This was written by a poster there called Miagi. Very very good.

http://forums.doghouseboxing.com/index.php?showtopic=29609&hl=
Bernard Hopkins: From Predator To Scavenger

At one time Bernard Hopkins was a species of predator who could survive and thrive in any type of hunting environment. Whatever flavor of prey, whatever atmosphere presented itself, his intelligence and monitored rehearsals would expose hidden vulnerabilities in opponents which he would continually attacked from all angles with callous aggression. Battered, confused, and tired, his prey would ultimately become a feast of many different courses that he and his fans savored to the very last drop.

But now, just as every predator ages and loses their dominance, Hopkins lurks behind the safety of his defense and lays in wait. He lets his enemy follow him all over the land he once ruled...watching and waiting for signs of weakening and tiring. Hopkins can only tease his appetite by exposing weaknesses, but never stuff himself by capitalizing. Only when his opponent falls to the ills of this territorial chasing game, can he begin carving off pieces to what will never amount to the once savory feast, only snacks and leftovers that always fall short of satisfying.

I'm not here to disrespect Bernard Hopkins. I think he's great. I'm here to provide some colorful, yet short, footage of just how far Bernard Hopkins has declined and try to determine if there's any way he can recapture some of his old self. In his prime Hopkins could do it all. He could fight you on the inside, the outside, going backwards, going forwards, he was effective from every conceivable angle against a diverse range of styles. This versatility is all gone today. Bernard Hopkins has lost a list of skills too great to verbalize. To put your finger on the physical problems is the easy part. Obviously, speed, movement, output and power have diminished considerably. But hunger and aggression are gone too.They're both gone...and I mean ALL GONE! It's age playing a role here, I'm sure. But is it all age? I don't think so. With success comes leisure and some of what's missing from Bernard Hopkins' game are things like body work and punch variety. That's not an age thing.

I created a little history that spans the course of 12 years with footage from 6 different fights. I didn't post full fights, rather grabs that capture Hopkins in action so his skills from each year may be compared. But first Lets start with a quick comparison of how Hopkins in the year 2000 reacted to an attack by Antwun Echols that later in 2005 was virtually duplicated by Jermain Taylor. Echols and Taylor were remarkably similar at the time they fought Hopkins. Both solid Middleweights (In fact each example used is a solid orthodox Middleweight), both young, both fast, both strong, and aside from Taylor being less coordinated and looping his punches, they both had Hopkins in the exact same situation with the momentum of the fight at that moment in their favor.

Lets see how Hopkins reacted.
[url=http://media.putfile.com/Echols-Tayor-comparison]Click here to see the Echols Taylor Comparison



When Echols throws at Hopkins the predator in him is unleashed immediately. He makes it clear this is his feast and fights back like an animal being challenged for his fill. When Taylor throws, the scavenger is apparent. He is content with merely eluding punishment, falling back and watching...waiting, delivering a tiny feint for his troubles. Another couple jabs shot his way trigger nothing. He moves slowly around the ring draining time.

The difference in reaction here is tremendous and represents a complete change in Hopkins as a fighter. This is what many people cannot stand about Bernard Hopkins. Everyone wants that predatory reaction that hasn?t been around since Joppy. Even then, at 38, Hopkins couldn?t carve his way to the feast anymore but he tried. So lets take a short look back at the evolution of Bernard Hopkins and see just how much is truly absent today, when it disappeared, and can he get anything back for his rematch with Taylor.


Hopkins vs Jones 1993. Age: 27
Click here to watch Hopking-Jones1993
During this period Hopkins was an evolving fighter whose style characterized an old school Philly brawler. He was not comfortable boxing on the outside and did not yet achieve his technical brilliance nor his great use of angles. He enjoyed getting inside behind strait combinations and then swarming his opponent. Body and head attacks were excellent and he was a good counterpuncher. Unfortunately, getting inside on Jones to work his craft wasn?t easy and he didn?t try often enough. Most of the fight Hopkins tried to beat Jones in a counterpunching game. Bad idea. But at times Hopkins did employ his Philly brawling skills which proved successful. So much so, that Jones looked confused and concerned a couple times in round 8 and 11. It?s a curiosity why he didn?t fight the whole fight this way. Nevertheless, he didn't and he lost.

Hopkins performance in this fight was more effective and more colorful than in his fight with Taylor. Even though he had Taylor rocked a couple times he was a predator when he fought Jones and displayed the qualities of such. He stood his ground, was never pushed back, was willing to stand inside and take shots to give shots, his poise and balance were impeccable, his speed and coordination excellent. He landed almost twice as many punches on Jones as he did Taylor even though Taylor left many more openings. When he hurt Taylor his prey was wounded, had he still possessed his Philly brawling skills this would of been time to ring the dinner bell. But he's a scavenger now. Philly brawling skills belong to Predators.

Other skills besides Philly brawling that Hopkins no longer has but used against Jones are the lethal right hand that got him inside to work Jones, strength, balance, speed, great body work and aggression. Can Hopkins recapture some of the predatory skills that brought him some success against Jones, or is he just too old? I say he can get back to some of the body work, that's for sure.


Hopkins vs James 1996: Age: 31
Click here to watch Hopkins-James1996
Here, 4 years after the Jones fight, Hopkins had evolved considerably. Now comfortable as a Boxer, he was able to move more and keep his opponents off balance. He was able to fight from angles as well. Because of this, his punch variety and punch output increased. Relentless aggression, beautiful mixed attacks that went upstairs and downstairs, speed, power, ring generalship and excellent balance were all part of the package. He was also exciting to watch.

Not a thing about this Bernard Hopkins resembles the Bernard Hopkins of today. It?s almost like watching two different people. Is it age or just lack of practice? I say mostly age. But practice plays a role too, as I'll say it again, Hopkins didn?t throw one body shot against Taylor, even when he was covering up on the ropes. Not one. That?s not just age talking.


Hopkins vs Johnson 1997. Age: 32
Click here to watch Hopkins-Johnson1997
Hopkins could do it all at this point. As Glen Johnson said in a recent broadcast, ?Bernard just beat me up all over the ring. No man beat me like he did.? It is at this point Hopkins may have been atop the food chain in any era. Oh what a predator he was, the angles, the punch variety, the ability to take his opponent inside and dominate at 6? 1? , then take them outside and rain down a hail storm of beautifully thrown lefts, rights, uppercuts, overhands, hooks, virtually every punch in the book while almost never getting hit. Stamina and chin were there in spades, too. Everything you ever wanted to see a fighter do, Hopkins could do and do well at this point.

I see nothing about this fighter that resembles the Hopkins of today. Is it age or just lack of practice? Again, I say mostly age. There is absolutely no hope that Hopkins will ever redefine himself as this breed of predator. He will never get this kind of movement and stamina back. Never. But that doesn't mean he can?t take small aspects, like body work (did I say that again?) and punch variety and reincorporate them back into his plan. At least this would give him the chance to possibly wound his prey during the territorial chase instead of hoping it tires first.


Hopkins vs Echols II (2000). Age: 35
Click here to watch Hopkins-EcholsII2000
I was going to use Hopkins-Echols I for comparison, however, I had technical difficulties with the file so Hopkins-Echols II will have to do. You would be hard pressed to find much, if any decline in Hopkins? speed, movement and skill from 1997 to this point, 2000. Even at 35 Hopkins could do it all. This footage captures Hopkins' unreal chin in action, as his head is almost taken off by an Echols right in the 8th round. He then comes back seconds later to oohh and aahh the crowd by rocking Echols with the same uppercut that put Trinidad on queer street. The speed, movement, angles, they?re all still at his disposal. So is his deadly predatory nature. Even with this rawhide dinner, he cut the meal up nicely to make it a royal presentation. Hopkins once said, ?I had never been hit like Echols hit me.? To that I?m not surprised, because I have never seen him hit like Echols hit him.

What do I see in the Echols fight that's missing from Hopkins today? Everything.


Hopkins vs Joppy (2003). Age: 38
Click here to watch Hopkins-Joppy2003
Ike Quartey said, ?I saw Hopkins get old in the Joppy fight.? Ike?s a smart guy. I saw him get old in the Trinidad fight, but hey, Ike knows more than me. This was the first fight where Hopkins pace had noticeably slowed down and he lacked the strength to finish a fatally wounded herd straggler. The beautiful body work and tricky angles that at one time were the tools used to sliced and dice his prey into healthy portions, now made meager rations. The endurance that allowed him to relentlessly chase his prey into corners and fight with predatory fervor, poise, and balance through 12 strait, were gone by the later rounds. Noticeably slower and weaker, for the first time Hopkins looked sloppy and a mortally wounded kill slipped through his grasp. A good meal this was, but the creative presentation that once was a theme now officially became ?been done, only done it better before? type of affair.

What do I see in the Joppy fight that?s missing from Hopkins today? Speed, body work, punch variety, balance, movement.


Hopkins vs Taylor (2005). Age: 40
Click here to watch Hopkins-Taylor2005
The predator that once dominated his world by way of surgeon-like Jugular removal, was now a scavenger inflicting small flesh wounds hoping his prey will bleed to death. The skills that once made Hopkins so dominating were completely gone. Besides fighting without his speed, endurance and movement, Hopkins fought without hunger, without ferocity, even without the blunted tools he used two years earlier. It all came down to landing one right hand. That?s it. That was the whole plan. Where was the master tactician? Where was the old school Philly brawler who could stick to you like glue and maul you to death? Where was the master Boxer/Puncher who would attack with more angles than a dozen turret mounted machine guns? Where? It was obvious, Hopkins had made the transformation into a slow, off balance, tired and prodding scavenger. His only advantage at this point was knowing the terrain better than his enemy.

Hopkins did not have the strength nor the tools to make a kill. Even when his victim seemed mortally wounded and confused he was too tired from the chase to do much about it. Wild misses from his opponent which at one time would have garnered fatal counter attacks simply led to lurching back into safety. Back to hiding...waiting...watching...scavenging.

We all know Bernard Hopkins is fighting again. He?s convinced he was robbed, that he beat Taylor the first time. Maybe he did. But his transition from Predator to Scavenger has already happened and he cannot win the rematch if it stays this way. There are cases where the scavenger is so desperate for survival that he turns the tables and becomes predator. Hopkins must do this in the rematch. We are not dealing primal predators here, we are dealing with predators who can think, who can look at themselves objectively and make changes. This does offer hope for Bernard Hopkins. There are complexities here that do not exist when a young Lion enters the older Lion?s territory. It?s all instinct in that case. Hopkins-Taylor II will be much more than instinctive reactions. It will be planned responses.

What I hope to have accomplished here is two things. 1. Illustrate the decline Bernard Hopkins has suffered over the last decade. 2. Most importantly, answer the question, can he do anything about it? Are there skills he has shown in the past that are absent due to slacking? I think so. Many knowledgeable Boxing fans come here and I wonder if any of you agree. Certainly he?ll never recapture all the skills of a decade gone past. But maybe he can recapture enough to transition back to the predator for just one more night, then gorge himself with the feast of a lifetime sharing each course with his fans. I hope so, because I'm damn hungry!

All I have to say is that this is a very good article. I hope he finds that instinct again when he fights Tarver but I think he just molded his style togo with his age.