In the latest boxing news, the promoter of super middleweight champion, Frank Warren, is reportedly close to finishing up on the business of arranging a bout between the 35 year-old Calzaghe and light heavyweight Bernard Hopkins, now 42. The bout will likely be taking place on April 12th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Warren had this to say to the Guardian, “Nothing can ever be definite until the contracts are signed,” said Warren, “but the paperwork is with the lawyers, and it looks as though it will be done. It is a huge fight for both men, and it would give Joe the big American date that he has been looking for.”
Though the fight is hardly interesting from many boxing fans’ standpoint, the fight will still likely give Calzaghe the biggest payday of his career for fighting the aging Hopkins. However, Calzaghe has frequently in his career taken on less than appealing opponents, fighting the likes of Peter Manfredo Jr, Tocker Pudwill, Mario Veit (twice) and many C-level fighters in his 20+ title defenses.
It’s particularly disappointing that Calzaghe should choose to continue with this pattern by dipping down to fight a boxer as old as Hopkins, because Calzaghe still has more than a few formidable opponents in the super middleweight division with which to fight, such as Lucian Bute, Fulgencio Zuniga, Jean Pascal and Edison Miranda. Any one of those fighters would clearly make for a more appealing fight than watching Calzaghe take on a punch and grab Hopkins, who if history is any guide, will be draped on Calzaghe all night long, leaving the fans feeling cheated out of their PPV money. However, Calzaghe is past carrying about appealing to the public’s wishes and is more out to make a buck in his final fights of his career.