Bernard was a bit more accessible at middleweight, his ability to shut opponents down was not really honed until fighting younger tigers at heavier weights necessitated this, however the capabilities were there..and a puncher can become deflated when his primary ambition to hurt the opponent or make some kind of impression is defused, meanwhile the points scavenger goes on bagging those maths morsels... Of course Randy could box very well himself so could hold Bernard level at the half way stage, but i think i would favour the proven long-haul specialist over perhaps the Sprinter of the two, it may be that Bernard creates the clear daylight in the last third. But a Randy on form is a dangerous Hombre to take for granted.
I like Turpin here at his peak. Meaning the way he looked in the Robinson fights. He was one of the few Middleweights who could match Hopkins in size and strength. Not necessarily talking about punching power. Turpin had that awkwardness that could bother any Middleweight. His jab was a major weapon and it packed some pop. Hopkins was great at making adjustments but I think Randy was just an uncommon style. It would take him more than one night to figure out the puzzle that was Randy Turpin. Turpin Win 15
I haven't watched Hopkins a big lot but when i have seen him he doesn't look busy enough.peak randy turpin wouldn't let him take breathers, i'll take the licker on points.
This is a bad fight for Hopkins on this point alone. Hopkins thrived on being able to slow a fight down to a crawl - one of the keys to his longevity. He lost to Taylor and Calzaghe because they were not baffled by this and simply went out there and threw a ton of punches. Turpin's crowding, banging syle would not fit into the mid-ring general's plans and I too see Turpin walking away with a decision after 15.
