Re: Bernard Hopkins power.

Originally Posted by
Master

Originally Posted by
Vendettos

Originally Posted by
Master
Considering he is nearly 50 and he is coming up from his natural weight it makes it more real what he is doing. If he was stopping people I would be very suspicious. Instead his fights are intriguing because he fight young undefeated fighters and they all end up fighting his fight. Absolutely remarkable and I do not mind that he will not KO anyone.
No doubt mate, his lack of KO's does not bother me in the slightest.
I just thought that being at his natural heavier weight and the saying "the last thing a boxer loses is his punch", that he'd still have a bit of a whack about him.
He was never a huge puncher at middleweight and he certainly is not at light heavy. If he was fighting crap fighters no one would be interested but because he tests himself against the best and most dangerous fighters out there we all want to watch in anticipation he will grow old over night.
Well I know he wasn't the biggest puncher but at his last KO, he was at a 68% ratio. That has dropped to just 49% which is a pretty big drop for someone moving up in weight with very good fitness.

Originally Posted by
ninjaspy3

Originally Posted by
Vendettos
So he is brilliant, no doubt about it! He wins when he isn't supposed to, plus he has found ways to win in his 40's and prolong his career at the highest level.
He has to go down as an all time great, and I'm not even his biggest fan.
Now by the time his fight with Kovalev comes around in November, he wont have had a KO for over a decade.
Also, he's had 16 fights since his last knockout against De La Hoya in September of 2004, with 15 of them going the 12 round distance (with one NC vs Chad Dawson that lasted about a round and a half.) and he doesn't seem particularly shot from the constant long fights.
So has he lost the power he did have? Is it simply because he has been fighting very good opposition for so long? Has he developed a style the requires him to preserve energy and just forget about trying for knockouts?
What do you think it is?
I'm definitely no expert but if I had to guess, I would agree that he developed a style requiring him to preserve energy. I would add that perhaps the style is more efficient for providing a defense advantage and not leaving many openings. Also the advanced age may be a reason for prioritizing his stamina in this manner instead of burning it on harder punches.
I agree, I have to believe that this is the reason!
You say tomato,
‘n I say …… it correctly.
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