Pelf is in town for tonight's battle between former middleweight and current lightheavyweight and Winkyweight(tm) champion Bernard THE EXECUTIONER Hopkins & long reigning supermiddleweight champion THE PRIDE OF WALES Joe Calzaghe.
Hopkins is an almost supernatural specimen, fighting and beating elite fighters into his mid-40's. Calzaghe was long regarded as a protected joke, camping out in Wales & defeating an uninspiring roster of has-beens and never weres before stepping it up in the past few years to dismantle several high profile opponents with his odd combination of volume punching and power.
I'm not sure why I'm excited, because it has all the earmarks of being an eyesore of a bout. Hopkins is too old to fight for 3 minutes a round, so he'll try to buy time by feinting, moving and clinching. Calzaghe meanwhile hasn't faced anyone with the ring savvy and willful visciousness of Hopkins.
I expect a close, ugly fight, but I think it's Calzaghe's to lose.
Hopkins has been slowing down for years and these days he doesn't respond to openings & counter as well as in the past. Combine that with his need to conserve energy contributing to a low punch output that tends to give away rounds and I think the younger, livlier Calzaghe will take it.
We'll see.
The only certain thing is that I'll be drinking beer and eating the Rolls Royce of pizza with the Pelf while the battle plays out.
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