Boxing Betting

Hopkins/ Calzaghe

Now that the Western hemisphere's addiction to the reality show has reached near chronic levels, and a generation of kids who think it perfectly natural to emotionally destroy friends and colleagues is ready to contaminate the workplace, it's good to see some good old fashioned fist-on-face back on the entertainment menu. Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins will be taking on the roles of "hammer" and "tongs" in Vegas this weekend, although even boxing is not without its hammy emotional soundtrack. Calzaghe was poor, very poor, and was fighting before he was ten. And Hopkins is bad, prison bad. You feel me? Why do boxing's mightiest oaks only ever grow from hardship? When are we going to see a world title fight featuring, in the red corner, a young man with three decent A levels who has just spent his gap year teaching orang utans to sing, and in the blue corner, a former young musician of the year who hopes to open a funfair for orphans? Baron Lloyd Webber – this sounds like a job for you.

The Wager is not in the habit of tipping, but get on Calzaghe. They are both old, but Hopkins is ancient, and only has one good muscle left – his mouth muscle.

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Headline Trends

» Calzaghe is undefeated and Hopkins has lost four fights.

» Joe Calzaghe is currently the longest reigning champion in world boxing.

» Calzaghe has battled Americans on fifteen occasions, winning ten by TKO, two by knockout and three by Unanimous Decision.

» His three unanimous decision victories have come in his last six bouts - the first nine were all knockouts.

The Big Fight

» This is the first time that Joe Calzaghe has left Europe.

» He has, however, fought outside the UK twice - in Denmark and Germany - and won both fights by TKO.

» When Hopkins debuted at the 175lbs mark he won - this is Calzaghe's debut as a middleweight, having defended his Super Middleweight title more than twenty times (only heavyweight Joe Lewis and Light Heavyweight Dariusz Michalczewski have defended more).

» Hopkins has won four fights in the seventh round, more successes than he has enjoyed in any other round.

» chickendinner superfact: He has only once faced a Brit - beating Londoner Howard Eastman by unanimous decision in 2005. He triumphed in his other fight with a European (Morrade Hakkar, 2003).

Brits Abroad

» Britain’s most famous victories in Las Vegas include Lennox Lewis (Evander Holyfield, 1999), Lloyd Honeyghan (Donald Curry, 1986) and Alan Minter (Vito Antuofermo, 1986).

» However, Las Vegas has also seen some high-profile British defeats - Naseem Hamed (Marco Antonio Barrera, 2001), Frank Bruno (Mike Tyson, 1986) and Barry McGuigan (Steve Cruz, 1986).

» The last time an undefeated British boxer fought in Las Vegas they lost – Ricky Hatton was knocked out by Floyd Mayweather last December.

14/04/08

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