Is Bernard Hopkins a dirty fighter?

[Freedom]

Interesting video here. Hopkins uses every illegal trick imaginable and usually gets away with it.

[jon09]

He is savvy.

[ruthless rocco]

He's like ebola meets aids meets ghb meets alcool meets old spice dirty.

...and I'm pretty sure he's Lance Armstrong dirty as well.

[mikeeod]

Yes, very dirty. He insists on punching people in their faces. Not gentlemanly at all. Boxing matches shouldn't be rough after all, I hate wh n people refer to them as fights....

I question someone's standing as a fan when u have a 50 year old fighter go out of his way to fight a unification against a killer likeKov, and the idiots best observation is that the 50 year old is dirty andon PEDs. Pretty much exactly what I expect from the OP...

[IamInuit]

Hop knows where the ref and the cameras are at all times and takes advantage of it. With all due respect to the slanted video maker you could put together with clever editing the same kind of video for just about anyone and make them look dirty.

Compared to guys like Greb, Saddler, Norfolk and even Pep, Hopkins is an infant. Even in his own time he's not all that questionable. He's been involved in ugly fights the last couple of years but he's been a fighter for over 26.

[Master]

He knows the tricks of the trade but he is not dirty. He pushes boundaries and fakes things and cheats but not dirty.

[ruthless rocco]

He has been very dirty. I don't see how you could argue otherwise. He deliberately throws low blows, punches the hips, taps the cup, leads with his head, pretends to be hurt, grabbing, holding, spinning, rabbit punches, hitting on the break, etc...

The video at the start of this thread alone should be evidence of how dirty he is.

Also, no drug testing before fights. Have we learned nothing from the Lance Armstrong situation? If it's too good to be true. It probably is. Even his trainer says it in the 24/7. No one should be able to do what Bernard is doing. Getting bigger and stronger at 40-45- 50 years of age??!? No one wonders how he's doing it? AND no drug testing for his fights.

Give me a break! Bernard is playing everyone!

[mikeeod]

He has been very dirty. I don't see how you could argue otherwise. He deliberately throws low blows, punches the hips, taps the cup, leads with his head, pretends to be hurt, grabbing, holding, spinning, rabbit punches, hitting on the break, etc...

The video at the start of this thread alone should be evidence of how dirty he is.

Also, no drug testing before fights. Have we learned nothing from the Lance Armstrong situation? If it's too good to be true. It probably is. Even his trainer says it in the 24/7. No one should be able to do what Bernard is doing. Getting bigger and stronger at 40-45- 50 years of age??!? No one wonders how he's doing it? AND no drug testing for his fights.

Give me a break! Bernard is playing everyone!

One more stupid posts to add to all of your other ones I guess. I hate when your mom lets you use her computer. So you really have two points: 1) Hop is dirty and 2) Hop is on PEDs.

1) it's a fight moron, it's supposed to be rough. Hop is the master at getting the other guy flustered and capitalizing on it. Yes, he fights dirty. That is one of my favorite aspects of his game, it's a fight and he uses every advantage he can.

2) Hop isn't any bigger than he was due his prime. He just doesn't dry out now to make weight. The guy is tiny compared to Kov n has a 28 inch waist. His Spartan diet and training are legendary, and the guy has great genetics and never abused his body. Still, he has shown significant decreases is stamina and punching power since his prime.

Your problem is that you are new to the sport so you have nothing to reference and assume that PEDs are the only way to remain effective at an advanced age. You've never seen what an animal and machine Hop was during his prime or how other older fighters like Jersey Joe Walcott and Archie Moore remained formidable into their later years (without today's nutrition advantages, scientific research and hops discipline) so you assume PEDs. One more thing genius: EVERYONE, including Hop is tested for PEDs. You should pay me for all I teach you...

[ruthless rocco]

One more stupid posts to add to all of your other ones I guess. I hate when your mom lets you use her computer. So you really have two points: 1) Hop is dirty and 2) Hop is on PEDs.

1) it's a fight moron, it's supposed to be rough. Hop is the master at getting the other guy flustered and capitalizing on it. Yes, he fights dirty. That is one of my favorite aspects of his game, it's a fight and he uses every advantage he can.

2) Hop isn't any bigger than he was due his prime. He just doesn't dry out now to make weight. The guy is tiny compared to Kov n has a 28 inch waist. His Spartan diet and training are legendary, and the guy has great genetics and never abused his body. Still, he has shown significant decreases is stamina and punching power since his prime.

Your problem is that you are new to the sport so you have nothing to reference and assume that PEDs are the only way to remain effective at an advanced age. You've never seen what an animal and machine Hop was during his prime or how other older fighters like Jersey Joe Walcott and Archie Moore remained formidable into their later years (without today's nutrition advantages, scientific research and hops discipline) so you assume PEDs. One more thing genius: EVERYONE, including Hop is tested for PEDs. You should pay me for all I teach you...

Hmmm... Hahaha You're the best poster on here!

1) "It's a fight it's supposed to be rough." Yes, but there are rules to the sport of boxing and Bernard breaks them consistently and deliberately. Which, as I mentioned in my previous post is clearly shown in the video at the start of the thread.

2) He is clearly bigger when he fights at 175 than when he fought at 160 anyone can see that... BUT that's not my point. His use of performance enhancing drugs is obviously not for to bulk up and look ripped but for stamina and endurance and healing.

Are you familiar with Lance Armstrong? Is he a massive musclebound hulk of a man? No. Yet he did use every type of steroid and performance enhancing drug and illegal technique possible to gain advantage over his competition. He did it for years and never got caught. Maybe, since you have such admiration for Hopkin's cheating in the ring you may only consider PED another tactic to gain an advantage over the competition. You probably think it isn't cheating as long as he doesn't get caught. Just like you don't think it's cheating to deliberately headbutt and lowblow your way to a win.

Your statement about boxers being tested for PED is straight up wrong. It shows you know nothing about the reality of the sport. I'll provide a video of Kathy Duva talking about the lack of advance testing in the Hopkins/Kovalev fight in particular but she addresses testing in the sport of boxing in general. Surely you can admit that she knows more than you about boxing.

As for my interest in the sport, take it easy on me, I've only just started watched last year. HAHAHAhaaa!

[mikeeod]

Ahhhhh, Rocco, my favorite troll... YOU missed the point. Lance Armstrong continued to have high stamina at an advanced age. He was a little smarter and had more tricks, but his STAMINA is was broke other cyclists. If you had watched the sport previous to last year, you would have seen/noticed Hops gradual decline from the machine who destroyed Tito, to the guy who started slow n came on late vs Oscar, Eastman n Taylor, to the guy who struggled n couldn't keep pace with Joe C n Dawson.

PEDs allow older fighters to maintain that same level of STAMINA. Hop doesn't win with his stamina, he uses guile and smarts to control the pace and win. Write this stuff down because it will make you sound smarter (not hard for you) in the future.

As for testing, they are ALL tested for banned substances, which include PEDs. If certain fighters want to subject themselves to increased testing similar to what is found in the Olympics, good for them. Only an idiot would complain that a fighter follows the required testing though. When Olympic style testing becomes mandatory, of course Hop n every other fighter will comply. Put more thought in before you post. Use your head, that's the lump three to four feet above your ass...

[ruthless rocco]

When Olympic style testing is made mandatory Bernard will fail a test.

But no, he won't he'll already have retired.

But no!!!! He won't even fight again after Kovalev.

As for the fight against Tito. It was getting busted for illegal hand wraps that beat him.

Eastman really wasn't anywhere near Bernard's level.

Oscar had to fatten up and threw the fight. That body shot wasn't all that and Oscar's acting was terrible.

[mikeeod]

When Olympic style testing is made mandatory Bernard will fail a test.

But no, he won't he'll already have retired.

But no!!!! He won't even fight again after Kovalev.

As for the fight against Tito. It was getting busted for illegal hand wraps that beat him.

Eastman really wasn't anywhere near Bernard's level.

Oscar had to fatten up and threw the fight. That body shot wasn't all that and Oscar's acting was terrible.

Haha! I was kidding earlier, but you really have only recently started watching the sport, huh? Tito could've loaded his gloves with horseshoes, it wouldn't have mattered. Tito was the #2 P4P fighter and huge favorite to win and Hop dominated every single aspect and every single second of that fight. Greatest performance of that decade, hands down. The wraps didn't matter, Hop being an ATG did...

Eastman had only one loss, was the #1 ranked challenger, and was a big middleweight. He was viewed as Hop's biggest challenge at the time and a significant threat. Once again, it would've been better for you to keep your mouth shut and not confirm your ignorance. Back to my point of bringing Howard up, Hop, at this point of his career, was already showing signs of stamina declining and would start slow and then mount a late surge.

Oscar was fat for the Sturm fight, but learned his lesson and came to fight in good shape, weighing about 155. Since you are new to the sport I will clue you in, Hop came in well under the middleweight limit as well, weighing in at 156. Once again, my point is that Hop conserved energy early to come on strong late, showing a reduction in stamina, and contrary to PED usage.

I notice that you dropped your original PED argument and tried to change the subject. Good idea to drop the PED/Armstrong talk. Bad idea to shoot your mouth off more though...

[ruthless rocco]

Haha! I was kidding earlier, but you really have only recently started watching the sport, huh? Tito could've loaded his gloves with horseshoes, it wouldn't have mattered. Tito was the #2 P4P fighter and huge favorite to win and Hop dominated every single aspect and every single second of that fight. Greatest performance of that decade, hands down. The wraps didn't matter, Hop being an ATG did...

Eastman had only one loss, was the #1 ranked challenger, and was a big middleweight. He was viewed as Hop's biggest challenge at the time and a significant threat. Once again, it would've been better for you to keep your mouth shut and not confirm your ignorance. Back to my point of bringing Howard up, Hop, at this point of his career, was already showing signs of stamina declining and would start slow and then mount a late surge.

Oscar was fat for the Sturm fight, but learned his lesson and came to fight in good shape, weighing about 155. Since you are new to the sport I will clue you in, Hop came in well under the middleweight limit as well, weighing in at 156. Once again, my point is that Hop conserved energy early to come on strong late, showing a reduction in stamina, and contrary to PED usage.

I notice that you dropped your original PED argument and tried to change the subject. Good idea to drop the PED/Armstrong talk. Bad idea to shoot your mouth off more though...

Tito knew he was a cheater and that he lacked the power that made him the dominant fighter that he was. This is why Bernard dominated him the way he did. From the first bell Tito threw without conviction. If you watch the fight you'll see he was beat from the start.

Eastman was not considered a real threat. If you wanna act like anyone gave him a chance then you go ahead. I remember watching that fight. Bernard is 2 steps above that bald bum.

Oscar a terrible actor.

I dropped the PED talk because i know I'm right.

[mikeeod]

Haha! I was kidding earlier, but you really have only recently started watching the sport, huh? Tito could've loaded his gloves with horseshoes, it wouldn't have mattered. Tito was the #2 P4P fighter and huge favorite to win and Hop dominated every single aspect and every single second of that fight. Greatest performance of that decade, hands down. The wraps didn't matter, Hop being an ATG did...

Eastman had only one loss, was the #1 ranked challenger, and was a big middleweight. He was viewed as Hop's biggest challenge at the time and a significant threat. Once again, it would've been better for you to keep your mouth shut and not confirm your ignorance. Back to my point of bringing Howard up, Hop, at this point of his career, was already showing signs of stamina declining and would start slow and then mount a late surge.

Oscar was fat for the Sturm fight, but learned his lesson and came to fight in good shape, weighing about 155. Since you are new to the sport I will clue you in, Hop came in well under the middleweight limit as well, weighing in at 156. Once again, my point is that Hop conserved energy early to come on strong late, showing a reduction in stamina, and contrary to PED usage.

I notice that you dropped your original PED argument and tried to change the subject. Good idea to drop the PED/Armstrong talk. Bad idea to shoot your mouth off more though...

Tito knew he was a cheater and that he lacked the power that made him the dominant fighter that he was. This is why Bernard dominated him the way he did. From the first bell Tito threw without conviction. If you watch the fight you'll see he was beat from the start.

Eastman was not considered a real threat. If you wanna act like anyone gave him a chance then you go ahead. I remember watching that fight. Bernard is 2 steps above that bald bum.

Oscar a terrible actor.

I dropped the PED talk because i know I'm right.

There is this boxing magazine called "Ring Magazine". Prior to the Eastman fight there was an article touting him as a challenger and talking about him being Hops bigger threat in the division. Also, and this is really going to be embarrassed for you, Eastman wasn't bald... I'm done with you at this point. You were entertaining for a while, but now it is just pathetic.

[bradlee180]

Yes. Yes he is. Very dirty.

Winning a World Middleweight Title in 1995 at 30 years old, I wouldn't say he was dirty then through the next few years until about 1999 at the Antwun Echols fight.
Terrific bout, dirty tactics by both guys.
For fans like myself who saw Hopkins' progress from Contender to Champ, it was clear that Hopkins' physical prime was beginning to fade, but hey, he was a month short of 35 years old.

He got very dirty after that, every crafty trick in the book, and even changed his style, to compensate for his fading physical abilities.

Up to 2001, Hopkins put on exciting bouts.
After 2001, most of the fights have been pure boring $#!t-fests (aside from the Trinidad and the Pavlik fights), marred by every dirty tactic in boxing, and bad-acting by Hopkins when the opponent retaliates.

Still a legendary career.
Amazing fighter.


..and dirty.