Final picks: Kovalev - Hopkins

Kovalev fought smart. Hopkins really didn't try to win the fight.

Kovalev could use some imagination on his punches. Not sure how much of it was 12th round or Hopkins' chin, but I didn't think anyone could take Kovalev's shots like those landed in the 12th.

 

Hop was on the verge of being ready to go by the end.

I usually don't say "It there were a few more rounds......"

But in this case, I'll say it. Back in the 15 round days, Hop doesn't last the distance. Kov would have forced a stoppage within another round or two.

 

Don't think that Kov would have attacked as hard in the 12th if it wasn't the last round of the fight though. As some as said, Kovalev passivity might have been caused by a fear of exhausting himself, since it was the first time he went 12 IIRC.

 

I just watched the fight for the first time.. it's time for Hopkins to retire. Kovalev laid more heavy leather on him than anyone else ever has. And it's cool to see Hopkins is being classy about the loss & giving Kovalev all due credit (which he deserves, his performance was great), but the fact is that if this was the '99-01 version of Hopkins (assuming a move up to 175), he beats Kovalev.

 

This.

 

I would probably pick Hopkins too but I don't think it is a lock after this fight. I could see the case had Hopkins had some mild success in there, but he didn't even come very near of winning a single round.

Of course, prime Hopkins was more elusive and sharper with his punches but a fact is that at some point he would have to return the fire to beat Kovalev and there is no certainty of how that would play out. Remember, Kovalev too could have taken much more risks or fire much more, had Hopkins seriously tried to win the fight

 

Very enjoyable fight. Hopkins, i thought, was a pleasure to watch in the same sort of way McCallum was vs RJJ. Outgunned physically but you still got to watch the wheels turn. Kovalev was basically perfect, quite impressive.

 

Kovalev vs the Hopkins of 7 or 8 years ago would have been totally fascinating.

 

Agreed. There's nothing about the fight to suggest younger Hopkins would win, as Hopkins had virtually no success against Kovalev. And it's certainly not a "fact" that Hopkins would win ::

Kovalev Vs prime Hopkins is a very interesting fight.

 

It's amazing how someone's power looks so much different when they aren't fighting guys that are there to lay down isn't it?

 

when they are fighting guys who come to survive and throw zero punches?

 

This

If Hopkins had opened up, he would have gotten knocked out

 

Hopkins got stunned and hurt several times while only throwing 195 punches and trying to survive. That says something positive about Kovalev's punching power.

 

It also says Hopkins is damn near 50.

Guys are acting surprised that an old man looked like an old man.

 

Well based on your pre-fight comments, you too should've been surprised. You weren't?

 

Nope. I was worried Kovalev wasn't as good as he showed. I'm always down for Hopkins taking a beating.

He did what he was supposed to do. It's not like MAB schooling Hamed or Mayweather schooling Corrales.

 

Hopkins looked old because he is old but he still looked decent his last couple of fights. Did Kovalev do what he was supposed to do? In winning yes but the manner of him winning was a bit surprising. Fighting a slow paced fight and outboxing Hopkins every round was pretty surprising.

 

i didnt understand why he chose to do so. he won easily but he couldve stopped hopkins if he turned up the heat. fucker cost me money

 

Probably a combination of him preserving his stamina, since he never went 12 rounds before, and a feeling of pity for the old men.

 

It was the stamina. Russians feel no pity.

 

If he took pity on hopkins, it was all dried up by the 12th round. Because in that round, there was no longer any sign of it.

 

Didn't want to gas himself trying to KO a guy with a great chin. Kovalev was extremely unproven coming into this fight. Like others said he had to make sure he was good going 12. Although it was pretty apparent Hopkins didn't have shit for him.

 

if he had been going hard at a good pace in sparring for 12 rounds then i dont get it. young guys who jump from 8 to 12 rounders are able to go at a fast pace for the full distance. either you are in shape to do so or you arent

 

True. It was like watching a lion with no teeth trying to bring down a water buffalo.

 

Let's not fall under the false impression hopkins was fragile and harmless in there. Kovalev may have made it seem that way, but it's not like hopkins is incapable.

For one, Hopkins feeds off his opponent's aggression. He always has. So one way to make him seem utterly impotent is to use range and don't sell out . whenever opponents have had the tools and discipline to do this, hopkins is less effective. Kov though was particular successful given his power and timing.

i'm not discounting hopkins' age but some are acting like hopkins was utterly impotent in there and that's a misread

 

I don't think Hopkins was harmless or incapable either. If he was then Kovalev might have got him out of there almost by accident. Incidents like the first round KD would have happened more frequently. He was winning every round of the fight and there was no reason in his mind to do anything more. Why stick out your hand and give an aging rattlesnake the chance to bite you when you already have it caged?

 

yep. Plus kov had to worry about head butts and cuts. Shit like that can turn the tables.

 

It's a MENTAL Hurdle...

In Hindsight, Errol Spence COULD have Stopped Ronald Cruz in his 1st 10 Rounder, but Spence ADMITTED to REED, the Undeniable FACT he'd Never Fought 10 Professional Rounds, Made him SECOND GUESS if, If, IF he was Capable of Doing So, Even as he EASILY Won Round After Round....

When You've NEVER Done Something Previously, it's NOT Unheard of to Still WONDER if You Can, UNTIL You've Actually Done It...In Hindsight, Spence Calls it the BIGGEST Regret of his Young, Pro Career, for Failing to TRUST Himself...But Again, You LEARN to Trust Yourself....

REED's WATCHED Spence Spar 10+ Rounds, w/FRESH Guys Jumping In Every 2-3 Rounds, for Several Years Now, Yet He's a Young, DISCIPLINED Cat that Lacks Bad Habits...It was a MENTAL Hurdle...

Given the FACT Kovalev Never Went Past 8 AND was Facing a Negative STINKER, it Makes Sense he'd Be More CAUTIOUS....


REED:mj:

 

Hopkins hasn't knocked anyone out in a decade. There wasn't a 1 punch KO threat. Kovalev was cautious and calculated, it's as simple as that.

Hopkins has been about frustrating you then embarrassing you, not hurting you. If Hopkins were a rattlesnake he'd be one with no fangs.