Thread: Should Hopkins have moved up to Light Heavy a few years ago?

I know this has been discussed before, but I have just watched Tarver v Hopkins again and Hopkins had so much more energy, movement & endeavour than we saw in his last 2 or 3 years at Middle. His legacy is very slightly tainted by the 2 Taylor defeats, but he was obviously really tight at the weight and suffering to achieve status as a legendary middle weight and get the 20 defences record.

I was just thinking had he have moved up and cleared out the Light Heavy division earlier he would probably have increased his legacy even more than he did by achieving the 20 defences.

He looked like a 25 year old against Tarver - fantastic and obviously his true weight!

Yea probably, especially since Taylor wasn't exactly someone people were screaming at Bhop to fight, neither was Eastman or really anyone he fought at middle after beating Trinidad.. Fights with Tarver, Calzaghe and Jones Jr. would have all been great contests a few years ago imo, but really... Hopkins did just clean up the light heavyweight division by whipping Tarver, there's noone else there to speak of. Woods, Glen Johnson, but Hopkins already destroyed him some years ago. I would personally still love to see Calzaghe step up to 175 and fight HOpkins, but I imagine Hopkins won't fight again.

Originally Posted by p4pking

Yea probably, especially since Taylor wasn't exactly someone people were screaming at Bhop to fight, neither was Eastman or really anyone he fought at middle after beating Trinidad.. Fights with Tarver, Calzaghe and Jones Jr. would have all been great contests a few years ago imo, but really... Hopkins did just clean up the light heavyweight division by whipping Tarver, there's noone else there to speak of. Woods, Glen Johnson, but Hopkins already destroyed him some years ago. I would personally still love to see Calzaghe step up to 175 and fight HOpkins, but I imagine Hopkins won't fight again.

Yeh Hopkins v Calzaghe at 175 would have to be one of the biggest fights out thrre at the moment, but Hopkins def won't fight again and Calzaghe's hands can probably only take one more fight

Originally Posted by BIG H

I know this has been discussed before, but I have just watched Tarver v Hopkins again and Hopkins had so much more energy, movement & endeavour than we saw in his last 2 or 3 years at Middle. His legacy is very slightly tainted by the 2 Taylor defeats, but he was obviously really tight at the weight and suffering to achieve status as a legendary middle weight and get the 20 defences record.

I was just thinking had he have moved up and cleared out the Light Heavy division earlier he would probably have increased his legacy even more than he did by achieving the 20 defences.

He looked like a 25 year old against Tarver - fantastic and obviously his true weight!

Probably not. Hopkins stayed where he was once Toney and Jones had moved up. If he would have had to face prime Toney or Roy Jones his long unbeaten run may very well not have happend.

But he did look fantastic against Tarver. I can't help but feel that he wouldn't do as well against Clinton Woods, Joe Calzaghe or Glen Johnsonn though.

Hopkins at 160lbs was damn near beating Jermain Taylor...twice!!! Despite being 40+ years old...

Indeed some thought he actually won both contests!

Why move up, when you are that good?

What should be remembered is that Hopkins probably had demons at competing at 175lbs, after all he did lose his pro debut at the weight.

I think he could have done well at 175, its easy to see that after Tarver, and he definitely could have handled 168, but I don't think he really needed to move up.

He always stayed in shape, and never seemed to have that much of a problem with making weight

If he does retire for good and he only fights once at 175 its a bit hard to answer. Was he that much better at 175 or was Tarver a really good style matchup for him?

Nope.

Nothing would have/could have motivated Hopkins more than writing the wrongs against Taylor with Tarver other than beating Roy Jones jr a second time around & we all saw what issues came with securing the rematch with Jones on both occassions.

He killed two birds with one stone when he beat Tarver.

He did the right thing...now he needs to put a stamp on his retirement plan & put that shat in the mail...don't be on FNF's saying that if someone came up with the right amount of bills you might come back...just fwockin go!

Originally Posted by OumaFan

I think he could have done well at 175, its easy to see that after Tarver, and he definitely could have handled 168, but I don't think he really needed to move up.

He always stayed in shape, and never seemed to have that much of a problem with making weight

If he does retire for good and he only fights once at 175 its a bit hard to answer. Was he that much better at 175 or was Tarver a really good style matchup for him?

Yeh I hear what you are saying, I just think that in the performances against Eastman and the 2 Taylor fights, he looked like the years had caught up with him, but when he made the move up he looked more energised than I had seen him since the Tito fight. Hard to say, but I wonder that if he hadn't been tight at the weight, wouldn't he have dismantled JT with ease? I really don't know

Originally Posted by wacko3205

Nope.

Nothing would have/could have motivated Hopkins more than writing the wrongs against Taylor with Tarver other than beating Roy Jones jr a second time around & we all saw what issues came with securing the rematch with Jones on both occassions.

He killed two birds with one stone when he beat Tarver.

He did the right thing...now he needs to put a stamp on his retirement plan & put that shat in the mail...don't be on FNF's saying that if someone came up with the right amount of bills you might come back...just fwockin go!

Yeh he def needs to bow out on this high

Hopkins post Tarver has announced his retirement for the first mainstream time, who are we to disagree?

But to threaten him, he should contenplate that post 93, I have only picked for him to win in the two Taylor fights; and if he ever comes back I will pick him to win again!!!

It depends on what he was looking for . If he wanted challenges then Yes , he should have moved up. If he wanted to make mados and add to his long line of defenses , then No . Hop is not a risk taker so he chose a hard road weight wise but an easier road in terms of the middleweight division and it's lackluster talent pool .

He needs to stay retired. period. how much f-ing money does it take to make one happy?...

Originally Posted by ender

Hop is not a risk taker so he chose a hard road weight wise but an easier road in terms of the middleweight division and it's lackluster talent pool .

He was there for a lot of years ... plenty of time for it to move into and out of lackluster a couple-three times. To say he chose to stay there because it was lackluster and so he could be the big fish in a little pond ...

Well, I don't quite buy that.

I'm all for folks who should retire to just retire and stay that way.

But I'm all for Hopkins to fight again. I'd like to see him fight Taylor at 168.

Originally Posted by ender

It depends on what he was looking for . If he wanted challenges then Yes , he should have moved up. If he wanted to make mados and add to his long line of defenses , then No . Hop is not a risk taker so he chose a hard road weight wise but an easier road in terms of the middleweight division and it's lackluster talent pool .

Personally...I don't see 160lbs being an easy road for Hopkins. Hopkins took a lot of really good fighters & made them look bad.

Many people underrate the Nard & his opposition but fighters such as Lipsey, Jackson, Echols, Glen Johnson, Vanderpool, Joppy, & Eastman were often written off due to the fact that the middle weight division was shunned during the peak of heavyweight boxing & most people hadn't followed these men.

They were not walks in the park & several of them were undefeated up to the point that they reached the Terror...aka: the Executioner...aka: Bernard Hopkins.

No, because he wouldn't have beaten Roy Jones Jr.