HOPKINS-CALZAGHE WEIGH-IN A STAR STUDDED AFFAIR
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 19 Apr 2008
The official weigh-in for the Bernard Hopkins ? Joe Calzaghe battle for the Ring Magazine light heavyweight belt turned into a star-studded affair at the Planet Hollywood casino in Las Vegas today.
Among those who joined the fighters on stage were actors Sylvester Stallone, Michael J. Fox as well as boxers Roy Jones Jr, Zab Judah, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Diaz, Amir Khan and Shannon Briggs.
BBC Sports correspondent Ben Dirs reported that Hopkins and Calzaghe clashed in the traditional staredown after the weigh-in.
The 43 year old Hopkins who had earlier taunted Calzaghe by saying he wouldn?tlose to a white boy told the 35 year old undefeated Welsh fighter ?I?m going to bust your heart.?
But the BBC reporter said that ?for the first time this week Calzaghe hit back with some insults of his own? with promoter Frank Warren saying ?that?s exactly what I wanted.? The British promoter said his fighter has ?never been better prepared and I?m confident he will do the job in style.?
Calzaghe was cheered on by some 4,000 supporters who clearly outnumbered Hopkins believers. Calzaghe?s fans chanted ?Who are ya? Who are ya?? at Hopkins as he crossed his forearms in his usual ?Executioner? stance.
The eagerly anticipated fight at the Thomas & Mack Center will be telecast by the pre-eminent broadcast network ABS-CBN over Studio 23 as part of its greater involvement in sports anchored by big-time boxing events at home and abroad.
Hopkins has a record of 48-4-1 with 32 knockouts including a ninth round knockout over Oscar De La Hoya and a twelfth round TKO over Felix ?Tito? Trinidad. However, he lost his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO middleweight titles to ermain Taylor by a twelve round split decision on July 16, 2005.
Hopkins came back from two defeats at the hands of Taylor to win the IBO light heavyweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Antonio Tarver and in his last fight on July 21, 2007 scored a unanimous twelve round decision over Winky Wright.
Calzaghe who is undefeated in 44 fights with 32 knockouts won the vacant WBO super middleweight title with a unanimous twelve round decision over Chris Eubank, added the IBF crown with an impressive twelve round decision over Jeff ?Left Hook? Lacy who was managed by Manny Pacquiao?s former manager Shelly Finkel and then took the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles with another twelve round decision over previously unbeaten Mikkel Kessler last November 3.
Top photo: Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins (left) and Super Middleweight World Champion Joe
Calzaghe (right) meet face-to-face following today's official weigh in for their world title bout on Saturday, April 19, 2008 in the Planet Hollywood Ring at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas in a fight that will be televised live on HBO. Photo by HoganPhotos / Golden Boy.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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