Quote Originally Posted by Bilbo View Post
Quote Originally Posted by miles View Post
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.
Well Hopkins fought at middleweight too for decades. How come he didn't suffer from the move up in weight? It's a bullshit excuse always made by those who lose.

It was Pavliks second fight aobve 160, once at 168 and once at 170.

Hopkins has only fought above 160 3 times, once at 175 against Tarver, at 170 against Winky and 175 against Joe. He lost the third fight, (presumably because he was fighting out of his weight class? ) and went in with a 2-1 record above 160 whilst Pavlik was 1-0.

If Pavlik would have won nobody on the site would have said it was because Hopkins was too small and was a natural 160 lber even though he spent 20 years fighting there, so why give Kelly all these excuses.

He lost the better man, that's why he lost.
Hopkins was the better man. No doubts about that.

Hopkins has gone up in weight and maintained incredible form for someone his age. He obviously stays in shape all the year round and his weight probably doesnt fluctuate very much at all. Hopkins has probably been walking around at 170 pounds for the last 3 years. Certainly since the Tarver fight he has had a lot of time to grow comfortable at the weight. He is a freak of nature in terms of how much dedication he puts into looking after his body.

The Tarver fight was impressive as I said before. Not long after the Taylor fight and jumping up 2 divisions like that was a stellar achievement. I dont really rate the Wright win all that highly though. Wright is at his best at 154 pounds and 160 seemed to be his limit. Ive always maintained that it was a pointless fight and calculated to the max by Hopkins. I was surprised Hopkins ever went through with a fight with Calzaghe and though messy Calzaghe did what he needed to do. Calzaghe was indeed the one going up in weight but Hopkins had probably been walking around at 170 pounds or so for a good 2 years. Hopkins felt he was just as big as Calzaghe and maybe thought he had an edge in that regard. The Pavlik fight was a brave move by Hopkins. But at the same time, it was against a middleweight who had been beckoned up significantly beyond his comfort zone.

Hopkins put on an exhibition. And I was surprised by how effective he was. It was remarkable. But it doesnt hurt to question the weights the fighters are fighting at and also look at the tactical matchmaking that goes on too.

As I say it was brilliant, Hopkins doing that at 43. But I do feel he is an opportunist and does try to take whatever advantages he can. He is a very smart individual.