It's not hard to notice how B-Hop is one of those fighters that seem to bring out extreme, differing opinions from boxing fans. Say something bad about B-Hop, and you piss off the legions of B-Hop fans. And viceversa.
Here's my own take on B-Hop:
There's no denying the man's greatness. He's fought all comers, and has usually found a way to win. He keeps himself in incredible shape, and always comes to fight. He fought two hard-fought fights against a young, up-and-coming Taylor and more than held his own, losing two controversial decisions. Finally, he fights a much bigger and supposedly dangerous Tarver and totally dominates him. He deserves his place in boxing history.
That being said, I find B-Hop's fights boring. I just don't enjoy his style of boxing. Oh, he's a wily veteran, who knows all the techniques and moves to get the win. But for my entertainment dollar, I enjoyed Winky-Taylor a HELL of a lot more than Hopkins-Tarver. And the Hopkins-Taylor fights didn't do all that much for me, either. I don't know what it is...
Hopkins is CRAFTY as hell... gotta give him that. Against the dangerous Tarver, he would throw a punch, and come in behind it, smothering any punch Tarver was about to throw with his body. This is trademark Hopkins. He throws a punch, usually while giving away nothing as a target. Then he slides in, shoulder first, smothering the other guy's punch. I won't say he's a serial clincher, but he does just enough clinching and brawling to get under the other guy's skin. He's also a tough guy. Probably picked that up in the slammer, where you HAVE to be tough just to survive.
What he'll NEVER be accused of is being a classic boxer-puncher. Which is why his fights just have never been too entertaining for me. Sure, I can appreciate the guy's work ethic and his accomplishments. He's probably done more with his skill level than a lot of other, more naturally gifted guys. But again, his fights tend to bore me. Sort of darker, bigger, more veteran and skilled version of Ricky Hatton. Gee, did that just slip out?
Anyway, boxing forums are all about opinions, and these are just some of mine. In closing, however, I find it easy to respect someone like B-Hop, if only for his incredibly work ethic and the fact that nothing has ever come easy for him. So..... good for him!
