Calzaghe - Reid

[mekane]

This was a pretty entertaining fight - especially down the stretch. Seemed like a very close fight - I thought Reid landed the better shots of the fight but Calzaghe was more consistent (although punch stats showed they landed almost the same number of punches). Reid did a good job of neutralizing Calzaghe's output by staying out of range of the jab and counter punching with almost wild right hands when Calzaghe overcommitted. He couldn't miss with that punch - and we all know what Bernards best punch is! In a sense, though, Reid traded punches a bit with Calzaghe and seemed to be the stronger fighter - overpowering him with his right hand. Hopkins won't do that - but I like his chances considering he can be even more effective neutralizing Calzaghe from the outside and landing right hand counters and timing him on the inside.

[RASTA666]

Grasping at


'S

[Tommy]

Hop's best chance is to catch him with a right while he's coming in. Kessler stunned Joe a number of times but Hop doesn't have that power although he does have the timing. I think we'll see Joe take no chances though and box more like the 2nd half of the Kessler bout than the 1st.

[mekane]

Grasping at


'S

And Gatti beating Mayweather probably wasn't in your mind...

[RASTA666]

Grasping at


'S

And Gatti beating Mayweather probably wasn't in your mind...

Lol. This only proves you suffer from the same delusion I did.

[mekane]

Hop's best chance is to catch him with a right while he's coming in. Kessler stunned Joe a number of times but Hop doesn't have that power although he does have the timing. I think we'll see Joe take no chances though and box more like the 2nd half of the Kessler bout than the 1st.

I agree and that was kind of the difference I was trying to point out - Kessler and Reid were throwing powerful counters that could move Calzaghe even through his guard where as Hopkins doesn't sit down on his punches like that but he is more accurate.

Calzaghe wasn't able to box with Reid from the outside as well because Reid was always a bit out of range of his jab and when he did step in Reid would move his head to the right and counter with his right hand. The difference with Kessler is Calzaghe was able to land his jab - I think Reid's defense might have been a bit better although I think some credit shouled be given to Calzaghe because he seems to be a better fighter now than he was then. I think Calzaghe may ahve the same problems against Hopkins and become frustrated and be forced to close the distance. If he is smart his best chance to win might be a boring fight because Hopkins won't be that effective from the outside, either. Calzaghe's biggest mistake may be to try and win this fight impressively instead of just winning any way he can and end up losing it.

[mekane]

Grasping at


'S

And Gatti beating Mayweather probably wasn't in your mind...

Lol. This only proves you suffer from the same delusion I did.

lol, eh hindsight is always 20:20. Maybe I am delusionally, but maybe Hopkins has one great performance left in him!

[Tommy]

Calzaghe's biggest mistake may be to try and win this fight impressively instead of just winning any way he can and end up losing it.

Well he tried that on Kessler early and after getting stunned a few times he realized this was no Jeff Lacy, he fought a more calculated fight after that working behind his jab.
If Joe fights careful I can't see Hop winning as he doesn't throw enough anymore, he got outworked by Jermain Taylor.

I truly believe Hop needs a knock out and I can't see it but hey I didn't think Floyd could knock out Hatton but it goes to show with the right timing anything can happen.

[RASTA666]

Hop's best chance is to catch him with a right while he's coming in. Kessler stunned Joe a number of times but Hop doesn't have that power although he does have the timing. I think we'll see Joe take no chances though and box more like the 2nd half of the Kessler bout than the 1st.

I agree and that was kind of the difference I was trying to point out - Kessler and Reid were throwing powerful counters that could move Calzaghe even through his guard where as Hopkins doesn't sit down on his punches like that but he is more accurate.

Calzaghe wasn't able to box with Reid from the outside as well because Reid was always a bit out of range of his jab and when he did step in Reid would move his head to the right and counter with his right hand. The difference with Kessler is Calzaghe was able to land his jab - I think Reid's defense might have been a bit better although I think some credit shouled be given to Calzaghe because he seems to be a better fighter now than he was then. I think Calzaghe may ahve the same problems against Hopkins and become frustrated and be forced to close the distance. If he is smart his best chance to win might be a boring fight because Hopkins won't be that effective from the outside, either. Calzaghe's biggest mistake may be to try and win this fight impressively instead of just winning any way he can and end up losing it.

No offense but what a load. Hopkins ....this leftie specialist. When has Hopkins faced anything like Joe? The dude wrote a cheque his ass cant cash. Whats with the Reid fight? He is nothing like Hopkins. That fight was almost ten years ago.

[mekane]

Well he tried that on Kessler early and after getting stunned a few times he realized this was no Jeff Lacy, he fought a more calculated fight after that working behind his jab.
If Joe fights careful I can't see Hop winning as he doesn't throw enough anymore, he got outworked by Jermain Taylor.

I truly believe Hop needs a knock out and I can't see it but hey I didn't think Floyd could knock out Hatton but it goes to show with the right timing anything can happen.

I don't think he could knock out Calzaghe. Calzaghe can be caught occasionally by big shots, but he has a good chin and Hopkins doesn't sit down on his punches anymore like he used to.

I think it will be more like the Reid fight where Calzaghe isn't able to be effective from a distance because his jab won't be landing like it was in the Kessler fight. Taylor is a little more rangy with his jab than is Calzaghe imo. We'll see if he is able to neutralize Hopkins like Taylor did, but I doubt it. On the inside its very tough to outwork Hopkins because his defense and punch selection / timing is simply outstanding.

[mekane]

No offense but what a load. Hopkins ....this leftie specialist. When has Hopkins faced anything like Joe? The dude wrote a cheque his ass cant cash. Whats with the Reid fight? He is nothing like Hopkins. That fight was almost ten years ago.

No problem Im not really the type to get offended - I prefer honesty any day.

Hopkins will employ the same tactic that Reid did and the one he always does, he stays just outside of your reach and counters you when you overcommit. Its not just Reid, Calzaghe seems to struggle a bit against counter punchers in general. Certainly nobody is calling Bika a sensational counter puncher and he gave Calzaghe some minor problems as well.

[mekane]

Also - I do think Hopkins is good against lefties but I don't see it being a big factor because he is good against right handers, too . I know you always point to the Robert Allen fights but I didn't think Hopkins struggled at all minus the first couple rounds of their first fight...

[RASTA666]

No offense but what a load. Hopkins ....this leftie specialist. When has Hopkins faced anything like Joe? The dude wrote a cheque his ass cant cash. Whats with the Reid fight? He is nothing like Hopkins. That fight was almost ten years ago.

No problem Im not really the type to get offended - I prefer honesty any day.

Hopkins will employ the same tactic that Reid did and the one he always does, he stays just outside of your reach and counters you when you overcommit. Its not just Reid, Calzaghe seems to struggle a bit against counter punchers in general. Certainly nobody is calling Bika a sensational counter puncher and he gave Calzaghe some minor problems as well.

Fair enough.

[mekane]

the one thing Bika and Reid have in common that Hopkins does not is that they are almost a little wild. Being a little wild can sometimes be a good thing - wild turns into unpredictable. I wouldn't exactly call Kessler predictable but he was definitely more orthodox compared to Bika/Reid and Hopkins did very well in that fight when you consider that Kessler is a pretty solid opponent.

[pidgeHHH]

Calzaghe supporters will point to injuries Calzaghe sustained prior to the Reid fight. What Reid was able to do was maintain constant movement making it difficult for Calzaghe to get off and score. On the offensive side, he was accurate and fluid. Kessler demonstrated that movement and accurate punching can be used to retard Calzaghe's offensive output and effectiveness. His in ability to keep it up for 12 rounds killed him.

[mekane]

Calzaghe supporters will point to injuries Calzaghe sustained prior to the Reid fight. What Reid was able to do was maintain constant movement making it difficult for Calzaghe to get off and score. On the offensive side, he was accurate and fluid. Kessler demonstrated that movement and accurate punching can be used to retard Calzaghe's offensive output and effectiveness. His in ability to keep it up for 12 rounds killed him.

I know little of he history of this fight... what were the injuries sustained?

I think the biggest thing was how easily he was landing his right hand - and that being Hopkins best punch has to be a good indicator for him.

[pidgeHHH]

Calzaghe supporters will point to injuries Calzaghe sustained prior to the Reid fight. What Reid was able to do was maintain constant movement making it difficult for Calzaghe to get off and score. On the offensive side, he was accurate and fluid. Kessler demonstrated that movement and accurate punching can be used to retard Calzaghe's offensive output and effectiveness. His in ability to keep it up for 12 rounds killed him.

I know little of he history of this fight... what were the injuries sustained?

I think the biggest thing was how easily he was landing his right hand - and that being Hopkins best punch has to be a good indicator for him.

I'm not exactly sure. I know he broke his hand during the fight. I think he stated he had some kind of a shoulder injury coming into the fight.

[jeff_lacy_ko]

The Cal-Reid and Mayweather-Castillo fights prove that even when you're great, you have to be lucky to have that undefeated record. Both could have easily been on a justified losing end of a decision in their respective fights.

What I"m getting at is that nobody is unbeatable, and a right style on the right night can cause a load of trouble to any great fighter. Hell Sugar Ray Robinson lost fights in his prime. This is why I can't stand people on here totally disregarding a fighter's chance of losing. It can happen... if you fight long enough it WILL happen

[boxingfan1984]

This was a pretty entertaining fight - especially down the stretch. Seemed like a very close fight - I thought Reid landed the better shots of the fight but Calzaghe was more consistent (although punch stats showed they landed almost the same number of punches). Reid did a good job of neutralizing Calzaghe's output by staying out of range of the jab and counter punching with almost wild right hands when Calzaghe overcommitted. He couldn't miss with that punch - and we all know what Bernards best punch is! In a sense, though, Reid traded punches a bit with Calzaghe and seemed to be the stronger fighter - overpowering him with his right hand. Hopkins won't do that - but I like his chances considering he can be even more effective neutralizing Calzaghe from the outside and landing right hand counters and timing him on the inside.

Yeah, but Reid wasnt 45!!!!!!!!!!!

[kinggrissly]

This was a pretty entertaining fight - especially down the stretch. Seemed like a very close fight - I thought Reid landed the better shots of the fight but Calzaghe was more consistent (although punch stats showed they landed almost the same number of punches). Reid did a good job of neutralizing Calzaghe's output by staying out of range of the jab and counter punching with almost wild right hands when Calzaghe overcommitted. He couldn't miss with that punch - and we all know what Bernards best punch is! In a sense, though, Reid traded punches a bit with Calzaghe and seemed to be the stronger fighter - overpowering him with his right hand. Hopkins won't do that - but I like his chances considering he can be even more effective neutralizing Calzaghe from the outside and landing right hand counters and timing him on the inside.

Yeah, but Reid wasnt 45!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, but he also wasn't Bernard Hopkins. I think the difference will be that Calzaghe has never been on this level, despite the nonsense from his supporters that his opposition has been on par with Hopkins'. Clearly it hasn't been close. Hopkins will be the first great fighter he's ever faced. People have written Hopkins off before and he's exposed guys. Even at his worst he really beat Taylor, and even though Calzaghe is better than Taylor, Hopkins has some things working for him in this fight he didn't have in those fights, i.e. the weight and Calzaghe's style.

[lurkyshaka]

Calzaghe supporters will point to injuries Calzaghe sustained prior to the Reid fight. What Reid was able to do was maintain constant movement making it difficult for Calzaghe to get off and score. On the offensive side, he was accurate and fluid. Kessler demonstrated that movement and accurate punching can be used to retard Calzaghe's offensive output and effectiveness. His in ability to keep it up for 12 rounds killed him.

Yeah a bust hand and a back injury going into the fight didn't help Calzaghe against Reid who performed out of his skin that night.

Did anyone really expect Joe to shut out Kessler? Kessler demonstrated that he belonged at the highest level and could be competitive than Joe. Kessler inability to keep it up?.....Kessler fought hard for all 12 rounds but Calzaghe adapted to whatever Mikkel tried and was too much for him.

If Hopkins fans are pinning some hope on Joe clearly repelling the challenge of Kessler then they are the eternal optimists....lol

[lurkyshaka]

This was a pretty entertaining fight - especially down the stretch. Seemed like a very close fight - I thought Reid landed the better shots of the fight but Calzaghe was more consistent (although punch stats showed they landed almost the same number of punches). Reid did a good job of neutralizing Calzaghe's output by staying out of range of the jab and counter punching with almost wild right hands when Calzaghe overcommitted. He couldn't miss with that punch - and we all know what Bernards best punch is! In a sense, though, Reid traded punches a bit with Calzaghe and seemed to be the stronger fighter - overpowering him with his right hand. Hopkins won't do that - but I like his chances considering he can be even more effective neutralizing Calzaghe from the outside and landing right hand counters and timing him on the inside.

Yeah, but Reid wasnt 45!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, but he also wasn't Bernard Hopkins. I think the difference will be that Calzaghe has never been on this level, despite the nonsense from his supporters that his opposition has been on par with Hopkins'. Clearly it hasn't been close. Hopkins will be the first great fighter he's ever faced. People have written Hopkins off before and he's exposed guys. Even at his worst he really beat Taylor, and even though Calzaghe is better than Taylor, Hopkins has some things working for him in this fight he didn't have in those fights, i.e. the weight and Calzaghe's style.

You do talk such biased drivel at times griss....'Calzaghe has never been on this level'? I've never heard such shit in all my life. Kessler alone would kick crap out of anyone Hopkins ever beat.

The only thing Hopkins has going for him is the location....don't kid yourself the weight will be of any help to him, or Calzaghe's style

I give you credit for optimism....if you think Calzaghe's style works in Hopkins favour then good for you tho....lol

It really is going to take seeing Joe give Bernard a good hiding to convince you.....i understand that and it is coming.

[Banks187]

I really hope Joe retires Hopkins.

[pidgeHHH]

Calzaghe supporters will point to injuries Calzaghe sustained prior to the Reid fight. What Reid was able to do was maintain constant movement making it difficult for Calzaghe to get off and score. On the offensive side, he was accurate and fluid. Kessler demonstrated that movement and accurate punching can be used to retard Calzaghe's offensive output and effectiveness. His in ability to keep it up for 12 rounds killed him.

Yeah a bust hand and a back injury going into the fight didn't help Calzaghe against Reid who performed out of his skin that night.

Did anyone really expect Joe to shut out Kessler? Kessler demonstrated that he belonged at the highest level and could be competitive than Joe. Kessler inability to keep it up?.....Kessler fought hard for all 12 rounds but Calzaghe adapted to whatever Mikkel tried and was too much for him.

If Hopkins fans are pinning some hope on Joe clearly repelling the challenge of Kessler then they are the eternal optimists....lol

You can't deny that Kessler thrived early from movement and struggled late as his legs left him. That fact from the fight is clear as day. Props to Clazaghe for the stamina to throw for 12 rounds and for fighting Kessler to a stand still while he still had all his legs early.

[mekane]

who is most like Hopkins that Calzaghe has fought? Not a rhetorical question, I was thinking you brits might have the best answer for that one...

As for Hopkins I really can't think of any volume punchers he has fought, let alone anyone like Calzaghe.