Boxing: Great white hype; Hopkins risks playing race card again.BERNARD Hopkins  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled. has once again risked playing the race card ahead
of Saturday night's showdown with Joe Calzaghe Joe Calzaghe (born 23 March, 1972 in Hammersmith, London England) is a Welsh boxer of Italian and Welsh descent, who is nicknamed "The Pride of Wales". He currently lives in Cwmbran, Wales, and is one of the pound for pound top 10 boxers in the world according to the Ring Magazine. by insisting the
Welshman is only regarded as great because he is white.
Hopkins drew a parallel with basketball Hall of Famer Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7,1956) is a retired American NBA basketball player, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, and one of the best clutch performers in the history of sports. , whom he also believes benefited from extra hype because he stood out in a sport largely dominated by black athletes. It is the American's second jibe at Calzaghe on the issue after he defiantly declared he would "never lose to a white man" during a heated exchange between the pair at the Ricky Hatton Richard Hatton MBE (born October 6 1978, in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England), is a British boxer. He is seen by many as one of the greatest British fighters of all-time and is currently one of the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the world. versus Floyd Mayweather fight in December. Hopkins said: "I guess you can look at Calzaghe's situation as someone who has been blown up more than the others. "It reminds me of Larry Bird - great basketball player but did he get his notoriety based on how he could play, or that he could play more than the average guy of his colour could play? "White athletes stand out more and get more attention because they seem to be somewhat more special than the norm." Hopkins went on to criticise the credentials of British fighters in general, and said the rivalry between the two nations is giving him extra incentive. He added: "Joe Calzaghe is the guy we have to beat to show the Brits that we (Americans) are stronger and better. "Even though their pound has more value than my dollar their fighting talent isn't better. They will prove that. "The Brits gave me a major purpose. They booed the national anthem (at the Hatton fight) but they're going to be booing something else when it's all said and done and my hand is raised in victory." Hopkins and Calzaghe undertook separate public workouts at the Planet Hollywood resort in Las Vegas yesterday before facing the media again to each underline their conviction in success. Calzaghe is looking incredibly relaxed ahead of his first fight in the United States and reiterated his belief the unfamiliar surroundings will have no bearing on the result on Saturday night. "I've come over here and settled into my villa and everything's looking great," he said. "I'm not really one to hang around the Strip gambling and all that stuff, but I'm here to do a job. "Hopkins keeps calling himself a legend and comparing me to Felix Trinidad because like Trinidad I train with my dad. "But at the end of the day Trinidad was a blown-up welterweight so the comparison is hilarious. "Obviously he is a good fighter but I'm still going to whup whup v. Chiefly Southern U.S. Variant of whip. [Scots, variant of whip.] him in that ring on Saturday night." CAPTION(S): JIBE: Bernard Hopkins, pictured after a workout session in Las Vegas yesterday |
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