HOPKINS-CALZAGHE ON ABS-CBN STUDIO 23
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 18 Apr 2008
In a fight that has been in the works for years undefeated Briton Joe Calzaghe finally gets his wish to battle Bernard ?The Executioner? Hopkins for the Ring Magazine light heavyweight championship belt at the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday morning Manila time.
The pre-eminent Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN will telecast the fight and some of the supporting bouts over Studio 23 which the network is turning into a predominantly sports station following its renewed entry into big-time sports which currently includes the highly successful coverage of the UAAP games.
Hopkins who has a ring record of 48-4-1 with 32 knockouts says the fight against the undefeated Calzaghe whose tally is 44 wins, no defeats and 32 wins by way of knockouts, ?is a challenge.?
Boxing writer Chuck Johnson says Hopkins is ?acknowledged as one of the great middleweight champions of this era. His illustrious hit list includes victories against Felix ?Tito? Trinidad and Oscar ?The Golden Boy? De La hoya and a streak of 20 consecutive title defenses.?
Hopkins responded to a challenge from Calzaghe after the Welshman had won a super middleweight unification bout against Mikkel Kessler and accepted the dare saying ?this fight will really show my greatness? pointing out that he had taken on the best in his career all his life and basically beaten the odds.
Hopkins put a nasty spin on the Calzaghe fight when he said ?I would never let a white boy beat me? and indications are Calzaghe will remember that remark when he goes after Hopkins with everything he?s got on Sunday.
Calzaghe insists he throws more punches than the methodical and patient Hopkins. He said ?throw more punches and land more punches. That?s what it comes down to.? Calzaghe added, ?I just hope he (Hopkins) has a Jeff Lacy mentality and thinks that I slap and don?t hit hard because he?s in for a big shock. Believe me. He?s going to feel the power. I just don?t want to win this fight. I want to knock him out.? Whether Calzaghe can do enough to prevent an execution by the 43 year old Hopkins remains to be seen.
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