Calzaghe vs. Hopkins
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Calzaghe relishes test vs. Hopkins
From staff, wire reports,
USA TODAY
Posted: 2008-01-25 07:11:04
Joe Calzaghe is arguably the best active world champion American boxing fans have never seen.
He'll show off his skills in the USA for the first time when he faces Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas on April 19 (HBO, time TBA). The long-awaited matchup at the Thomas & Mack Center will bring together two fighters with a combined 40 world title defenses.
"He definitely needs a facelift, and I'm going to sort him out," Calzaghe said at a news conference this week. "I just hope he's not going to run. If he comes toe-to-toe, it's going to be a war and hell of a treat for the fans."
After 21 successful defenses and unifying the world super-middleweight titles, the unbeaten Calzaghe (44-0, 32 KOs) hopes that his aggressive, fast-punching style will overwhelm the cagey Hopkins and neutralize the American's home advantage.
Calzaghe is moving up to light-heavyweight for the non-title fight.
"I've unified the (super-middleweight) titles and, if I go over there and win, I've done everything," the Welshman said. "To go to the States and beat their top man at light-heavyweight, there's no one who can pick holes in my career."
For a change, Calzaghe, 35, is fighting someone a good deal older. Hopkins is 43.
Although Hopkins once had 19 successful defenses of the world middleweight title, he has fought only twice since December 2005 when he lost for the second consecutive time to Jermaine Taylor.
Since then, Hopkins surprised Antonio Tarver in his first fight at light-heavyweight in June 2006. He came out of retirement and took advantage of a perceived third-round head butt to win a decision vs. Ronald "Winky Wright" in July.
Calzaghe outboxed both Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler in what appeared to be risky super-middleweight title fights. He intends to hold on to those belts, despite the switch to light-heavyweight.
"Lacy and Kessler are my best performances, and that came at the age of 34 and 35," he said of his lopsided points decisions in March 2006 and November last year. "The bigger the fight, the more motivated I get and the better I perform."
Hopkins (48-4-1) is easily the biggest opponent of Calzaghe's career. Hopkins, meanwhile, has fought Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Taylor, Tarver and Wright. He has built a big reputation with some stellar performances in the USA, unifying the world middleweight titles with a ninth-round knockout of De La Hoya in September 2004.
When Calzaghe and Hopkins met face-to-face at the Mayweather-Hatton fight in December, Hopkins said he would "never lose to a white boy."
Said Calzaghe: "I wasn't offended because I know what is going to happen. I'm not going to lose to a black guy, a white guy, a yellow guy, a purple guy or a green guy. -- It's a stupid comment from him."
He'll show off his skills in the USA for the first time when he faces Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas on April 19 (HBO, time TBA). The long-awaited matchup at the Thomas & Mack Center will bring together two fighters with a combined 40 world title defenses.
"He definitely needs a facelift, and I'm going to sort him out," Calzaghe said at a news conference this week. "I just hope he's not going to run. If he comes toe-to-toe, it's going to be a war and hell of a treat for the fans."
After 21 successful defenses and unifying the world super-middleweight titles, the unbeaten Calzaghe (44-0, 32 KOs) hopes that his aggressive, fast-punching style will overwhelm the cagey Hopkins and neutralize the American's home advantage.
Calzaghe is moving up to light-heavyweight for the non-title fight.
"I've unified the (super-middleweight) titles and, if I go over there and win, I've done everything," the Welshman said. "To go to the States and beat their top man at light-heavyweight, there's no one who can pick holes in my career."
For a change, Calzaghe, 35, is fighting someone a good deal older. Hopkins is 43.
Although Hopkins once had 19 successful defenses of the world middleweight title, he has fought only twice since December 2005 when he lost for the second consecutive time to Jermaine Taylor.
Since then, Hopkins surprised Antonio Tarver in his first fight at light-heavyweight in June 2006. He came out of retirement and took advantage of a perceived third-round head butt to win a decision vs. Ronald "Winky Wright" in July.
Calzaghe outboxed both Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler in what appeared to be risky super-middleweight title fights. He intends to hold on to those belts, despite the switch to light-heavyweight.
"Lacy and Kessler are my best performances, and that came at the age of 34 and 35," he said of his lopsided points decisions in March 2006 and November last year. "The bigger the fight, the more motivated I get and the better I perform."
Hopkins (48-4-1) is easily the biggest opponent of Calzaghe's career. Hopkins, meanwhile, has fought Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Taylor, Tarver and Wright. He has built a big reputation with some stellar performances in the USA, unifying the world middleweight titles with a ninth-round knockout of De La Hoya in September 2004.
When Calzaghe and Hopkins met face-to-face at the Mayweather-Hatton fight in December, Hopkins said he would "never lose to a white boy."
Said Calzaghe: "I wasn't offended because I know what is going to happen. I'm not going to lose to a black guy, a white guy, a yellow guy, a purple guy or a green guy. -- It's a stupid comment from him."
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