Didn't Hopkins duck a lot of top competition during his reign as middle-weight?

Like why did Hopkins never fight McClellan, Benn or Julian Jackson?

Let's face it, until he faced Trinidad, he fought nothing but crap.

 

Bernard Didn't Become Champion til AFTER Roy Vacated, by Moving Up to 168...Roy Moved Up to 168 Because Guys like Benn were ALREADY There & McClellan DIDN'T Remain @ 160 Toooo Terribly Looooooooong After Beating Jackson Twice...

Bernard was Basically a NO-Name "Titlist" @ that Point & There was NO Market OR Clamor for him to Face Those Guys....His Middleweight Opposition WASN'T Great (when U Remove the Welterweights he Fought), but Bernard Fought just about ALL of the AVAILABLE Guys N that Division...

There's NO Glaring Omission on Bernard's Middleweight Resume...

REED:mj:

 

Borenard's middleweight reign is very overrated. It's littered with Robert Allen's, and Morad Hakkar's. Beating Trinidad and Oscar basically anchor his claim as a "great middleweight", but it's not a very firm claim by any stretch.

 

Double you are truly the biggest idiot on this forum.

By the time Hop won his first title Jackson was completely shot, and Benn n G-man had both moved to 168. Gerald of course then got injured, and Benn was never the same after. Furthermore... Hopkins wasnt even a big enough name at that time to even warrant a fight with any of those guys. Until then B-Hop's only claim to fame was being the guy Roy beat.

Your hate for Hopkins has gone from simply laughable, to now just plain sad. Next thing you know, you'll be telling us that he ducked Hagler, and Hearns also.

 

By the time Hopkins won his Middleweight title...

...Benn had moved up to 168 and won a title there and was coming off his war with McClellan. Benn wasn't in Hopkins' division at that time.

...McClellan had suffered a brain injury in the Benn fight.

...Jackson had already been KOed twice by McClellan and was finished at the top level. He did manage to win a vacant title against a nothing special opponent, but was promptly KOed and lost that title within a few months.

By the time Hopkins made his first title defense...

...McClellan was in no condition to fight

...Benn would lose three consecutive times and then retire.

...Jackson lost his last alphabet title by KO and had become a name opponent.

Would it kill you to put a little more effort into knowing about what you write?

 

You managed to slither your way through those opponents BWJ, but whats your excuse for Hop ducking Rodrigo Valdez?

 

Hopkins totally ducked Rocky Castellani and Joey Giardello

I'll wait while Alabama Woman looks those names up on Boxrec

 

I have no excuse. ::

 

Is this a serious topic? ::

 

I'm still waiting for Bernard to give Simon Brown a rematch. Many may not know this... but Simon had bronchitis and tendonitis when B-Hop beat him.

 

'

You don't have to be rude and insult me. If there was nothing but shit competition for Hopkins to fight, why didn't he move up?

Whether he had the opportunity to fight those guys at 160 or 168, he sure took his time between winning the title (in his third try) and fighting a perceived threat (Trinidad).

In fact, Hopkins was such a no name by the time he faced Echols the first time, that the fight was on FSN !!! Can you imagine? Five years into his reign as middle-weight champion and he's fighting on FSN? Probably for peanuts? And probably with his own promoter hoping he'd finally lose?

You don't have to agree with me, but I think it's uncalled for how offended you are by the things I say. Something isn't quite right when it comes to you. You are an adult are you not?

 

Why would he bother?? They are obviously not from the Philippines. So therefore Saint Manny would easily KO them both in the first round on the same night as Alabama is weeping with joy.

 

He ducked Tony Maselli and Paul Castellano also.

 

none of that changes the fact that you didnt know what you were talking about when you started the topic and once again placed your foot directly into your mouth

you said he ducked a bunch of guys (he didnt)

the division he was ruling just wasnt very good for a number of years

 

::::

 

Okay. You're right. Pavlik was every bit the determined killer in there with Hopkins that he was when he KTFO of Hopkins' Daddy. Sorry. I'm wrong. Pavlik was 100%. There couldn't possibly be any truth to the claims that he was sick and injured since injuries never happen in boxing.

But hear this: Hopkins lost to the best guy he fought at 160 - Taylor. Twice. He lost to Calzaghe. And he had a panty party with Wright. The guy's an over-rated hack. Offended? Good. Call me stupid now and tell me what a brilliant technician Hopkins is.

 

and Joe "Bananas" Bonnano::

 

What was Hopkins supposed to do? Sneak into McClellan's hospital room and beat him up?

 

don't forget Tony Danza! ::

 

and Lou Ferigno::

 

Don't forget! Danza once knocked out Carlos Palomino....



....on an episode of TAXI.

 

Whether any of those fights were available to Hopkins or not, there's no denying that his reign as middle-weight champion was somewhat of a ruse.

The best performance of his career, all things considered, was his win over Tarver. Oh boy. Other than that, there's not much there if you ask me.

Everyone talks about what a complete fighter is. But guess what? A complete fighter has to be able to cope with superior hand-speed. Hopkins has shown over and over that he can't.

I wonder if Carl Froch could've beaten Hopkins. I'm pretty sure Kessler would. McCallum would've if the timing had been right. And I'm pretty damn sure Toney would've too.

And don't blame Hopkin's losses to Taylor on his age. He was every bit the hesitant bitch against RJJ too.

 

C'mon now.
I do sympathise to some extent, his record number of defences and all that hoopla masked the consistent mediocrity of his opposition level, arguably worse than Jones's at LHW, but in both cases that was most all there was available at the time (leaving aside d-mich). Almost like Jones, its the manner in which he handled those so-so opponents which elevates him among (but not THE IMO) the best ever at his weight.

 

This thread failed.

 

There is one guy who Hopkins briefly 'ducked'--Harry Simon--and Simon fucked up that argument for mE very well.

I like the Holmes win, I like the Tito win and I even like the Joppy win, but for 20 defenses or whatever...the reign is thin.

 

Hopkins could be 75 years ago and outbox Froch. Kessler might have the style to beat Hopkins now, but a prime B-Hop owns Kessler.

McCallum would have certainly given Hopkins a tough fight, and Toney would have also at his best. But I like Hopkins to slighly outpoint both of them.

I think its safe to say now that Taylor eeiking out Hopkins twice has alot to do with B-Hop being dead at 160.

 

Do any fightbeaters live somewhere close to Double L and could take him out?

 

Perhaps Pavlik's OPPONENT that Night had Something to Do w/That???...It's NOT like Pavlik's Pursuing a RE or Anything...REED Certainly COULDN'T See Bernard Turning it DOWN...


REED:hammert:

 

He also beat Tommy Hearns on Who's the Boss.

 

He will be a difficult "hit" I imagine, as his brain is not a vital organ so he's impervious to head shots. Forcing him to watch a loop of Calzaghe, Hopkins, Jones and Hatton fights, should short circuit something though and hopefully cause heart failure or a fatal seizure of some sort.

ray: