How would Hopkins have done as a heavyweight?

Based on the fact that he was a skilled SHW that was way bigger than Hopkins could possibly be.

 

I think he'd move enough to stay out of range from Ruiz.

I think if he could have forged a career at HW he would have done. However this fight is more than winnable for him.

Size matters to a degree otherwise Valuev would be the goat.

 

Ah so you pick based entirely on size.

That's all I needed to know.

We'll end the conversation there.

 

Of course size means nothing and we have weight classes for no reason whatsoever.....

 

How much did size mean when he fought Orlin Norris? Or Herbie Hide? Or John Ruiz? Or Mike Tyson?

Size has an impact on a fight but not to the degree where you can favour the 98 version of Tucker to beat Hopkins. Not to the degree where you can favour Ruiz over Hopkins neither.

Ruiz was a very good HW but he never once made his size an advantage against any former MW champions.

How on earth did Haye beat Valuev?

 

Haye best Valuev due to his mobility, hand speed and punch power. Hopkins didn't hit hard enough to earn Ruiz's respect. Ruiz had the power to hurt Hopkins. Hopkins liked to rough fighters up, he wouldn't have the luxury of doing that against Ruiz.

 

You think the power of Haye had anything to with his victory? It was entirely hand and foot speed. Despite being outweighed by 100 pounds.

Hopkins would win on his footwork and straight right. That's all he'd need.

How did Tucker manage to lose to Orlin Norris despite being taller, heavier and having more reach?

 

Hopkins does rely on being able to rough up a guy on the inside with veteran skills and physical strength.

Hopkin would be physically a weak HW.
And I don't think his skills would prevent him from being roughed up at that weight.
160 to 175 was a big step, and he succeeded but 175 to 200+ is an even bigger step.

There's also that Hopkins is smaller than both Roy and Toney.
Roy and Toney were big drainers who couldn't stay at 160 long, while Hopkin managed to stay at 160 until he was already a very old fighter.

I think he would be simply too weak for his roughhouse style to do much at hw.

 

How is Hopkins smaller than Toney? He had a better diet but he certainly wasn't smaller by any means.

Hopkins didn't rough up Pavlik, Pascal or Tarver, he out boxed them all with superior footwork and timing.

That's all he would have to do against Ruiz, just side step and pop the straight right.

 

Toney always drained much, even for the fights were he was very lean.
Hopkins had his ringweight for quite a few fights during his historic title run listed and it was constantly around 168, and people are already calling Gennady "172 pounds" small.

Toney also carried his power and strength to higher weight classes without much trouble.
Which leads me to believe it's much more natural for him.
Hopkins at 175 is simply unable to get stoppages.

Ruiz also has a much better jab that Pavlik, Pascal or Tarver.
Neither does Ruiz tire like Pascal always does, and is much more adept at coming forward than counter punching Tarver.

Winky Wright really troubled Hopkins with his piston jab. (And Ruiz has one too)
But he was too old and too much above his best weight class to beat Bernard.

 

Yes is power played a part, of course it did.

Orlin Norris proved he carried the speed to compete in the HW division, Hopkins never.

 

That's because he had poor discipline. That's why he wasn't ever muscular above LHW.

Toney had a whole tonne of trouble at 175 he basically went AWOL for a decade until the Jirov fight. Remember before that he had been bullied and out worked by men at MW and LHW, many expect Jirov to do the same.

I don't expect Hopkins to stop Ruiz, I expect him to win a near shut out.

Ruiz is not adept at coming forward, he was known as an exceptionally boring fight and had zero ability at cutting off the ring.

Wright has vastly superior hand speed to Ruiz and is a lot more active. He troubled Hopkins for only a couple of rounds.

Hopkins would pop the straight right, jab and circle away.Ruiz would look absolutely useless, as he always did when facing former MW fighters.

 

No it didn't. He did not beat Valuev due power, don't be ridiculous.

Everyone carries speed. A faster man is a faster man. Norris gave away nearly half a foot in height and still managed to outbox Tucker. Hopkins is taller than Norris, Rangier than Norris, has better footwork than Norris and better hand speed than Norris.

That version of Tucker was God awful and spent more time doing come than sparring. The fact you hold his name as the proof of Ruiz beating someone on the level of Hopkins is absolutely laughable.

 

Show me where I said power won Haye the fight.

Norris had the durability and the work rate to compete with HW'S, Hopkins never proved that. Norris was bigger than Hopkins wasn't he???

 

A near shut out with just a lead right?

Toney is far more proven at that weight and lost 4-5 rounds.
Holyfield was coming of a good performance against Lewis but only managed a robbery "win" against Ruiz in his next.

Yet you think Hopkins is going to have a near shut out?

So if 2 great MWs did it, Hopkins should do it too?
Do you think Robinson could have done it, Monzon?

Your whole argument relies on because Toney and Roy could do it, then so must Hopkins.

How many shut outs did Hopkins have against ranked light heavies?
He didn't shut out Pascal, not Shumenov not Cloud.

Or a different example.
Spinks moved to HW with success.
Moorer moved to HW with success
Even Toney did.

Would Bob Foster do the same?
He didn't.
He was arguably just as great at 175 as Michael.
But he got completely bamboozled against every HW he fought, and I am not talking about Frazier or Ali steamrolling him.
Folley, Ellis, Doug Jones.

And the extremely skilled Doug also had a similar problem as Foster when he fought heavyweights. Though not to the same degree.
A man of his skill shouldn't have lost to Chuvalo, but he did.