This was a pretty complete fighter

[Pugilistic]

I put Bernard's career into three different stages.

A Young Hopkins ( Early in his career, till about 1996 the bhop that fought Jones )

A Prime Hopkins ( From 1997 till 2003 )

A old Hopkins ( From 2004 till now)

I like all the different types of Hopkins style that he had during his career.

and his performance against Johnson was top notch.

That time-frame kind of defends his losses, no?

Not really, If you watch Bernards career you will see that he started off as a boxer/puncher. He liked to come forward and throw accurate combos to body and head and would break his opponents down.

In 97 his style changed into more of a counterpuncher style waiting on his opponents to make mistakes and counter. He still broke his opponents down but he broke them down with his footwork, accuracy and defense also had a good workrate. The last time he fought with that sort of style was William Joppy.

In 2004 against Robert allen the third fight, his style had become over defensive, low workrate, potshotting style but this style is still effective. He also never goes for stoppage even if the oppurtunity arose.

He lost against Roy jones as the boxer puncher where both fighters were inexperienced. A fight in their primes would of been alot more competitive but i would go with Jones winning a decision.

His losses against both Taylor and Calzaghe i feel would of been different results had he been in his prime, Hopkins would of decisively beat Taylor if he was in his prime, He would of broken him down with his accurate counters like their two fights but would also be throwing alot more. A prime Hopkins may of even stopped Taylor.

Against Calzaghe his problem was the high workrate of Calzaghe, Hopkins showed that his accurate pot shots where enough to slow Calzaghe down but because he didn't throw enough it allowed Calzaghe to get his work in down the stretch, A prime Hopkins would be alot more active, countering calzaghe as he came forward and would win a decision, Hopkins ability to adapt would help him because not having a plan B against Calzaghe is a big mistake. Hopkins wouldn't have that problem because Hopkins could do it all in the ring.