Bernard Hopkins vs Joe Calzaghe: Congratulations Joe!

I think it’s too handy of an excuse to say that it was “Father Time”, and not Joe Calzaghe, that beat Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins himself said age would not be a factor in this fight. The truth is, Hopkins was beaten by a better man last night. Calzaghe and the United Kingdom, but especially the people of Wales have a lot to be proud of. Their man won straight up and fair and square. Besides, Calzaghe , at 36 is no spring chicken himself.


Hopkins caught Calzaghe with a right hand midway through the first round, as Calzaghe was coming in. It landed flush and Calzaghe was knocked down. It was Hopkins’ best moment in the fight. The next few rounds seemed to go in Hopkins favor. He appeared to be controlling the pace of the fight. By the early middle rounds Calzaghe started to find himself and started throwing punches with more conviction. Calzaghe was not intimidated by Hopkins. Hopkins on the other hand was relying on a lunging right hand, while leading with his head, holding and twisting Calzaghe, and fighting against the ropes. It wasn’t pretty.

In the later rounds Hopkins started to look confused. His punches lacked any real strength and Cazaghe began to feel like he could win this fight. Hopkins sealed the deal when he was hit with a punch that landed just below the belt line and he went into one of the finest acting jobs I have ever seen. As far as I am concerned Hopkins was surrendering. He was looking for a way out of a fight he no longer believed he was capable of winning. Referee Joe “fair but firm” Cortez allowed him his rest and the fight continued. It was embarrassing. It became embarrassing again in the 11th round when Hopkins again went into his low blow act, but this time Cortez wisely ignored Hopkins forcing the fight to continue.


Several times in the later rounds Hopkins complained of being hit behind the head. He shouldn’t have, he was just as guilty. There were also a few times when out of view of referee Cortez, Hopkins attempted several low blows of his own. By this point I wanted to see Hopkins knocked out. As far as I’m concerned Hopkins went out with a whimper. Made all the worse by trying to convince interviewer Max Kellerman and anyone who was listening that he won the fight. He was right about one thing. The public knows who won that fight and it wasn’t Bernard Hopkins. It might be unfair, but even in losing, I expected more from Hopkins.

Poetry Reading: Wislawa Szymborska

For the cultured fight fans among us! This poem was sent to me by my good friend "Ridge" over at Ridges Place.

To be a boxer, or not to be there
at all. O Muse, where are our teeming crowds?
Twelve people in the room, eight seats to spare
it's time to start this cultural affair.
Half came inside because it started raining,
the rest are relatives. O Muse.

The women here would love to rant and rave,
but that's for boxing. Here they must behave.
Dante's Infemo is ringside nowadays.
Likewise his Paradise. O Muse.

Oh, not to be a boxer but a poet,
one sentenced to hard shelleying for life,
for lack of muscles forced to show the world
the sonnet that may make the high-school reading lists
with luck. O Muse,
O bobtailed angel, Pegasus.

In the first row, a sweet old man's soft snore:
he dreams his wife's alive again. What's more,
she's making him that tart she used to bake.
Aflame, but carefully-don't burn his cake!
we start to read. O Muse.

Bernard Hopkins vs Joe Calzaghe

Tomorrow night, Saturday April 19, 2008 reigning undisputed Super Middleweight Joe Calzaghe of Wales moves up in weight to challenge Philadelphia’s Bernard Hopkins for Hopkins Light Heavyweight title at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a battle of pound for pound greats. The fight will be broadcast live on HBO.

This one is a tough fight to pick. Certainly Hopkins has fought the better opponents over the course of his career and at 43 shows no real signs of slowing down, and seems to be at the top of his game. Still, he is 43 and it takes just one fight too many to become an old man overnight. With the exception of his two fights with Jermain Taylor, both close losses that might have gone either way, Hopkins has always found a way to win. A partial list of his victims include John David Jackson, Glen Johnson, Felix Trinidad, William Joppy, Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver and Ronald “Winky” Wright.

Calzaghe’s biggest wins, at least to American fans, are over Jeff Lacy, Peter Manfredo Jr. and Mikkel Kessler, all good competent fighters but definitely not in the same league as Hopkins foes, so it makes it a little difficult to gauge. The question for me is not: how good Hopkins is and how much does he have left? The real question is: just how good is Calzaghe really? Hopkins has a habit of starting slow in his fights. He’ll need to step up the pace early and stay close. Hopkins is a grinder and not a one punch knockout artist, so he will have his work cut out for him. Calzaghe is a busy fighter and has a heavier hand than Hopkins. He’ll need to take advantage of being the naturally bigger man and use his speed. Oscar De La Hoya used speed and movement in his fight with Hopkins, keeping the fight close, before being stopped by Hopkins by a body shot. That may be the blueprint for Calzaghe to follow. My pick is Hopkins by unanimous decision.



Hopkins-Calzaghe weigh-in gallery

Fathers and Sons Honored

Jesus Pimental and Frank Baltazar Sr. at the Father and Son dinner in Commerce, California

The following photos are from this past weekend's Golden State Boxer's Association 1st annual "Don Fraser Lifetime Achievement Award" at Steven's Steakhouse in the city of Commerce, California. Frank Baltazar Sr. along with his sons Frankie Jr, Tony (The Tiger) and Bobby were honored, as well as many other fathers and sons, for their involvement and participation in boxing. Congratulations to the Baltazars and all the honorees.

In the following photo from left to right are Mando Ramos, Ray Mancini, Bobby Chacon and Danny "Little Red" Lopez. Ramos, Chacon and Lopez are three of Southern California's most beloved boxers. What a great photo of four of the biggest hearts in boxing! Thanks Frank.

Photo courtesy of Frank Baltazar Sr.

Mando Ramos, Ray Mancini, Bobby Chacon and Danny "Lil Red' Lopez.

Bobby Baltazar, Ray Mancini and Frankie Baltazar Jr.

Danny "Dapper" Lopez and Carol Steindler (Daughter of Howie Steindler)

More on Last Nights Fights

Showtime Boxing

Clinton Woods grimaces during an exchange with Antonio Tarver

Antonio Tarver connects with a left hook on Clinton Woods

Glen Johnson catches Chad Dawson with a right hand

Chad Dawson landing a right hand of his own on Glen Johnson

HBO Boxing

This was the story last night- Miguel Cotto Landing almost everything he threw at Alfonso Gomez

A warrior goes down

Antonio Maragarito's total breakdown, both physically and Psychologically of Kermit Cintron.

Kermit Cintron getting the worst of an exchange of jabs

Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito

Both Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley commented on Antonio Margarito's manhood last night, describing him as a real man. It's hard to argue with them, but I would include Miguel Cotto in the same category. What was left unsaid about both of these men, and even more so in Cotto's fight, is that despite the opportunity, neither winner sought to humiliate their opponent. How easy would it have been for Cotto to tease, torment and humiliate Alfonso Gomez into defeat. He chose instead to fight with dignity, despite the obvious difference in skills, and allowed Gomez to keep his dignity in losing. When you think about the intense rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican fighters, it would have been easy to have taken advantage of Gomez. The fact that he didn't says a lot about Cotto's character. If I wasn't a fan of Miguel Cotto before this fight, I am now. A class act!

The same goes for Margarito. When the point came in the fight that it was obvious who was going to win this fight, Margarito just kept throwing punches, as he always does. Even with Kermit Cintron's constant complaining about being hit behind the head, despite the fact that he was bending over so much, without throwing any punches, leaving Margarito no choice but to hit him. Cintron, throughout the fight kept forgetting the first rule in boxing "Protect yourself at all times".

Both men are deserving fighters and are tentatively scheduled to fight on July 26th of this year. It can't possibly be anything but a war between two real fighters, two real men. It's a fight worth waiting for. Other fighters should take note, especially Floyd Mayweather Jr. This is how real champions fight.