Why would Hopkins skip a weight class to fight the best fighter in the 175 lb division. Tarver has to come down from non-training camp weight of 200+, where as Hopkins has to move up from a non-camp training weight of 163

As much as I look at the facts of this fight there is no way I can see Hopkins winning and because of this I believe Hopkins is simply taking this fight for the payday. He has nothing left and he has not shown that he can beat guys that are bigger than him and motivated.

Let us consider the fact that he got trouble with Taylor in the first fight. Taylor was just as big and strong as him and dictated the fight behind his jab in the early rounds. Hopkins came on in the last 3rd of the fight and expected to claim a victory. He then give us a bunch of excuses. Ok, let us say Hopkins won the first fight. The second fight Hopkins was bragging about how he usually KOES people in rematches. When the second fight finally came, Hopkins did the exact same thing as he did in the first fight. He did not KO Taylor instead he allowed Taylor to dictate 2/3rds of the fight by jabs, then he tried to bum rush Taylor in the last 3rd. He again lost. Why didn't Hopkins KO Taylor? Because he couldn't. Hopkins KO percentage is not high, and Taylor was big as him, had boxing skills, had a chin and was motivated.

Tarver also is big as Hopkins, probably even bigger than him, has boxing skills, he has a chin and is extremely motivated to win this fight. This again coupled with the fact that Tarver is the bigger man and is a Southpaw spells disaster for Hopkins.

Of course Hopkins has to know this, or he is very stupid. I think he knows this and know that winning this fight is a long shot for him, this is why I believe he is taking it primarily as a payday to finish off his career. He has nothing to loose. If he looses he can say he was trying something "great". If he wins which is a long shot he get bragging rights. But he knows chances are he is going to loose, and a big payday is going to suffice. This is the perfect 3 fight losing streak ever. All of it is for big paydays with the biggest probably coming in the last fight.