more meaning for Hopkins so it only makes sense for him to face his counterpart from the other side of the pond…especially considering that they both hold the record (20) for consecutive successful title defenses (assuming Calzaghe gets past Kessler, he’ll hold the new record of 21).
Joe Calzaghe needs a fighter like Bernard Hopkins on his resume to help define his legacy. Although he’s the most decorated fighter that South Wales has ever seen (42 wins in 42 bouts) and he continues to sell out huge venues, he lacks that monumental victory over a world-renowned and highly respected elite boxer (sorry my English friends, but Lacy just isn’t that guy). He has yet to fight a guy that will convince the fans that he’s the baddest super middleweight on the planet. Sure, a win over Kessler would increase his stock tremendously, but it won’t cement his legacy in the same manner in which a dominating performance over the “Executioner” would do.
It really doesn’t matter if the fight takes place at Madison Square Garden or the M.E.N Arena since it wouldn’t take long for either place to sell out. Based on the latest trend of those rabid fans from the UK, who are more than willing to travel to see their hometown heroes in action, they might even be able to pull the fight off in Bernard’s home town of Philladelphia (which might not be a bad idea if they’re trying to maximize Hopkin’s drawing potential) . Needless to say, you already know this one would be on Pay-Per-View. After all, what fight isn’t on Pay-Per-View these days? (On a side note, what ever happened to World Championship Boxing? These networks have got to start realizing that they’re diminishing the value of good cards by putting so much crap on Pay-Per-View. Barera-Fana? Morales-Diaz? Briggs-Ibragimoz? Geesh! Talk about low value! LOL.)
As for the fight itself, although Hopkins is no spring chicken, Calzaghe, who’s in his mid-thirties, isn’t exactly a new kid on the block either. I don’t really think either fighter has an advantage (although with Hopkins, it seems like age never really factors into the equation as he’s the youngest 42-year-old that has ever stepped into the ring). Both fighters have decent power, although neither really possesses that one punch, knockout power that can stop an opponent in his tracks. Both men rely on a calculated, sustained attack; breaking down their opponents with pressure and deliberate blows to the arms, shoulders, head and body of their opponent…eventually wearing them down and then taking advantage of their weaknesses in the later rounds of the bout.
It seems like Hopkins has the stamina of a cheetah. The man simply doesn’t get tired. Perhaps that has more to do with the fact that he generally controls the pace of most fights. It would be interesting to see if a volume puncher like Calzaghe can press the pace of the action and try to tire the older man out. If he can prevent Hopkins from getting off with his punches first, he could set the pace early and dictate the fight to Hopkins. Given his boxing ability, it seems like the perfect strategy for Calzaghe. Hopkins, on the other hand, has the edge in big fight experience, and considering that he’s faced the higher profile, better fighters, he should be able to handle any gameplan that Calzaghe comes up with.
Personally, I think the severely underrated defense of Hopkins will be the difference in the fight. In my opinion, Bernard has the defensive prowess to come forward to Calzaghe, avoiding the onslaught of punches coming from the Welshman while waking him down behind the jab and circling away from Joe’s sneaky straight left. As I previously stated, Hopkins would try to break Calzaghe down and leave him vulnerable in the later rounds of the fight. With a wealth of ol’ school tricks, or should I say veteran tactics, at his disposal, he should be able to find a way to avoid punishment while doing enough damage to wear down the more active Calzaghe. Bottom line, while it won’t be one of the prettiest or most exciting fights to watch, Hopkins will somehow find a way to win! Whether the fight is boring, dirty or just downright gritty, one thing is clear…you have never seen Hopkins get dominated by anyone…ever!
I gotta give the edge to Hopkins. He’s been there, done that! With his mental strength and his belief that he can conquer any man, Hopkins is going to be tough for any man to beat…including “The Pride of Whales”. When push comes to shove (and believe me, any time someone fights Hopkins, push definitely comes to sove), I’m just not quite sure if Calzaghe possesses that same kind of mental fortitude…at least not while competing against fighters on the level of a Bernard Hopkins. Then again, I personally don’t think that Calzaghe will get past his rival Mikkel Kessler, so this fight will probably never happen and will always be remembered as just a “Monster Matchup”. But hey, this is boxing and you just never know…and since you guys asked for it, you got it!
Feel free to take this opportunity to shoot me an email to voice your own opinion, vote on who you think would win, or suggest the next Monster Matchup and the most voted on choice, the fight that the fans want to see the most, will be next month's topic.
Until next time, remember…styles make fights; talent, ability and mental fortitude makes fighters; fans make the sport!
Send questions and/or comments to Al Mermini
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| CHOOSE THE NEXT MONSTER MATCHUP |
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