Source: iC Wales
With the boxing media and the sports world in general tuned in for the US-UK battle between Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Ricky Hatton, Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe momentarily took center stage. And it looks like a Hopkins-Calzaghe showdown is definitely in the cards.
Hopkins and Calzaghe met face-to-face (supposedly by coincidence) -- and nose-to-nose -- for the first time, and some great verbal sparring ensued.
After Calzaghe brought up Hopkins' two losses to Jermain Taylor, Taylor said, "I will never let a white boy beat me."
And, so, of course, we're heading down the familiar path wherein Bernard Hopkins comes off like a complete dickhead. But it's kind of predictable -- another potential blockbuster US-UK fight, and the American comes off like a boisterous, classless jerk, while the Brit seems to be a level-headed guy.
Like Hatton has, I think Calzaghe could be pushed a little too far. And Hopkins certainly has the ability to do that. He's almost childish a lot of the time. He pushed Winky Wright for no reason at their weigh-in, which was ridiculous.
Hopkins also continues to push the Yankee Stadium idea. I think Mayweather-Hatton could've done a giant crowd at a venue that size (not in December, obviously), but will Calzaghe travel the way that Hatton does, with so many boisterous fans coming along? Can Hopkins, at 137 years old, draw like the in-prime Mayweather?
Wherever they want to hold it, whatever the split is (Hopkins offered 50-50 unofficially, and Calzaghe comically said he'd do 49-51 to appease Bernard's ego), whatever the undercard is, whatever, whatever, whatever -- I just want to see this fight. Calzaghe and Hopkins are two of the smartest fighters in the game, from pre-fight tactics to in-the-ring performance. It won't set any records, I don't think, but it'd be a big fight, and an important one for both sides.