The end of The Alien

[Master]

It is nice that B Hop is retiring on his own terms and on a victory. Not many fighters can say that.

[Hulk]

The guy he is fighting is a dangerous young fighter and top ten contender for KOn Fonfara.

Hopkins can still school him...I hope.

[p4pking]

Does it really look like the guy is that dangerous? I mean it's a great win for him and it wasn't some brick out of nowhere, but Fonfara got stupid after he had him hurt. Hopkins hasn't fought anyone recklessly for 20 years, if he's still go anything this should be a glorified sparring session for him.

[Spicoli]

Have been a Hopkins fan since mugging Dennis Milton on USA but in a weird way I hope Smith at least scores a hard knockdown, or two. Hopkins is simply a legend. Period. Not many heavily favored 51 yr olds leave on main stage facing a top five contender and are coming off 2 years out. How Smith approaches this...shake and nod just being considered and grab an autograph or actually acting like he belongs there, is more important than what he even tries in the ring. Hopkins wins rounds before the bell sounds and he needs to be on life's evolutionary chart!

[El Kabong]

Have been a Hopkins fan since mugging Dennis Milton on USA but in a weird way I hope Smith at least scores a hard knockdown, or two. Hopkins is simply a legend. Period. Not many heavily favored 51 yr olds leave on main stage facing a top five contender and are coming off 2 years out. How Smith approaches this...shake and nod just being considered and grab an autograph or actually acting like he belongs there, is more important than what he even tries in the ring. Hopkins wins rounds before the bell sounds and he needs to be on life's evolutionary chart!

Hopkins, Holyfield, James Toney, and to a great extent Andre Ward (you could even put Wlad in here as well) all have styles of a bygone age...not many people appreciate it, it's not as fun to watch as the flashier styles, but I'll be damned if it isn't effective as hell. They minimize risk, they maximize ring generalship, and they constantly win rounds. All of them have been very difficult to beat. They frustrate their opponents like no other.

[ruthless rocco]

Bernard the Dirty

I hope he gets KO'd in a most brutal way.

[Spicoli]

Have been a Hopkins fan since mugging Dennis Milton on USA but in a weird way I hope Smith at least scores a hard knockdown, or two. Hopkins is simply a legend. Period. Not many heavily favored 51 yr olds leave on main stage facing a top five contender and are coming off 2 years out. How Smith approaches this...shake and nod just being considered and grab an autograph or actually acting like he belongs there, is more important than what he even tries in the ring. Hopkins wins rounds before the bell sounds and he needs to be on life's evolutionary chart!

Hopkins, Holyfield, James Toney, and to a great extent Andre Ward (you could even put Wlad in here as well) all have styles of a bygone age...not many people appreciate it, it's not as fun to watch as the flashier styles, but I'll be damned if it isn't effective as hell. They minimize risk, they maximize ring generalship, and they constantly win rounds. All of them have been very difficult to beat. They frustrate their opponents like no other.

Yeh I see the most Hopkins out of a guy like Ward minus the smirk and gift for gab. Great thing about Hopkins is that he is one of very few who have successfully evolved (devolved for some) his style and approach with age. Early on he had a massive chip on his shoulder and fought fierce. Beat you up to beat you down. Maybe right around Joppy he became a guy who relished beating a guy up to just watch and extend it himself. From Executioner to Torturer. The later extending to viewers in spots but consummate boxing brain always plotting next step. In a sport where it's perfectly fine to punch someone in the mouth and break a rib in response, I'll never understand people wining about boring or working angles on a ref.

[mikeeod]

Hop is my favorite fighter, alongside Holyfield and Hagler. I view Hop's masterpiece vs Tito as the best, most complete performance of his generation (Pac, Roy, Floyd, Oscar, Shane...etc.). Hop was brilliant in so many ways and is the model of ring generalship, discipline, and work ethic. An often overlooked point about Hop was the great minds and technicians he surrounded himself with: Bouie Fisher, Brother Naz, and John David Jackson.

I became a fan of Hop's when he was with Butch Lewis and would walk to the ring in an executioners mask with two steroid guys with axes. I watched him go from the ex-con beast who had the huge right hand, to the more complete pressure fighter who was great on the inside, to the master boxer-puncher with a genius IQ, to eventual living legend who was past his best but used his boxing genius to make history. I will truly miss Bernard, but I'm glad he is going out like this.