Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe
Encyclopedia
Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe was a boxing match that took place on April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center
in Las Vegas
, Nevada
, between The Ring
light heavyweight
champion Bernard Hopkins
and undisputed super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe
. The fight was dubbed the "Battle of the Planet", and the fight was for Hopkins' The Ring light heavyweight title.
before two losses to Jermain Taylor
. At about the same time, Calzaghe made 21 consecutive title defenses in the super middleweight
division from Europe
during a decade-long reign. Calzaghe never could be lured to fight anyone in the United States
, instead defending the WBO
title he has held since September 1997 against anybody willing to travel to face him. Hopkins was similarly set in his ways, staying in the United States to clean up the middleweight division, although Hopkins fighting significantly higher quality of opposition with the likes of Glen Johnson
, Félix Trinidad
and Oscar De La Hoya
. Hopkins claims Calzaghe declined to fight him after Don King's "middleweight tournament" in 2001, in which Hopkins won three title belts, although Calzaghe denies this.
On July 21, 2007, Hopkins defeated Winky Wright
by unanimous decision to retain The Ring
light heavyweight
championship. After the fight, Hopkins called out Calzaghe and said that he wanted to fight him at Yankee Stadium
on the fourth of July. On November 3, 2007, Calzaghe defeated Mikkel Kessler
by unanimous decision to retain his WBO super middleweight title and win the WBC
and WBA
super middleweight titles, thus becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion.
On December 7, 2007, Hopkins and Calzaghe met face to face in the media room set up for the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton
fight. Hopkins and Calzaghe began shouting insults and taunting each other, with Hopkins shouting, "You're not even in my league! I would never let a white boy beat me. I would never lose to a white boy. I couldn't go back to the projects if I let a white boy beat me."
Hopkins would later explain his comments, saying that it was not meant to be taken as a racial slur or a reflection of his feelings on white fighters, but simply said to create some hype for his fight with Calzaghe.
On January 23, 2008, the fight was officially announced to take place on April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
For his training, Hopkins worked with Freddie Roach, Nazim Richardson, John David Jackson
(who fought Hopkins in 1997), and Mackie Shilstone.
Calzaghe was trained by his father, Enzo. The fight was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions
and Frank Warren's
Sports Network. The bout was televised on HBO World Championship Boxing in the United States and on Setanta Sports 1 in the United Kingdom
and the referee was Joe Cortez
. Both fighters weighed in at 173 lb (78 kg).
14,213 were in attendance for the fight, with at least half of them making the trip overseas from the United Kingdom to support Calzaghe.
Calzaghe was warned by referee Joe Cortez
in the second round for throwing a low blow. Cortez later warned both fighters for hitting behind the head. The fight was definitely slipping into the pattern that favored Hopkins - slow, down and dirty.
Cortez called a timeout and brought both fighters to the center of the ring for a lecture in the fourth round. He did that after both of them had committed fouls - Calzaghe for holding and hitting and Hopkins for hitting on the break. Calzaghe still managed to land a couple of blows to the back of Hopkins' head at the end of the fifth round.
Calzaghe never got the opportunity to showcase his blazingly fast hands and his combinations. Hopkins would smother him whenever he tried to come in and throw more than one punch. But Hopkins seemed to slow down in the later rounds.
In the 10th round, Calzaghe hit Hopkins with a punch that was low. Hopkins crumpled to the canvas and was slow getting up. Cortez didn't take away a point, but gave Hopkins a two-minute break to gather himself. Calzaghe thought Hopkins was acting and waved for the crowd to show their displeasure with Hopkins. The fans booed on cue.
"It was a low blow," Hopkins said. "It knocked my privates out of the cup. That's why Joe gave me (two) minutes."
Hopkins complained of another low blow in the 11th round, but this time Cortez ignored his plea for time and told him to keep fighting. He came out and tried to ferociously attack Calzaghe, but Calzaghe charged back.
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.
HBO's unofficial ringside judge Harold Lederman
scored the bout 116-111 for Calzaghe.
"It was a good fight. I thought Bernard (Hopkins) won though," commented former undisputed Heavyweight
champion, Mike Tyson
.
According to CompuBox
, Calzaghe landed more punches on Hopkins than any of his previous opponents. Calzaghe landed 232 punches, almost double the amount of punches landed by Hopkins (127).
Roy Jones, Jr. was discussed as the next most likely opponent for Calzaghe,
and that fight took place in November 2008
.
As for Hopkins, he was upset with the official decision and said that he was robbed of a clear points win. Hopkins said, "I just really feel like I took the guy to school. I feel like I made him fight my fight, not his. I wanted him to run into my shots. I think I made him do that, and I think I made it look pretty easy. I think I controlled the pace, and I controlled the fight."
Ryan Davis
in the fifth round. Audley Harrison
KOs Jason Barnett
in the fifth round. Nathan Cleverly
defeats Antonio Baker in the second round. Danny Garcia
KOs Guadalupe Diaz in the first round. Daniel Jacobs
KOs Leshon Sims in the fourth round. Hylon Williams Jr. defeats Marcos Mendias via unanimous decision. Jermell Charlo KOs Jesus Villareal in the third round.
Thomas & Mack Center
The Thomas & Mack Center is an arena, located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. For ring events, the capacity is 19,522, for basketball, the capacity is 18,776.-History:...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, between The Ring
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
light heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
champion Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...
and undisputed super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe
Joe Calzaghe
Joseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....
. The fight was dubbed the "Battle of the Planet", and the fight was for Hopkins' The Ring light heavyweight title.
General information
Hopkins made 20 consecutive title defenses as a middleweightMiddleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
before two losses to Jermain Taylor
Jermain Taylor
Jermain Taylor is an American professional boxer and former undisputed middleweight champion. He made his professional boxing debut in 2001 and won his first 25 bouts, which included victories over former champions Raúl Márquez and William Joppy...
. At about the same time, Calzaghe made 21 consecutive title defenses in the super middleweight
Super middleweight
Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s...
division from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during a decade-long reign. Calzaghe never could be lured to fight anyone in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, instead defending the WBO
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
title he has held since September 1997 against anybody willing to travel to face him. Hopkins was similarly set in his ways, staying in the United States to clean up the middleweight division, although Hopkins fighting significantly higher quality of opposition with the likes of Glen Johnson
Glen Johnson (boxer)
Glengoffe Donovan Johnson is a professional boxer. Nicknamed Gentleman and The Road Warrior, Johnson is the former IBF and Ring magazine light heavyweight champion.-Amateur career:...
, Félix Trinidad
Félix Trinidad
Félix 'Tito' Trinidad, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional boxer, considered one of the best in Puerto Rico's history. After winning five National Amateur Championships in Puerto Rico, he debuted as a professional when he was 17. He won his first world championship when he defeated Maurice Blocker...
and Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
. Hopkins claims Calzaghe declined to fight him after Don King's "middleweight tournament" in 2001, in which Hopkins won three title belts, although Calzaghe denies this.
On July 21, 2007, Hopkins defeated Winky Wright
Winky Wright
Ronald Lamont "Winky" Wright is an American boxer, the former undisputed world light middleweight champion and a current middleweight contender....
by unanimous decision to retain The Ring
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
light heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
championship. After the fight, Hopkins called out Calzaghe and said that he wanted to fight him at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
on the fourth of July. On November 3, 2007, Calzaghe defeated Mikkel Kessler
Mikkel Kessler
Mikkel Kessler is a Danish professional boxer and former two time WBA & WBC Super Middleweight champion. In his professional career he has a record of 44–2 with 33 knockouts...
by unanimous decision to retain his WBO super middleweight title and win the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
and WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
super middleweight titles, thus becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion.
On December 7, 2007, Hopkins and Calzaghe met face to face in the media room set up for the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton
Ricky Hatton
Richard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
fight. Hopkins and Calzaghe began shouting insults and taunting each other, with Hopkins shouting, "You're not even in my league! I would never let a white boy beat me. I would never lose to a white boy. I couldn't go back to the projects if I let a white boy beat me."
Hopkins would later explain his comments, saying that it was not meant to be taken as a racial slur or a reflection of his feelings on white fighters, but simply said to create some hype for his fight with Calzaghe.
On January 23, 2008, the fight was officially announced to take place on April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
For his training, Hopkins worked with Freddie Roach, Nazim Richardson, John David Jackson
John David Jackson (boxer)
John David Jackson , is a former professional boxer who held world titles in the light middleweight and middleweight divisions, and later became a boxing trainer after his career ended.-Professional Career:...
(who fought Hopkins in 1997), and Mackie Shilstone.
Calzaghe was trained by his father, Enzo. The fight was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. is a combat sport promotional firm started by former boxer six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya...
and Frank Warren's
Frank Warren (promoter)
Frank Darren Warren is an English boxing manager and promoter.-Early life and early career:The son of a bookmaker, Warren trained as a solicitor's clerk with J Tickle & Co on Southampton Row in London....
Sports Network. The bout was televised on HBO World Championship Boxing in the United States and on Setanta Sports 1 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the referee was Joe Cortez
Joe Cortez
Joe Cortez is a Puerto Rican boxing referee who has worked many important world title bouts.-Biography:Cortez moved to Puerto Rico during his childhood. Living there, he became fluent in Spanish. Cortez had a good amateur boxing career, winning various Golden Gloves tournaments from 1960 to 1962...
. Both fighters weighed in at 173 lb (78 kg).
14,213 were in attendance for the fight, with at least half of them making the trip overseas from the United Kingdom to support Calzaghe.
Bout summary
In the first round, Calzaghe, who was seven years younger than Hopkins, was knocked with a straight right hand which led to Calzaghe suffered a small cut on the bridge of his nose.Calzaghe was warned by referee Joe Cortez
Joe Cortez
Joe Cortez is a Puerto Rican boxing referee who has worked many important world title bouts.-Biography:Cortez moved to Puerto Rico during his childhood. Living there, he became fluent in Spanish. Cortez had a good amateur boxing career, winning various Golden Gloves tournaments from 1960 to 1962...
in the second round for throwing a low blow. Cortez later warned both fighters for hitting behind the head. The fight was definitely slipping into the pattern that favored Hopkins - slow, down and dirty.
Cortez called a timeout and brought both fighters to the center of the ring for a lecture in the fourth round. He did that after both of them had committed fouls - Calzaghe for holding and hitting and Hopkins for hitting on the break. Calzaghe still managed to land a couple of blows to the back of Hopkins' head at the end of the fifth round.
Calzaghe never got the opportunity to showcase his blazingly fast hands and his combinations. Hopkins would smother him whenever he tried to come in and throw more than one punch. But Hopkins seemed to slow down in the later rounds.
In the 10th round, Calzaghe hit Hopkins with a punch that was low. Hopkins crumpled to the canvas and was slow getting up. Cortez didn't take away a point, but gave Hopkins a two-minute break to gather himself. Calzaghe thought Hopkins was acting and waved for the crowd to show their displeasure with Hopkins. The fans booed on cue.
"It was a low blow," Hopkins said. "It knocked my privates out of the cup. That's why Joe gave me (two) minutes."
Hopkins complained of another low blow in the 11th round, but this time Cortez ignored his plea for time and told him to keep fighting. He came out and tried to ferociously attack Calzaghe, but Calzaghe charged back.
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.
HBO's unofficial ringside judge Harold Lederman
Harold Lederman
Harold Lederman is a celebrated boxing judge and analyst. He began his career as a boxing judge in 1967 and joined the cast of HBO World Championship Boxing in 1986, where he has been ever since....
scored the bout 116-111 for Calzaghe.
"It was a good fight. I thought Bernard (Hopkins) won though," commented former undisputed Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
champion, Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
.
According to CompuBox
Compubox
CompuBox is the name of a computerized punches scoring system run by two operators. CompuBox is used in boxing matches across the world.The system is based on a computer program, originally named FightStat, developed by Jon Gibbs in 1984-85 when Gibbs worked with Logan Hobson and Robert Canobbio at...
, Calzaghe landed more punches on Hopkins than any of his previous opponents. Calzaghe landed 232 punches, almost double the amount of punches landed by Hopkins (127).
Aftermath
After the fight, Calzaghe called Hopkins one of the toughest fighters he had ever fought. He 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."Roy Jones, Jr. was discussed as the next most likely opponent for Calzaghe,
and that fight took place in November 2008
Joe Calzaghe vs. Roy Jones, Jr.
Joe Calzaghe versus Roy Jones, Jr., billed as Battle of the Superpowers was a boxing light-heavyweight superfight. The fight was held on November 8, 2008, at Madison Square Garden...
.
As for Hopkins, he was upset with the official decision and said that he was robbed of a clear points win. Hopkins said, "I just really feel like I took the guy to school. I feel like I made him fight my fight, not his. I wanted him to run into my shots. I think I made him do that, and I think I made it look pretty easy. I think I controlled the pace, and I controlled the fight."
Undercard
David Lopez KOs Ryan DavisRyan Davis
Ryan Davis may refer to:*Ryan J. Davis , American theater director, writer, political consultant and progressive activist*Ryan Davis , English rugby union player...
in the fifth round. Audley Harrison
Audley Harrison
Audley Harrison is a British professional boxer from Harlesden, England who fights in the heavyweight division. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney he became the first British fighter to win an Olympic gold medal in the superheavyweight division. He stands and usually weighs around .Harrison turned...
KOs
Jason BarnettJason Barnett (boxer)
Jason Barnett, born July 30, 1974, is an American professional boxer.-External links:...
in the fifth round. Nathan Cleverly
Nathan Cleverly
Nathan Cleverly is a British professional boxer from Wales and current WBO light heavyweight world champion. He is also the former European, British and Commonwealth light heavyweight champion...
defeats
Antonio Baker in the second round. Danny GarciaDanny Garcia (boxer)
Danny Garcia is an American professional boxer.-Amateur highlights:*2006 U.S. national champion*2005 Tammer Tournament champion*2005 Under-19 national champion-Professional career:...
KOs
Guadalupe Diaz in the first round. Daniel JacobsDaniel Jacobs (boxer)
Daniel Jacobs is an American professional boxer and is the former NABO and NABF Middleweight champion.-Early life:Jacobs was born and raised in the Brooklyn residential neighborhood of Brownsville to a Antiguan father and African-American mother. He was raised by his mother, Yvette Jacobs, his...
KOs
Leshon Sims in the fourth round. Hylon Williams Jr. defeats Marcos Mendias via unanimous decision. Jermell Charlo KOs Jesus Villareal in the third round.