Roy Jones vs Bernard hopkins 2 close to being made

[Puerto Rican Punch]

I Jones won that first fight that decisively, Why the second fight?

[Preme]

I Jones won that first fight that decisively, Why the second fight?

people regard hopkins as the #1 LHW, he caned the guy who beat and Ko'd Jones, they are both cash whores and this would mean big money for them both i would of thought.

[RozzySean]

Jones is not going to win this fight sorry guys. OK so Jones looked good(ish) against Badi, but B-HOP totally shut out the same bloke that beat Jones twice. Prime for Prime Jones wins all day long, but not now B-HOP's style has been less eroded with age.

Yeah. That's what I was trying to say. Nuff said. CC

[Taeth]

I Jones won that first fight that decisively, Why the second fight?

people regard hopkins as the #1 LHW, he caned the guy who beat and Ko'd Jones, they are both cash whores and this would mean big money for them both i would of thought.

He was talking about why Jones fought Tarver twice.

[Taeth]

I Jones won that first fight that decisively, Why the second fight?

Because though Roy won the fight he didn't dominate it, and he felt he could dominate Tarver if they fought again, but he was hit by a lucky punch.

[Taeth]

Jones is not going to win this fight sorry guys. OK so Jones looked good(ish) against Badi, but B-HOP totally shut out the same bloke that beat Jones twice. Prime for Prime Jones wins all day long, but not now B-HOP's style has been less eroded with age.

Yeah. That's what I was trying to say. Nuff said. CC

SeanE your very knowledgable so I am asking can't you see the problems Hopkins could have with his low punch count that he has had over the past few years against a guy who thrives even moreso than Bernard himself in fighting a paced fight?

[RozzySean]

Jones is not going to win this fight sorry guys. OK so Jones looked good(ish) against Badi, but B-HOP totally shut out the same bloke that beat Jones twice. Prime for Prime Jones wins all day long, but not now B-HOP's style has been less eroded with age.

Yeah. That's what I was trying to say. Nuff said. CC

SeanE your very knowledgable so I am asking can't you see the problems Hopkins could have with his low punch count that he has had over the past few years against a guy who thrives even moreso than Bernard himself in fighting a paced fight?

Good question. CC. This is my thinking. Hopkins "lost" the Taylor fights, largely bacause Taylor outworked him - the low punch count to which you refer. Taylor is punch output machine, young, and very long. Hopkins picked his spots, but he needed to pick more spots, right? I think most people agree on that, wheither or not you think he won or lost.

Against Tarver, Hopkins let his hands go more. He think he realized his mistake in not throwing enough. We can't know this for sure, but I think he was so convinced that he lost the first Taylor fight on bad judging that he didn't learn his lesson. He repeated his mistake and expected the new judges to correct error from the previous fight. I haven't watch the Tarver fight in a while, but I watched it twice, and I don't remember thinking once that Hopkins needed to let his hands go more. I don't remember him having low punch output in that fight.

So that brings us back to Hopkins v. Jones. You think that Jones is still too quick to get hit by Hopkins. I disagree. I don't think Tarver got lucky in the second fight. Jones has slowed down. A prime Roy Jones doesn't eat that punch. Wow, did I just give Jones credit? Sure. I'll take it one step further. A prime Jones slips that punch, then pummles an off-balance Tarver with a flashy 5 punch combo. Then he smiles at Tarver, slips a jab and smacks him with a double left hook.

This is why I think Jones's style is a problem for him. His old ways of defending and creating offense don't work as well know that they he has lost a step. I think Hopkins counters Jones all night, and more importantly, I don't Jones has the reach or volumn to get threw Hopkins defense. The handspeed isn't enough, and he's lost too much footspeed. I also think that Roy has and will always have, the memory of the 2 KO's in his head and that is why he was tenative in Tarver III. Jones is not the same mentally or physically.

So, no I'm not concerned about B-Hops punch output. Hopkins will throw enough to win, IMHO, but I see your point. If Hopkins lets himself get outworked, that could be a Jones edge. I just don't see Jones throwing enough more than B-Hop to make it an issue like it was against Taylor.

[BoxingGorilla]

heard that hopkins said he wants a jones rematch and jones said to give him a 50-50 and the fight is done .......... sounds possible? if so wats the outcome?

Hopkins is the obvious choice.

[Taeth]

Jones is not going to win this fight sorry guys. OK so Jones looked good(ish) against Badi, but B-HOP totally shut out the same bloke that beat Jones twice. Prime for Prime Jones wins all day long, but not now B-HOP's style has been less eroded with age.

Yeah. That's what I was trying to say. Nuff said. CC

SeanE your very knowledgable so I am asking can't you see the problems Hopkins could have with his low punch count that he has had over the past few years against a guy who thrives even moreso than Bernard himself in fighting a paced fight?

Good question. CC. This is my thinking. Hopkins "lost" the Taylor fights, largely bacause Taylor outworked him - the low punch count to which you refer. Taylor is punch output machine, young, and very long. Hopkins picked his spots, but he needed to pick more spots, right? I think most people agree on that, wheither or not you think he won or lost.

Against Tarver, Hopkins let his hands go more. He think he realized his mistake in not throwing enough. We can't know this for sure, but I think he was so convinced that he lost the first Taylor fight on bad judging that he didn't learn his lesson. He repeated his mistake and expected the new judges to correct error from the previous fight. I haven't watch the Tarver fight in a while, but I watched it twice, and I don't remember thinking once that Hopkins needed to let his hands go more. I don't remember him having low punch output in that fight.

So that brings us back to Hopkins v. Jones. You think that Jones is still too quick to get hit by Hopkins. I disagree. I don't think Tarver got lucky in the second fight. Jones has slowed down. A prime Roy Jones doesn't eat that punch. Wow, did I just give Jones credit? Sure. I'll take it one step further. A prime Jones slips that punch, then pummles an off-balance Tarver with a flashy 5 punch combo. Then he smiles at Tarver, slips a jab and smacks him with a double left hook.

This is why I think Jones's style is a problem for him. His old ways of defending and creating offense don't work as well know that they he has lost a step. I think Hopkins counters Jones all night, and more importantly, I don't Jones has the reach or volumn to get threw Hopkins defense. The handspeed isn't enough, and he's lost too much footspeed. I also think that Roy has and will always have, the memory of the 2 KO's in his head and that is why he was tenative in Tarver III. Jones is not the same mentally or physically.

So, no I'm not concerned about B-Hops punch output. Hopkins will throw enough to win, IMHO, but I see your point. If Hopkins lets himself get outworked, that could be a Jones edge. I just don't see Jones throwing enough more than B-Hop to make it an issue like it was against Taylor.

Taylor threw what like three hundred and some punches against Hopkins? He didn't throw very mny at all. I agree that RJJ isn't the athlete he once was, but he is still a better athlete than anybody over 30 out there around his weight category. Roy has lost a step, but so has Hopkins and while Roy always had tremendous footspeed Hopkins has had very average footspeed his whole career even in comparison to his above average handspeed. Hopkins couldn't counter Taylor every effectively what chance of countering does he have against Roy who doesn't just have better handspeed, but also has unbelievable timing. I still say that Tarver got a lucky counter on Roy because thats the only real counter he had in three fights the rest of the time he was hitting Roy on the ropes. I believe Hopkins could win if he pressures Roy and uses the one-two, but trying to counter Roy is suicide. Hopkins has always been a solid counter puncher, but not on that level, and he has a good defense, but its nowhere near the level of Roy's offense.

Sidenote: Though Roy has had diminished speed almost all of it comming through his footspeed he still virtually impossible to hit in the middle of the ring.

[RozzySean]

We just see these fights so differently. I thought Hopkins did a fine job countering Taylor when he let his hands go. Don't think it's suicide to counter Jones, 2007 version, and I'm stunned that maintain the "Lucky Punch" theory when Tarver fought him so closely in the first fight, KO'd him II, and handled him pretty easily in III.

Hopkins will know what he needs to do. He has a the abililty and reach to 1-2 Jones. I think he can pressure Jones enough. And to pose a question to you, how is Jones going to break Hopkins defense?

[JT Rock]

Is there anydefinitive news about this fight being close for real or is it speculation, I havent had to time to read the whole thread just the 1st few posts. Is this real or what?

[RozzySean]

PS - In last few fights, Jones seems to have a bad habit of getting himself trapped on the ropes. True, he is still great at making people miss when his is in the middle, but why doesn't he stay there more often? I suspect he can't do it anymore.

[Taeth]

We just see these fights so differently. I thought Hopkins did a fine job countering Taylor when he let his hands go. Don't think it's suicide to counter Jones, 2007 version, and I'm stunned that maintain the "Lucky Punch" theory when Tarver fought him so closely in the first fight, KO'd him II, and handled him pretty easily in III.

Hopkins will know what he needs to do. He has a the abililty and reach to 1-2 Jones. I think he can pressure Jones enough. And to pose a question to you, how is Jones going to break Hopkins defense?

The same way he broke Toney's defense, and every other fighter... He unparalleled accuracy and speed when throwing in numbers and he would overwhelm Hopkins. If Hopkins keeps his hands high then nobody goes to the body better than Roy from the outside, and if Hopkins keeps his left down like he did against Taylor(how doesn't have a good lead right) he will picked apart by Roy's right hand. As for Tarver-Jones I it wasn't that close. The second fight like I said the only clean counter in the three fights, and the tird fight Roy didn't do anything except in rounds 5 and or 6 where Tarver had absolutely no answer for Roy's speed. I was watching Hopkins-Taylor II again, and its funny because Roy seemed to know when Hopkins was going to throw his right as a commentator, and his reflexes when he was younger also consisted of his intelligence, and knowing of what his opponents would do next. So though his speed has slowed a bit he still can predict whats comming before it does.

[OumaFan]

This fight has the potential to be absolutely horrible. I like technical boxers but this might be too much.

Hopkins lately has just been moving around the ring, and throwing lead rights here and there. Then start over again.

Jones lately has just been moving around the ring, throwing a lead right or a lead hook. Then start over again.

Will Hopkins press the fight? Cause I don't see Jones doing so. If Hopkins doesn't press the fight, and although he at one time could do that well hasn't done it in a pretty long time, then it will be a faintfest mixed in with an occasional lead right hand. Slow paced would be an understatement.

[the phenom]

PS - In last few fights, Jones seems to have a bad habit of getting himself trapped on the ropes. True, he is still great at making people miss when his is in the middle, but why doesn't he stay there more often? I suspect he can't do it anymore.

yeah i noticedthat and being able to spin out and move around is what madefighting james toney alot easier