Joe Calzaghe-Bernard Hopkins II in talks for this fall
by Scott Christ on May 4, 2010 4:26 AM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail reports that the retired Joe Calzaghe, who attended this weekend's Mayweather-Mosley fight with Ricky Hatton (apparently, he's overcome his old crippling fear of flying), is in talks to stage a rematch against 45-year-old Bernard Hopkins this fall.
Ugh.
Double ugh.
Calzaghe appears tempted by the chance to replenish his bank account, after two costly domestic separations and an expensive legal action, and held talks here with Richard Schaefer, the chief executive of Golden Boy promotions.
Schaefer reports: 'Joe has expressed interest and so has Bernard. We will try to make it happen in the autumn.'
Consider me Ryan O'Neal in Tough Guys Don't Dance:
There are some things we just don't need to see twice. I know a lot of people feel Hopkins deserved the duke the first time around, but I'd rather let sleeping dogs lie or let Bernard complain forever than have to sit through this mess again.
Look, it was an important fight the first time. That would not be the case this time. Hopkins, 45, bombed out and lost a lot of appeal in his last, awful rematch with Roy Jones Jr., a fight that almost nobody bought and received nothing but criticism. The first Calzaghe-Hopkins fight was also a pretty ugly fight to watch, and I can't imagine the slowed-down Hopkins and the rusty Calzaghe would put up much more by way of highlights a second time around.
Calzaghe, 37, hasn't fought since his flop PPV against Jones in 2008. He never did become a star in the States, perhaps because he waited too long and once he did come here, resentment had built up over time and his fights with Hopkins and Jones were never going to be seen as anything more than cherry-picking old dudes by too many people.
For the money they'll each demand, this fight could not be on pay-per-view. It won't get bought. It almost has to be on HBO, like their first fight, who may well show enough interest, but may also lowball the fight with their offer, seeing as how the first one did poor ratings and neither are hot commodities right now.
I mean, it's no guarantee this will happen, but Bernard would relish the chance to get revenge on Calzaghe, and Joe apparently could use the cash. Those are couple of pretty good ingredients to make a fight.
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He got out at the top, undefeated.
Why spoil it? Is he really broke?
I know he’s said it was a difficult culture shock after retirement but he’s got to get over that and find something else worthwhile to do. Old fighters can get permanently damaged.
Don't tell me I play bum notes - I KNOW!
Is he really broke?
By most accounts, his funds have really dwindled.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
And Charlie's expensive. LOL
Don't tell me I play bum notes - I KNOW!
by Randy Loathsome on May 4, 2010 8:15 AM EDT up reply actions
I guess I’m not that surprised. Did he really have that many big paydays to begin with? He was never as popular as Hatton in the UK, as I understand it.
Calzaghe should just become a commentator and make a living that way. I suspect he’d actually be pretty good at it (not unlike Hopkins). It would have to be in the UK because nobody can understand his accent over here, but I’m sure some network over there would have room for him.
He was never as popular as Hatton in the UK, as I understand it.
Not even close.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on May 4, 2010 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know how good he’d really be, I actually find him pretty unbearable to listen to most of the time. He just lacks a bit of charisma, and is so far up his own arse its ridiculous.
"The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic"
by Oli Goldstein on May 4, 2010 4:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
This. +1
I can imagine Joe getting all:
(Dubious Welsh Accent plays in my head!!) “If I were in there, I’d have this guy out of there inside 5. This guy wouldn’t get near me. And then I’d… Sorry? You mean I have to talk about them and NOT about me? Are you fuckin mad, man? These guys can’t shine a fuckin light on me man!!”
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
Joe always sounded a bit like a sheep to me
I’ve never heard someone who has vibrato when he just says normal words while talking. I’ve known enough Welshmen to know that’s not just some Welsh thing. He just talks funny.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
There’s no smoke without fire…yeah it’s very much the running joke. Any nation with a train station called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (honest) has got to be a little unusual
by Flashpacker on May 4, 2010 6:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You must be kidding.
Is that really a name?
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
IT'S THE WELSH
And people from Aberdeen, or any place in the Highlands which we feel like being snide about.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on May 4, 2010 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Yep - I can almost hear him saying it now haha.
"The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic"
by Oli Goldstein on May 4, 2010 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions
This is true. He’d have to learn to keep himself under control.
He isn’t terribly charismatic, but I was just thinking that he (a) would know what he was talking about, for the most part, and (b) is never at a loss for words. Which immediately puts him ahead of a lot of other people.
Yeah, I guess he brings some name value too. Never mind, I guess anyone is better than old Lennox eh…
"The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic"
by Oli Goldstein on May 4, 2010 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions
By the way, the Norman Mailer’s awful Tough Guys Don’t Dance has a boxing backstory. The title came from a story he was told by late 40s/early 50s NY welterweight Roger Donaghue. From IMDB:
Frank Costello, the Murder Inc. honcho, and his gorgeous girlfriend greet three champion boxers in the Stork Club. Costello demands that each, in turn, dance with the woman, and each nervously complies. The last, Willie Pep, suggests that Mr. Costello dance. Costello replied, “Tough guys don’t dance.”
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Some are Disco Ducks
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions
That
is a great story! Good stuff.
I wish I could say the same about this potential fight, but alas, tis garbage. Watching that Youtube clip makes me feel like I should get into acting. Looks pretty Goddamn easy to me.
Sonny Black: How can John Wayne die?
Lefty: F*****' Indians got him.
poor joe.
i got a feeling someone is going to find him hanging by his belt strap one of these days.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
.
Yikes
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
That was a great Youtube clip
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Ted Sares, wherever you are, it is starting with Joe Calzaghe. It is starting to happen.
"My God, kids today think that the laces are for tying up the gloves."
-- Fritzie Zivic
Damn straight. Come on back, Joe and beat the shite out of Hopkins
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Ted, a 37-year old speed fighter who is bad with his money is going to come back for “one last ride.” I’d like to get some odds on whether it actually stops there. Also, 2 years on the shelf… uh-oh.
"My God, kids today think that the laces are for tying up the gloves."
-- Fritzie Zivic
It good make for some heavy drama. And just how did you mean "speed fighter?" heh heh
My take is that if he comes back, he will try to reach 50 wins. but he might be in a catch 22 because if it’s a money issue, he will need to fight the best and if he fights the best, the chances increase that he will lose.
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
My take is that he can smell Floyd picking his way up to and past 45 wins
So he wants to distance himself further and give greater meaning to Undefeated.
Excuse the sarcasm. pc
And just how did you mean “speed fighter?” heh heh
Heh heh, take that any way you want to.
I have no problem with him coming back, but if it’s just to fight Hopkins again? Well, I will watch it but not with baited breath. And if Joe has been sitting around doin’ blow, watchin’ the toob and bashin’ the bishop for two years, Hop will probably beat him. Then begins the “Roy Jones” part of his career… maybe Danny Green will come a’calling.
"My God, kids today think that the laces are for tying up the gloves."
-- Fritzie Zivic
I would love him to fight Froch
Or rematch Kessler, but they are, of course, tied up for now.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on May 4, 2010 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Fights I’d rather see than Calzaghe-Hopkins II:
Refrigerator Perry vs. Manute Bol II
Jones vs. Hopkins III
Tommy Gunn vs. Union Kane II
Justin Bieber vs. any Jonas Brother
Richard Simmons vs. The “Leave Britney Alone” Guy
by SilverLaker on May 4, 2010 11:18 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Rpi Torn vs. Norman Mailer
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
That
Is some funny shit. :)
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
You know, golfers
can go on the Senior’s Tour and do alright.
They have to be aware of skin cancer, but they don’t get brain damage.
Hope not
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Joe has expressed interest and so has Bernard. We will try to make it happen in the autumn.'
Well, that makes two people who are interested. Hopefully they buy 750,000 PPVs each.
Although detractors decry (MMA) as a brutal, bloody form of human cockfighting, aficionados know it is a brutal, bloody, totally fucking awesome form of human cockfighting. -The Onion
by The Kittitas Kid on May 4, 2010 11:59 AM EDT reply actions
Money is hard to make and even harder to keep
One of my business mentors taught me years ago that “it’s not what you make it’s what you keep that’s important”. He was referring to income and taxes.
Take anyone unaccustomed to making and managing money and Joe’s story is all too common. Moreover, the economy, even if he was intelligently advised and invested, has been brutal on new wealth. All wealth in fact.
He may have made the ‘smartest’ and most conservative investments…which I highly doubt…and still lost the better part of it.
That said,
I have no interest in watching a Seniors Tournament in Boxing.
Dear Joe
if you want people to respect you, please fight Chad Dawson. He’ll be glad to do it in your hometown, I’m sure. Nobody cares about these geriatric fights. Roy v. Hop II did 95K and your second fight with Hop won’t do 80K. Fight Dawson. Sincerely,
Planet Earth
"Yes Gina, I am a Wise Cracker"
by lcollins1 on May 4, 2010 2:03 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
He should fight Hatton in Wembley....at a catchweight
But Ricky would have to let him know in advance where to meet him so he can start cutting weight….
I've always liked JC.....
Been all over the place to see him fight……….. but….. even I wonder (as SC says) how he’s overcome his fear of flying.
First Hopkins fight was pretty crap too, why bother? I’d like to see him fight Froch. That’d sell more too!
Phil
BBC says Enzo is denying this and said if he did then Enzo wouldn’t be involved, Joe retired because he had lost motivation and a bad idea to return etc – hope he is right !
Yeah, just read that! Enzo says if he does come back he won't be in his corner.
Don't tell me I play bum notes - I KNOW!
by Randy Loathsome on May 5, 2010 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Hope he'll have the sense to listen to his Old Man
It’d be a fight/comeback for all the wrong reasons – i’m not sure that he in as much finacial trouble as people make out – although the Coke stuff will have reduced some of his earning power over the next couple of years – I think he’s probably bored !
That's assuming that the rumours were even slightly true in the first place.
As Enzo said, if Joe were thinking of it, he (Enzo) would be the first to hear.
Don't tell me I play bum notes - I KNOW!
by Randy Loathsome on May 5, 2010 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Bristol, Randy..
Yes, I read it too… Seeing is believing. He needs to stay retired now. No point coming back at all.. plus, I couldn’t think of a worse opponent than Hopkins.
by Phill on May 5, 2010 6:14 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Has the opportunity to sledge my Pom mates
But withholds fire as Joes doing it for me himself ;-) Froch , Dawson or piss off Joe LOL
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. " Hunter S Thompson.
Nice one JC40!
(I see you resisted the tempation to knock “’Old Nard” while you were at it though!!) But, I suppose he’s perfect…. ;-)
LMAO Phil
After the Jones fight BHops should be barred from ever fighting again . He’s old enough to be a great grandfather lol. I love the bloke but his time was up after Pavlik. He should piss off and become a trainer . As for Joe , about what I expected. I wrote here somewhere a month ago that Joe would call Hops out after the Jones fiasco . Calzaghe is the biggest cherry picking , most gutless so called great champion in boxing history . Cheers Mate ;-)
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. " Hunter S Thompson.
This could be a good thing.
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
Just reading the title of this article make me puke up a little of that chorizo and huevos I had for Breakfast in San Antonio this morning.
Acenar is a new Tex Mex restaurant on the Riverwalk, and Casa Rio is a old timer that’s still around. Both were good…also ate a good dinner at an Italian place called Paisano’s next to the Hard Rock Cafe.
I did not venture outside of the Riverwalk as I was there only for 1 day, 2 nights. I’ve been to SA a dozen times or so in the past 20 yrs and had good Tex Mex but for me it’s pretty much all the same. There are good places here in Dallas, including the original El Fenix. A family run place in Richardson called Holy Frijoles is very good.
is it wrong that I’d rather see Tough Guys Don’t Dance than Calslappy-BHop 2?
-no, no its not. Haven’t seen that movie, but I imagine its pretty awful
yo. seriously. B-Hop YOU LOOKED TERRIBLE in the last fight.
STOP PUTTING THIS GUY ON PPV.
Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei. Basillio. Harry Greb.
by theworldsoldestsport on May 4, 2010 6:53 PM EDT reply actions
I’ll also say it’s not that I’m terribly disinterested in a Calzaghe return. I just have no interest in Calzaghe-Hopkins II. Last time it was the unbeaten legitimate super middleweight champ against the legendary legitimate light heavyweight champ. This time it’s just a broke guy fighting a truly old fighter. Everyone can say “ageless marvel” all they want about Hopkins but the age is showing. It’s not his fault. Nobody beats Father Time, and Bernard Hopkins went to a damn split decision with him.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Leonard came back....
He fought Hagler.
Kind of puts Floyd fighting Marquez, and Calzaghe fighting Hopkins into perspective.
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
Wise Words Scott
Surely if Calzaghe comes back its aginst Froch . Local grudge match , an actual challenge for Calzaghe . With the gobs those two have the build up would be superb . Trash talk heaven . Joe should be ashamed . He refuses to give Hops a rematch straighta way and then waits in hiding until the 45 , yes , 45 year old Hops looks bad against Jones. It has to be Dawson , Froch or nothing . Well said Chaos 100 .
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. " Hunter S Thompson.
Woah!!
There’s no confirmation at this stage that Joe’s been in any sort of serious discussion at all. If he does go through with it, we know it’s only for the money – and if that turns out to be true, good luck to him. I think it;s a damn’ shame and he’d be a fool from a boxing legacy point of view but, as I say, if it’s for money, good luck. BTW, I don’t seriously believe that Hoppo deserves any sort of rematch based on the first fight anyway. Cheers!
Don't tell me I play bum notes - I KNOW!
by Randy Loathsome on May 7, 2010 3:50 AM EDT up reply actions
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