Joe Calzaghe - Welsh Rarebit
In the early hours of Sunday morning Joe Calzaghe defeated Bernard Hopkins in a win that possibly ranks him as the greatest British boxer of all time.
In determining this claim we could examine the rather impressive stats of Calzaghe’s undefeated 15 year career… 11 years as WBO super middleweight champion (after defeating Chris Eubank in October 1997), 45 fights, 45 wins, 32 by way of Knock-Out (KO), Current WBO, WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine super middleweight champion and Ring Magazine light heavyweight champion after defeating Hopkins.
What the stats can’t show you is the heart and desire of the man. On Saturday night Calzaghe did not get off to a good start. Hopkins knocked him down with a right hand in the first round and began to get the better of Calzaghe on the inside. As the rounds went on, Calzaghe began to find his rhythm by landing combinations at close range. Hopkins’ key weapon was his right hand, but after a few rounds Calzaghe could see the right hands coming and blocked the shots with his glove. According to CompuBox, Calzaghe landed more punches on Hopkins than any of his previous opponents. In the end, judges Chuck Giampa (116-111) and Ted Gimza (115-112) scored the fight for Calzaghe, while judge Adalaide Byrd (114-113) scored the fight for Hopkins.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Calzaghe - cite_note-11 Following his victory, Calzaghe said, “I knew this wouldn’t look pretty tonight. He’s so awkward. He gave me some good shots. It wasn’t my best night, but I won the fight. The world title in a second division and a win in America is just icing on the cake for my career.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Calzaghe - cite_note-12
To defeat an American, in America, with an American referee, three American judges, a partisan American crowd cheering on your opponent and after being knocked down in the 1st round is no mean feat. Though, with Calzaghe’s ability and record, should we be surprised? Or should we bow down and declare him the greatest British boxer of all time? I vote the latter…
April 30th, 2008 at 11:40 am
A nice post DP. I too watched the clash of the titans and felt it a very strange fight. Hopkins was more interested in hugging Calzaghe than making a fight and in fact there would not have been a fight without Calzaghe. As usual Ref Cortez was keen to break the fighters apart at any excuse. I watched it and was convinced Hopkins had won. However, as the bout was at 3am I’d had a few beers. Once compus mentus and re-watched at 1pm on the Sunday it was clear the boy from Newbridge deserved his unbeaten crown.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
That sounds exactly like my watching experience. The mates and I had all thought Hopkins had taken it. When they read the first judge for him there were cries of “ere we go..”. And as you say, when you watch the fight sober (and without anti-American jingoism warping your view) Calzaghe won it by some distance.
Cortez is a joke. He cost Hatton the fight against Mayweather. Well, it was Cortez and the fact Mayweather is probably unstoppable.