If this fight actually ever came off, i've a feeling most everyone would still pick Hopkins. Ruiz is awful.
agreed all he did was act his way to DQ wins and point deductions I fucking hate him and his manager deserved a bullet
I really, really want you guys to be right I just don't know how comfy Hopkins would be with that weight
But unlike against Jones Ruiz could bullrush in, since Hopkins would not hurt him. Also, I believe Ruiz would not come to the fight at light weight in attempt to outbox Bernard
Hopkins would just move the hell out of the way or tie up. There is literally nothing Ruiz could do from a boxing standpoint to Bernard. Also I definitely think it's a stretch to say Bernard is incapable of hurting Ruiz. If he hits him enough and clean enough, he'll bother him. Roy was able to deter and even stun Ruiz with some hard shots, Roy hits hard, but not THAT much harder than Hopkins. The only way I see Ruiz winning is if literally every second of the fight is Ruiz rushing in, tie up, Ruiz punches the sides of Hopkins. Rinse repeat for 36 minutes.
Clinching, which Hopkins loved to do, would be bad for him on this fight. Hopkins had thin legs and he doesn't want a 235 lbs guy to hang on his neck. Also, Hopkins often uses his physical strength to control and turn his opponent, he couldn't do it here either. Inside, Ruiz will just maul him, remember he also stunned Jones the few times he was able to land. Jones did hit THAT much harder and especially sharper than Hopkins ever that he could stop Ruiz from coming, Hopkins couldn't
I think it was just be tie ups and the ref quickly intervenes. Also what is this nonsense about Bernard HAVING to clinch. He didn't clinch against Tarver, Pavlik or Pascal....and he wouldn't need it here. There is literally no reason to think that Hopkins couldn't replicate what Jones did. The speed difference between Hopkins and Jones means nothing. Hopkins is still a good deal quicker than Ruiz and if he's going to box from the outside, he'll have success. Sure, in a fantasy matchup you can imagine Ruiz just shoulderchares him ever second of the fight, but Ruiz wasn't that good to do something like that and he wouldn't.
Not really. Sometimes boxing is kinda complicated, usually it's simple. Jones and Toney have very little in common stylistically or physically apart from dealing well with come forward guys, being the same natural size and being WILDLY better than John Ruiz. Ditto Hopkins. Ruiz just sucked.