LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Britain’s Joe Calzaghe recovered from a first-round knockdown to defeat Bernard Hopkins by split decision in a light heavy-weight bout in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Calzaghe was awarded the bout on two of the three judge’s scorecards, with him winning it 115-112, 116-111, 113-114.
In a closely-fought battle, the 36-year-old Calzaghe showed little of his famed prodigious punch output in the first couple of rounds, as Hopkins gained the early initiative behind a tight defense and counter-punching with his right hand.
The 43-year-old Hopkins, nicknamed “The Executioner”, also managed to knock down Calzaghe when one of the counter punches landed flush on Calzaghe’s jaw as the Welshman came forward in the first round.
By the third round, however, Calzaghe had become more active, looking to trap Hopkins in the corner or against the ropes and then unleash flurries of punches.
The rest of the fight saw a contrast between Calzaghe’s greater output and Hopkins’ more precise counter-punching as the two men frequently fell into clinches, as one sought to land a lead punch and the other looked to counter.
There were no further knockdowns, although Hopkins on three occasions was doubled over by what he claimed were low blows, and the closeness of the bout was reflected in the scorecards.
