FOR the record, I had Joe Calzaghe up by one point. Most of the ringside press reportedly had B-hop ahead by a point and I concede that it could reasonably also have been scored that way depending on one?s preferences.
If you like accurate punching and slick defense, Hopkins was your man. Plus, he scored a knockdown which can be crucial in an evenly contested fight.
But if you preferred aggression and volume punching, Calzaghe would get the nod.
Judge Chuck Giampa had it a tad too wide for the Welshman at 116-111, which means that without the knockdown, it would have been a blowout win for Calzaghe, which certainly wasn?t the case.
Hopkins argued that he dictated the complexion of the fight and prevented Calzaghe from executing his game plan.
But he?s only partially correct. While Joe wasn?t doing what he planned to do, Bernard wasn?t doing much either. Unless you count the endless holding and his clever use of his head as a third weapon.
In the end, I had to give majority of the rounds to Calzaghe for his aggression and relentless pressure.
HEART. When Calzaghe was dropped by Byron Mitchell for the first knockdown in his career way back in 2003, he would later use the term ?shocked? to describe his debacle. He picked himself up and went on a tear which resulted in a TKO win for him in the very same round.
In the Hopkins fight, he again recovered reasonably well from the shock that Hopkins gave him and probably also a broken nose.
SNEAKY. Hopkins at 43 years old, still owns one of the best right hands in the business. It?s not the brain-rattling sledgehammer that it was a few years ago, but it?s been aptly labeled as sneaky and that sneakiness has caught many an opponent unaware.
In two fights, Jermain Taylor got repeatedly tagged by that devious right and Antonio Tarver went down from it. Calzaghe looked stunned after the knockdown and had Hopkins been a younger man, that fight would probably have been over in the first round.
Instead he bided his time, and even had to resort to a nice acting job to stem the tide when it seemed like Calzaghe had taken over the fight.
LOW BLOW. Was it low? Yes of course it was. That much could be determined from the replays. But it was only an errant tap below the beltline, clearly not an Andrew Go?low?ta type of foul. And certainly inches away from the Hopkins family jewels.
Be that as it may, Hopkins the wizened old veteran that he is, wisely milked as much time as he could from the situation.
I don?t necessarily agree that he did it to catch his breath. It was more of the boxing equivalent of a timeout strategically called by a basketball coach when the other team has grabbed the momentum. It?s timely and it serves a mental purpose. Calzaghe was beginning to get too comfortable and Hopkins wanted to reset things. Brilliant move, actually.
All told, Calzaghe?s win was downright unimpressive and like I said in my previous column, as early as three years ago, Bernard would have taken him apart.
It was hardly an impeccable display of ring craftsmanship, and while Hopkins certainly had a hand in making it appear that way, Calzaghe?s flailing and arm-punching display made him look amateurish.
A younger, stronger fighter like Kelly Pavlik who?s willing to take chances would certainly give him nightmares. Even a faded and shot Roy Jones Jr. would probably be able to tee off on Joe by timing his shots.
SALAMAT KARAJAW. Thanks to Boboy Nimez, Edwin Montilla, Tyrone Alaan, and Ronnie Literato of the Muncipal Trial Courts of Surigao City who literally went out of their way to make sure this writer would be able to catch the fight, over several cold last rounds of course.
LAST ROUND. It?s on my mom, Elena Mayol Quijano, who always loves unconditionally and gives unselfishly. Happy Birthday mom! Cheers!
