Where does Roy Jones rank?

[Fenster]

Hopkins did have an amateur career, 100 fights as a junior before he went to prison, won trophies and what not. When trying to sell an unknown fighter, the badass prison stuff makes for a much better tale though, especially for TV.

Notions like "prime" are used in a very hypocritical way in boxing. Guys like Hopkins show prime should never be based on age, however, ten years later when he lost he was called "old."

Very inconsistent cherry picking.

Every article I've read has stated that Hop didn't have anywhere close to 100 amateur fights. If I remember correctly, he had a little experience earlier in life, but walked away from the sport and didn't take up boxing again until in prison. I remember reading somewhere that the bulk of his amateur experience was from his time in prison.

As for Hop's "prime", I feel like Hop is a great example to highlight a fighter's journey through prime years. He was an aggressive, volume fighter vs Roy and Segundo Mercado, a complete boxer-puncher with great defense and superhuman stamina vs Tito, and a wily old boxing genius with diminished stamina vs Taylor and everyone after. I feel the more hypocritical "prime" argument centers around Roy, who went from being "the greatest fighter ever" to glass Joe after one punch and everyone said he got old overnight.

Hopkins amateur record is 95-4, he was boxing from age 9. The prison myth makes for a better story though when you're doing TV (how do you think he became penitentiary champ?)

I saw that 95-4 record on a boxing thread, but I’ve never seen that officially. Do you have a link or place where you saw that? Not calling you a liar, just would like to read the article and see how he did as an amateur.

The interview is from way back, not sure if it's still here, Hopkins talks about growing up in Philly gyms with other champions from that area and winning junior titles. Should be easy to find on google.

[Fenster]

Hopkins did have an amateur career, 100 fights as a junior before he went to prison, won trophies and what not. When trying to sell an unknown fighter, the badass prison stuff makes for a much better tale though, especially for TV.

Notions like "prime" are used in a very hypocritical way in boxing. Guys like Hopkins show prime should never be based on age, however, ten years later when he lost he was called "old."

Very inconsistent cherry picking.

Every article I've read has stated that Hop didn't have anywhere close to 100 amateur fights. If I remember correctly, he had a little experience earlier in life, but walked away from the sport and didn't take up boxing again until in prison. I remember reading somewhere that the bulk of his amateur experience was from his time in prison.

As for Hop's "prime", I feel like Hop is a great example to highlight a fighter's journey through prime years. He was an aggressive, volume fighter vs Roy and Segundo Mercado, a complete boxer-puncher with great defense and superhuman stamina vs Tito, and a wily old boxing genius with diminished stamina vs Taylor and everyone after. I feel the more hypocritical "prime" argument centers around Roy, who went from being "the greatest fighter ever" to glass Joe after one punch and everyone said he got old overnight.

Hopkins amateur record is 95-4, he was boxing from age 9. The prison myth makes for a better story though when you're doing TV (how do you think he became penitentiary champ?)

I saw that 95-4 record on a boxing thread, but I’ve never seen that officially. Do you have a link or place where you saw that? Not calling you a liar, just would like to read the article and see how he did as an amateur.

The interview is from way back, not sure if it's still here, Hopkins talks about growing up in Philly gyms with other champions from that area and winning junior titles. Should be easy to find on google.

Hopkins - “I won the Pennsylvania Junior Olympics when I was nine (’75). I won a trophy which had to be two-feet tall. When I won that, I was the baby of the gym. We had guys like Robert Hines. I got my butt kicked 95% of the time in the gym by guys bigger and older than me. But I was too advanced for my level. I beat a good, good amateur named Bunchie Williams. But I think drugs got him. I still see him all the time. He says, You didn’t really beat me that night, you had the politics with you! But I knocked him down three times! There was no politics then…we were nine-years-old! We joke, good connection there. He says Roy Jones is afraid of me.”

https://www.boxinginsider.com/headli...derstood-2003/

[Fenster]

Bernard Hopkins interview

Hopkins - "First time I went to Frazier's North Philly gym I was 8 or 9," Hopkins recalled. "My uncle, Archie McCloud, took me there. I remember meeting Jimmy Young there. His sky-blue Caddy was parked on Glenwood, alongside the gym.

"I trained there for a time. I even fought there, on what they called Trophy Nights. Fought Robert 'Bam Bam' Hines. He stopped me, gave me a beating."

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...l_reached.html


Hopkins was training for the Olympic trials when he got in trouble, explains the "did it with NO GOLD MEDAL" chip on his shoulder stuff.