I don’t even need to say anything. It speaks for itself.

Watching the psychological warfare that Bernard Hopkins uses was fascinating. He gave Tito Trinidad a bag of beans and rice. Ha!

I’m watching this a little late because I watched UFC 83 earlier today. Not a bad day to be a fight fan today.

I’ve only seen Joe Calzaghe fight twice, once last year against Mikkel Kessler and was impressed at his constant punching. He never stopped and didn’t really let Kessler breath. I’ve been really impressed by Hopkins since he knocked Oscar De La Hoya out with a body shot. A body shot. While I don’t expect a knockout to happen tonight, it’s definitely going to be an interesting fight. Calzaghe is fighting outside of his home and is stepping up in weight. Hopkins is like the fountain of youth.

Ray J is singing the National Anthem. I think Kim Kardashian’s backside just winced. And now I know why Whitney Houston is here. Only Ray J knows if Whitty can still hit those high notes. Simon Cowell and Jay-Z are also at the fight.

Hopkins definitely looks a bit bigger than Calzaghe. By the way, thanks to HBO, this is in HD~!

R1

About a minute in, Hopkins dropped Calzaghe with a short right. Wow, that was quick. Calzaghe looked more embarrassed than hurt. In the clinch, Hopkins just seems stronger. Calzaghe is obviously going to be busier as it’s just his style, but Hopkins did get the knockdown so I guess you have to score it as a 10-8 round in favor of Hopkins. Other than the knockdown, it was even.

R2

Hopkins scored with the bigger shots, which were counter right hands. He is even leading with the right hand at times. Calzaghe seems to be a little worried about opening up because of Hopkins’ counter rights. I’d score the round for Hopkins again.

R3

Calzaghe is going to steal some rounds because he’s simply the more active fighter. But in no way is he doing what he wants to do. Hopkins is still fighting his fight, but Calzaghe might’ve done just enough with his punches to win the round. It was very close, but I’d give it to Calzaghe.

By the way, Sylvester Stallone and Simon Cowell are sitting next to each other. Maybe they’re talking about getting Frank (Stallone) on American Idol this year?

R4

Calzaghe is turning his back to Hopkins when they get tied up. Whether he’s doing it because he wants to or because Hopkins is forcing him that way, it looks like a sign of weakness. Calzaghe is throwing more punches again, but Hopkins is cleaning up when Calzaghe comes inside. That was Calzaghe’s round again, but mostly because it was his style of round. He was more active, dancing around a bit more, and though none of his punches looked like they had any power on them.

R5

They both landed some good shots, but Calzaghe was quicker to the punch and is starting to land those flurries that judges always love. They don’t really hurt the other boxer, but they look good, and thus they help win rounds. I’d slightly give the edge to him again.

R6

It was an ugly round and both guys were running into each other, but it was also Calzaghe’s best round. He’s starting to take this fight from Hopkins. He’s punches are quicker and they come out faster than Hopkins’.

R7

Hopkins buckled Calzaghe again near the end of the round, but other than that punch, I’d still score it as Calzaghe’s round. He’s making Hopkins look old. But at any time, it seems that Hopkins can put him down. It’s a weird fight. Actually, I’m expecting Hopkins to get another flash knockdown, just because of how recklessly Calzaghe comes inside.

R8

What’s very transparent now is that Calzaghe is simply able to fight his way out of Hopkins’ clinch, which wasn’t happening in the first few rounds. He’s also feinting him a little more, which shows that Hopkins is still hard to hit, but it also shows that Calzaghe is starting to think that it’s his fight. I’d give that round to Hopkins, just because while Calzaghe is more active, Hopkins is actually fighting well defensively and hit the bigger punches.

R9

Another good round for Calzaghe. He landed both the flurries as well as some bigger shots late. Hopkins landed a couple of crisp shots, but not enough.

R10

Calzaghe’s father (also his trainer) thinks Hopkins is ready to go down. I’m not sure Calzaghe is hitting him hard enough to drop him. Calzaghe hit him low and then went behind him and did a shimmy shake. On the cool scale, that shimmy shake was about a negative 1. Hopkins took about 2 minutes until he was ready to fight again. If it was Ray J, it might’ve taken two hours to heal. It’s the closest thing we have to a draw round tonight, so that’s how I’ll score it. That breather looked like exactly what Hopkins needed.

R11

Through ten rounds I have the fight scored 96-94 in favor of Calzaghe, so on my card, Hopkins would have to win the next two rounds to make it a draw.

Another weird round. Hopkins went down in the corner supposedly from a low blow, but the referee didn’t see it so he didn’t allow Hopkins any rest. Calzaghe is also starting to give Hopkins some receipts for the early tactics Hopkins was doing like hitting in the back of the head. He also was busier and looks like the much fresher of the two. Hopkins needs a knockout on my card.

R12

Calzaghe is dropping his left hand low, but Hopkins doesn’t seem to follow up. Just another ugly round. There was no urgency from Hopkins and Calzaghe was throwing wide looping punches that weren’t really landing. He was just more active and pushed the pace. Probably his round again.

I have it 116-112 for Calzaghe.

Let’s see what the judges say.

114-113 – Hopkins
115-112 – Calzaghe
116-111 – Calzaghe

Winner: Joe Calzaghe by way of split decision

He’s also the new Ring Magazine Linear Light Heavyweight Champion.

Here’s a link to ESPN’s recap. Excuse the goofball Sports Center anchors.

Kenny Florian takes over for Joe Rogan and joins Mike Goldberg.

1. Mark Bocek vs. Mac Danzig

Danzig looks big tonight. Kind of boring first round until the end. Bocek got Danzig down and pretty much held him down for most of the round. Danzig finally got out of it about 35 seconds left in the round and started pounding him.

Danzig hit a huge knee that floored Bocek. He was pounding him more and was on top of him for about the next three minutes until Bocek got up, but Danzig went right back to work. Bocek’s face is a mess.

Lutter was either super tired or he was playing possum. Franklin was teeing off on him and then when he got close, he’d grab his leg. But after taking a few shots, he was done. If that was his strategy, it was a poor one. Lutter really looked in terrible shape.

Winner: Rich Franklin by way of second round TKO

Bocek did a good job in getting Danzig back down and looked like he was going to control the round, but he simply couldn’t stand with Danzig. Danzig was picking him apart. Bocek looked like Rocky Balboa after the second fight with Apollo Creed. He might’ve not been able to see well out of his left eye as his reaction time was a split second late. Danzig got him down, Bocek gave up his back, and Danzig sunk the rear naked for the submission.

Winner: Mac Danzig by third round submission

2. Charles McCarthy vs. Michael Bisping

Bisping controlled nearly the entire round with the stand-up. McCarthy took him down and tried for a submission, but Bisping got back up and threw about 10 knees and McCarthy finally went down. He was saved by the bell, but couldn’t get up and the referee stopped it before the second round.

Winner: Michael Bisping by way of first round TKO

3. Kalib Starnes vs. Nate Quarry

Quarry is 36 and Starnes is 33?

Quarry is chasing Starnes around the ring and is the only one scoring. But he’s going to be a tired guy if this thing goes three rounds. That may even be Starnes’ strategy because he gave away that first round.

The second round wasn’t much different than the first. Quarry was scoring with more leg kicks. He was wearing him out. When Starnes tried to clinch, Quarry threw knees and Starnes wasn’t trying to clinch anymore.

Third round was much of the same. Not sure what Starnes was necessarily trying to do in front of his hometown. Starnes was running away and Quarry was pretending to run like on a treadmill and Starnes flipped him off. Quarry then covered his eyes and was pretending to throw blind hammer shots. Starnes didn’t look like he wanted to be there tonight. Not good considering they were put on third from the top.

Winner: Nate Quarry by way of unanimous decision

One judge had it 30-24, which means that he either had every round 10-8, or he scored that last round 10-6 on the account of running.

4. Travis Lutter vs. Rich Franklin

Lutter had his way with Franklin for most of the round and had him in an arm bar that looked like trouble until Franklin twisted out of it. Franklin is going to have his way with him if he keeps it standing, but Lutter was dominant on the ground.

5. Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra

My prediction is St. Pierre by knockout in the third. But then again, I predicted St. Pierre by knockout last time and we know what happened.

St. Pierre took him down right away and spent the first three minutes trying to get passed Serra’s guard. He was in side control and then got his back, but Serra positioned himself up against the cage and got back up. St. Pierre just looks so much stronger. St. Pierre hit a super man punch and then took him down again. St. Pierre’s round for all five minutes.

St. Pierre continued to take him down and pound away. Serra looked tired throughout as well. It wasn’t much of a fight. Serra gave up his back and St. Pierre just reared back and threw knees to the ribs until the referee stopped it.

Winner: Georges St. Pierre by way of second round TKO

The last Wrestlemania that I didn’t watch live was Wrestlemania XV. I was on vacation and my buddies, Eddy Zucko and Albert recorded it for me to watch when I got back. That was about 9 years ago. It’s been very hard to not have read any kind of spoilers whatsoever. And now, two days later, Eddy Zucko and the kids are with me to watch this show. I feel so out of the loop.

• Having John Legend perform American The Beautiful didn’t have the same humor in it that making Aretha Franklin waddle out last year did.

• Finlay vs. JBL jerks the curtain, which means they simply want to get this one out of the way. I hope it’s short.
• Ok, that match was a little too long for my tastes and don’t they need all that plunder for Cena/HHH/Orton?
• Hey, Kim Kardashian is here.

Just Needed A Reason To Put Kim K Here

• Shelton Benjamin has competition in greatest ladder match wrestler in John Morrison (I like Johnny Nitro better) who just did a moonsault off the top rope with a ladder in hand.
• That might’ve been the greatest ladder spot fest ever, even though the wrong guy (CM Punk) won.
• Snoop Dogg and Mick Foley should create a tag team called the Rock and Sizzle Connection.
• Batista is over 40 years old with a chiseled body and Umaga (Yoomanga) is the one who was suspended because of growth hormone? Something is definitely wrong there.
• Kane = King Kong Bundy and Chavo Guerrero = S.D. Jones.
• The match went a little long and couldn’t be as good as we all hoped for, but the finish was picture perfect with HBK saying, “I’m sorry, I love you” before knocking out Flair with the last Sweet Chin Music.
  
  

  I’m Sorry, I Love You

  • Bunny Mania was just there so that people could go to the bathroom, except when Snoop clotheslined Santino.
  • With Cena/Orton/HHH on next, I think that means Orton retains since if HHH was winning, you know he’d make sure they’d go on last. (That’s what happened by the way. Really good match though.)
  • I’ll give it to Money Mayweather for taking much more than I expected him to, but man, that was a terrible rear naked choke that JR called a sleeper. I would’ve called it a Weaver lock.
  • The main event was well booked enough to where it came off good even though it looked like it was going to be anticlimactic early on. The Undertaker gets his hand raised yet again.

  Overall, it was a really good show and in the aftermath of the Undertaker’s win, some folks got burned because of run away fireworks.