When Bernard Hopkins told Joe Calzaghe during a pre-fight confrontation that he'd never let a "white boy” beat him, Calzaghe later countered with, “I’ll never lose to a white boy either. Or a red boy or a yellow boy or a brown boy.” The undefeated fighter's answer to the loquacious B-Hop's smack-talk was a smart one, and Calzaghe showed that he was not concerned with his opponent's reputation as a master of psychological warfare. In fact, it appeared that it was Calzaghe who got under Hopkins' skin at the weigh-in, as he looked loose and relaxed, jawing in Hopkins' face and telling him that he will lose. For all his racial slurs and controversial antics, however, Hopkins couldn't put his money where his mouth was. And when the final bell rang at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, it was Calzaghe's hand that was raised, not Hopkins'. One judge scored it 114-113 for Hopkins, while the other two had it 116-111 and 115-112 for Calzaghe. I had it 115-113 for Calzaghe in a very close fight.

Calzaghe, 45-0 (32), got off to a rocky start, as Hopkins nailed him on the chin with a sneaky, perfect counter right straight down the chute, flooring the Welshman and flustering him for the first few rounds. The 43-year-old Hopkins even appeared faster than his 36-year-old opponent, neutralizing Calzaghe’s flurries with sharp counters, and using the upper body movement and footwork that made him elusive for the first half of the fight. From the 6th round on, Calzaghe started finding Hopkins with more regularity, and when the two exchanged punches it was the faster Calzaghe who often got the better of the fading Hopkins. Hopkins resorted to holding and the one-punch-at-a-time strategy that he used to varying success against Jermain Taylor and Winky Wright, but the judges liked Calzaghe’s forward aggression, and the Welshman clearly won the 12th round. In the post-fight interview, Hopkins was typically ungracious in defeat, though admitted that he made Calzaghe fight his fight for only half the fight. An ecstatic Calzaghe labeled himself a “legend-killer” and stated a desire to fight the legendary Roy Jones Jr.

Hopkins, 48-5-1 (32), does not damage his legacy in any way with the loss. Although we’re sick of hearing his boasts, he is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, and what he accomplished against Calzaghe and previously against Antonio Tarver to capture the 175-pound title is impressive at any age, let alone a 43-year-old. Hopkins loves to tell us how he’s an old-school fighter, molded in the likeness of a Jersey Joe Walcott or a Marvin Hagler, and he’s right. But perhaps it’s time for the blue-collar Philadelphia native to say goodbye; although he’s worked with fitness guru Mackie Shilstone to sculpt his amazing body and his boxing skills are still finely tuned, there are no significant fights out there for the ageless warrior, barring a rematch with Roy Jones. And we may see a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians before Jones and Hopkins agree on terms of a contract.

There is talk of Calzaghe-Jones taking place on HBO PPV on November 15. Once thought washed up, his recent victory over Felix Trinidad has boxing analysts once again taking Jones seriously, even if he is seen as a live underdog versus Calzaghe.

But Jones-Calzaghe is interesting because Jones is not as defensively sound as Hopkins and could be vulnerable to Calzaghe’s aggression. And because Calzaghe is vulnerable to early round knockdowns, and Jones is a better puncher than Hopkins. But largely because Jones sees in Calzaghe what he once saw in himself: an undefeated fighter who cherishes is unblemished record. And those type of fighters are the toughest to beat.