I don't hate Hopkins, I think of his some fans seriously overrate. He's been past his prime the last six years.
Hopkins even did the Dela Hoya canvas bang, that has to tweak your suspicion when someone does that, its like, look at me, I'm showing that I'm pissed off, not that, that's exactly what I wanted to happen, to get the fight stopped.
hopkins was far from being slammed. he was pushed, yes. what's funny is why were hopkins' feet off the ground when he overshot his punches which caused him to fall. also, it seemed to me he fell on his back first from not too high at that.
For those saying Hopkins wanted a way out. I doubt it. There was nothing going on in the fight to warrant him wanting out or ending it early. Even if Dawson was not his preferred opponent, this is a professional fighter that has faced many different fighters at different levels, big fights, etc, and been through some adversity and lost some as well, and he's never quit. I highly doubt he would chose this fight as the moment to quit during the feeling out period, where nothing significant had happened, other than him being thrown to the floor and landing on his elbow.
Do you think Hopkins gets up and continues to fight if the ref tells him he's gonna lose the fight, that he's not gonna get a NC? Well there you go, that says it all. Hopkins did the same thing against Allen imo. Its not that I think Allen would definitely of won that fight, but Allen was giving Hopkins something to think about imo, and I always felt Hopkins milked the injury when he went out the ring so he could regroup and comeback on another day with a more clear idea of what to do, and I feel that's why he did what he did against Dawson, he knew he was in for a tricky night. Hopkins wanted to regroup and get paid handsomely again, that was his motive imo.
thats lot of speculation based on 2 feeling out rounds with nothing going on other than one fighter being thrown to the floor. i'd say its far reached at its least.
I think his prime ended a little longer than six years ago. Right now, he's pretty much a shell of his old self.
i dont buy it either. a world class athlete injures his shoulder in a little fall that wouldnt hurt an 80yo grandmother. he puts 10 times that much stress on his joints and muscles in all his workouts. its in his nature to be deceptive.