Gardenweasel,
As always I respect your posts on this great sport.
If you was a Calzaghe fan before, then you must be a even bigger one now.
Firstly, I want to give great respect to Byron Mitchell. For five years now, I have become accustomed to boxers coming from all parts of the world, and are content to box twelve rounds with Calzaghe, and to lose on points. Tonight, I saw one of the first boxers to have enough belief in his own ability to come and try to KO Calzaghe. He caught him with a good shot in Round Two which floored Calzaghe for the first time in his career. From ringside, I thought Calzaghe had slipped, but Tv has clearly shown he was caught and even looked a little shaky climbing back up.
However, for the five short minutes this fight lasted, you had two boxers prepared to go at it 100% and this is becoming a increased rarity in boxing these days. I think Calzaghe done a lot to confirm his credentials to the American public. Bottom line he outboxed a opponent, and stopped a very very tough fighter. His hand speed is amazing.
The main positive is that the fact that Joe was knocked down, might entice some fighters to actaully come out and fight, rather than running scared as they have been for the last four years. I am dreaming of Bernard Hopkins coming over to Wales, and getting his ass kicked. With Hopkins at a loose end at the moment, it will be interesting to see if he will bring his cockiness and arrogance over the pond to fight. He is a diry fighter and will be tough, but as tonight, I imagine that Calzaghe hand speed will be something that Hopkins would never have seen before.
