Hopkins vs. Cloud

Hopkins is offensively shot, so I really don't know anymore.

 

Cloud got schooled against Campillo.
I'm picking Hopkins.

 

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Cloud's going to pull a Benny Blanco on Hopkins.

 

I tend to agree. His last hurrahs are bygone.

 

Dawson wasn't taking Hopkins out of there. If I remember right, Hopkins landed a few straight rights that caught Chad's attention. The one even stunned him for half a second. Dawson tried pressing more, but he was only hitting air, shoulders, and gloves.

Dawson didn't really "win" that fight as much as Hopkins lost it due to his inability to do anything more than land his straight right from time to time. Dawson was more active, despite the vast majority of his shots being blocked and slipped, but Hopkins did next to nothing in return and therefore got outworked.

Cloud doesn't pose the stylistic problems that Dawson did to Hopkins, but as has been said for litterally near a decade now, eventually Hopkins is going to really lose it, and as he is very near 50, the odds are much more in favor of father time than Hopkins turning back the clock again.

Once again, this is a match up that the winner is determined by if Hopkins can hold off father time again or not. If the Hopkins that fought Pascal shows up, he'll pull out a decision while enduring some shaky moments. If old man Hopkins with no offence shows up, he's in for a rough night.

 

The Hopkins that beat Tarver would beat Dawson. The current Hopkins is just too old, slow, doesn't have the output, or reach to exploit a good technical boxer, who is taller, has more reach, more height, and more handspeed. Cloud isn't Dawson though. Cloud is what? 5'10, has short arms, is a plodder, doesn't have good boxing ability, has trouble with movement and guys who box well. He does have power, but with those T rex arms, Hopkins should be able to box him, and pick his spots, similar to how he was doing Pascal, who by the way is more athletic, and quicker than Cloud is.

Hopkins by UD. He eats these type of guys for breakfast, unless he suddenly got old over night.

 

Hopkins didn't have the output, speed or quickness to deal with Dawson effectively. He landed a few nice right hands, but he wasn't throwing them very comfortably because he was respecting Dawson's faster hands and power.

 

I think Cloud is gonna send Hopkins to the canvas and win comfortably

 

That is what I was seeing as well. Hops low work rate, pretty much sealed the deal for Dawson. I thought Hops landed more clean punches upstairs, he just wasn't active enough. Throw 8 punches land 4. Dawson throws 30 lands 2. They aren't giving that round to Hopkins.

 

Honestly, Hopkins looked shot against Jean Pascal even. His legs/knees looked kind of shaky. Definitely didn't have the sturdy base and cat-like movement he displayed even in the Tarver and Pavlik fights. His offense has become really sloppy also. It's far from being textbook and ultra-crisp at this stage. He can barely put a combination together without falling in looking to grab on for a quick breather.

Cloud is perfect for Hopkins stylistically, but is Hopkins really Hopkins anymore? I just don't think so. After rewatching the Pascal fights and the Dawson fights within the last week, I think Hopkins has reached the same territory Mosley and Morales were in the past couple of years. He's still crafty enough to evade a lot of shots and make things ugly, but that's really it. He's a spoiler who throws occasional right hands now.

My opinion on this fight has changed - I still had the image of the Hopkins who schooled Pavlik. But he's not that guy anymore by a long shot. Really don't want to see this end up like Toney-Lebedev.

...But if Hopkins manages to school a far younger and stronger Cloud (as mediocre a title holder he may be) at 48, it'll be one of the coolest nights of boxing I'll have witnessed in my lifetime.

 

Exactly.

Cloud's style is more suited to favor Bernard than Dawson's was, but there is still a huge question on what Bernard can do just 2 years shy of 50.

 

Hopkins should win this easy if he has anything left.

Cloud is the worst titlest in the world by some distance

 

One of your dumber posts.

Cloud is a solid titlest albeit limited.

 

Pfft Cloud is awful. He would get curb stomped by the majority of the ranked 168-175lbers. Got dominated by Campillo and was losing to Yusef Mack before Mack predictably gassed.