At 43 years old, he dominated a Prime Kelly Pavlik, winning every round and brutalizing/ending Pavlik's elite status. Shocking feat that many thought would not be repeated any time soon. Hopkins once again delivered another feat of boxing miracle 3 years later. At 46 years old he beat Jean Pascal in an very entertaining fight. Back and forth action. He took a lot of punishment in that fight and still stood his ground. 46 years old. That is 10 years older than what Morales is now. Jean Pascal might not be an Andre Ward, but he is definitely a top 5 LHW fighter and at his peak could even be considered top 3. It is shocking that a 46 year old Hopkins managed to beat a top 5 fighter who was in his full prime. Amazing champion. The Pascal fights did take something out of him though and this is probably the end of the road for Hopkins . But, I wont be shocked and I don't think any of you would if he destroys another top 5 LHW even at the age of 48 next year. For those of you who call him boring. He was anything but that during his younger days. He really let his hands fly and had supreme skills/aggressiveness.
Let's not insult Bernard by saying Ward is a superior version of Hopkins Ward is a superior version of a 43 year old+ version of Bernard. He got a long long way to go before being a superior version or even a 'carbon copy' of Prime Bernard. Even the Pavlik Hopkins might win a SD against current Ward.
It is astonishing what he has been able to do in his declining years as a fighter. Christ he was thought of being too old and ready to be taken when he fought Trinidad. He had no business jumping up 2 weights at 41 to dominate Tarver let alone fighting the best at light heavyweight in his mid forties and even regaining the light heavyweight title against the faster and harder hitting Pascal. Hopkins is really this generations Archie Moore, a very rare fighter.
Agreed. Even better than my man Archie, he was older as champion. I rooted for Archie vs the Rock, mom and dad rooted for the Rock, but I'd seen more of Archie on B&W small screen TV than the Rock. I did not root for Archie vs Patterson, knowing Patterson was so much faster. Hopkins had all the tools and the brains to use them....and well he was not the cleanest fighter to come down the pike. That too is a skill. When it's close every little thing can tip the balance. He stayed near his fighting weight, so did not have fat marbled weak flesh of someone burning off muscle to make the weight.