The knock on Bernard Hopkins

[Gandalf]

Hopkins is a great fighter, but I have the same reservations. More so since he left the MW division because its been just as much about tactical matchmaking as tactics within the actual ring.

The only legitimate LHW fight Hopkins has won since moving up is against Tarver. It was a very significant win. Calzaghe beat him (the tactical matchmaking went wrong. Calzaghe was better than they expected). Wright and Pavlik were both fighting 2 divisions outside what they should have been. Perhaps Hopkins would have done the same to them both at MW but neither fighter had any business going up so high to face Hopkins who has grown into the bigger weight well.

I thought Hopkins did a great job against Pavlik and I dont really want to criticise it, but it is a fact that Pavlik was fighting at a much heavier weight than he should have been.