Close fight, but I consider Hopkins a better ring general and he was always a better mover than Toney, which would give James big problems.
this is a very tough one to call because both fighters are so flawed. peak toney was getting smashed to bits off the likes of sanderline williams, and dave tiberi, and having life and death split decison struggles with the likes of sosa and johnson, before gettin his ass kicked twice by midget griffin and thadzi hopkins had been butchered by clinton mitchell, mercado and been smashed twice by jermain taylor. hell, hopkins was even jumping out of the ring like a complete ***** against robert allan. its a tough fight to call though, toney would be juiced up to **** for this fight so that presents real problems for proven racist hopkins. however, hopkins could neutralise this by his repetitive headbutting and continual feigning of low blows, whilst crying like a ***** to the ref. close fight, i'd go for toneys juicing to be too much for bernard with a 115-113 decision.
at 160 toney, hopkins came forward at 160 and looked to get guys out of there which would play into toney's hands
I also think that if Toney around the time he first fought Mike McCallum faced off with B-Hop from his earlier title holding days, he would win. A more polished and cautious B-Hop, with more focus on movement and preventing Toney from getting set, would be the ideal fighter to beat Toney. Obviously not from around the time he fought Eastman, De La Hoya, and Taylor, but the early 2000s version of Hopkins.
Toney juiced as a heavyweight and maybe as a cruiserweight. Doubt he did at 160. And to claim Hop was butchered against Mitchell, Mercado, and Taylor? First off, did you see the Mitchell fight? And do you realize he arguably beat Mercado and Taylor (in at least one of the two fights)?
toney should have juiced up at 160 then he might not have been made to look like **** against C class opponents like tiberi, sosa, and sanderine williams :rofl shows how great hopkins is when class C fighters like mitchell and mercado are making hopkins look like the reincarnation of zora folley :rofl jermain taylor got well and truly exposed when he stepped up to euro level by froch and abrahams, yet he was good enough to box hopkins head of twice in succession :deal we got to see bernards true colours when he got bent over and butt****ed in the ring by calzaghe and when he jumped out of the ring and feigned injury like a complete ***** v the ferocious robert allan :|