Calzaghe Remains Undefeated With Split Decision Win Vs. Hopkins
April 20, 2008 by Michael Sedor
Filed under MMA-UFC
Image details: Bernard Hopkins v Joe Calzaghe served by picapp.com
Joe Calzaghe is no Ricky Hatton. He doesn’t bring legions of Britons to Las Vegas, he’s not gracious to his opponent in post-match interviews, he doesn’t want to fight dangerous young fighters, but, most importantly, he’s able to find a way to win, however controversially, against his American opponent thus maintaining his undefeated record.
Calzaghe escaped the 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins’ technical, throwback counterpuncing style with a high volume of pitter-pat slaps and occasional rabbit punches scoring a close split decision victory and the linear light heavyweight title. Judges Ted Gizma (115-112) and Chuck Giampa (116-111) scored the bout for Calzaghe; Adalaide Byrd saw it 114-113 for Hopkins. I had it 114-113 for Calzaghe. The boxers’ sharply contrasting styles (high volume light aggression vs. pointed and defensive counterpunching) proved difficult to score; espn.com score it 114-113 for Hopkins while HBO’s Harold Lederman had it 116-111 for Calzaghe.
Unsurprisingly, Hopkins floored Calzaghe in the bout’s opening round with a good straight right. In the pre-match festivites Calzaghe had looked dazed and a bit starstruck – he planted a gushing hug on a increasingly unidentifiable Tom Jones – while Hopkins stalked the ring focused and ready.
As the fight went on, however, Calzaghe caught his stride maintaining a steady, if not pain-inflicting, barrage of punches during the fight’s middle-to-late rounds. After a protracted break for a grazing low blow in the 10th Hopkins seemed re-energized and ready to rally for the stretch run.
But Calzaghe didn’t back down earning a close advantage on my scorecard in the 11th and 12th. Post-fight Calzaghe was confident despite his cut nose and bruised face declaring himself a “legend killer” and stating that Hopkins’ clear first round knock down was instead a slip. The legend comment referred to Calzaghe’s priority desire to fight Roy Jones, Jr. next instead of Chad Dawson, Kelly Pavlik, Arthur Abraham, or anyone under the age of 40.
Joe Calzaghe is a terrific fighter, undoubtedly a top ten pound-for-pound, but his career-long proclivity towards avoiding top flight competition is disappointing for any fight fan and ultimately will prevent him from ranking among the all-time greats, including the vanquished Bernard Hopkins.
