Who you got, and why?

I would think Calzaghe on points. There is some uncertainty whether this match would be at Super-middle or light-heavy by the way. Joe keeps talking about moving up to light heavy but shows no sign of vacating the titles. And Hopkins could probably still make super-middle with a fair amount of ease (he was only 11 st 2 lbs for the de la Hoya fight for example, only 2 pounds above LIGHT middleweight).

Regardless of the weight, I don't see the fight playing out any differently. Zaggy has far too hih a workrate for old Popkins, and I see a stoppage late on. He will be throwing about 80/100 punches per round to Hopkins's 20/40. That will be the difference.

Can't see it being any different than a Calzaghe win. He's at the top of his game and the amount of punches he throws and the speed of his hands is unbelievable. I think it will be on points though - his hand is too dodgy to knock good fighters out anymore.

Looking forward to April :)

Stoppage by Calzaghe, Hopkins is done.

Hopkins will have to retire with first degree friction burns due to Calzaghes relentless slapping and cuffing. The only time Calzaghe will be beat is if he fights someone with an asbestos head.

Well the date has now been set for April 19, but venue not yet confirmed. Will be at Light-heavyweight.

Think Hopkins reign coming to an end and he is involved with Golden Boy Promos so another job to go to full time- he willl get paid a good sum and probably lose on points, cannot see Calzage being KO'd when he never has had trouble- adding the fact he has a granite like chin. I worry when he retires, as he has been one of the best boxers we have had for last decade! Shame you just cannot go on forever.

Hopkins won't win because he won't be able to outwork or outthink Calzaghe.

Calzaghe points. Won't stop Hopkins.

Calzaghe hasn't had the power for a one punch finish for years and Hopkins has too good a defense and is too wily to get stopped by a flurry (a la Manfredo).

Well its a done deal for April 19 in Las Vegas and at light-heavy.

Well its a done deal for April 19 in Las Vegas and at light-heavy.

Is there a title at stake? What I don't get is, afte the fight, will Calzage go back down to super middleweight? What about his 3 belts, as they are not on the line- does he still own them?:huh:

As with the Winky Wright match, Hopkins is marketting it as having "his" Ring magazine belt at stake. Certainly if he loses, the Ring would no longer regard him as world champion but whether they immediately installed Calzaghe as champion would be another matter, as the Ring is not a sanctioning body as such.

As for Calzaghe's title, well he will keep them unless he vacates them or is stripped of them. The bodies will have 3 options -

a. Consider a shot at Hopkins a reasonable use of Calzaghe's time and patiently wait for him to come back down to Super-middle.
b. Strip him of the title for not fulfilling mandatory commitments (but as he has just won the WBC and WBA titles v Kessler, it is usual for a newly-crowned champion to be allowed one voluntary match before facing a mandatory challenger).
c. Keep him as champion but, while waiting, have others fight for the "interim" title.

In the case of the WBA they already have a system whereby unified champions such as Calzaghe are declared the "WBA Super-champion" and the "ordinary" WBA title freed up to be contested by others. The Australian former Rugby League star Anthony Mundine is "WBA champion".

As the WBC have Carl Froch and Dennis Inkin lined up for a final eliminator in March, then there is no urgency for them to do anything, until the winner of this emerges. They may declare this one to be for the interim title, or just keep it as a final eliminator.

The WBO might allow an interim title fight, but with Calzaghe having been their champion for over 10 years, my guess would be they would be patient with him.

Roy Jones has said he wants to fight Calzaghe for Joe's Super-middle titles, so it is certainly not the case that Joe has burnt his bridges in terms of a move to light-heavy.

Thanks for that Code 13. You sure know your boxing.