Who had a better MW title reign: Hopkins or Golovkin?

obvousyhopkins, 3g needs t getin double figuresyet.

 

Google the ring annual ratings. They stop at 2012, so I can't actually see how high Lemieux has been ranked. He wasn't on any annual ratings prior to 2013.

 

A more pertinent question is whether it is possible for Golovkin's reign to trump Hopkins', based on the competition available.

If Golovkin beats say Canelo, Jermall and Jacobs more decisively in a rematch, it would start to become a reasonable debate. Golovkin really needs to beat the best out there though, as it isn't a particularly strong era and his competition thus far hasn't been great.

 

It is too early to tell. Both are great fighters. But, both have had title reigns that epitomize mediocrity due to the opponents they fought.

 

Hopkins has the name wins, but Tito wasn't much at middle weight. He lost to Hopkins, Wright and Jones at 160.

Oscar De LaHoya was pretty much done for when Hopkins meet him, and was a blown up light weight.

If you take those HOF washed up names out of the debate, Jacobs, Brook, and Lemieux > any THREE of Hopkins next best wins.

Once GGG, ( now 35 ) faces Canelo in his absolute prime, this poll might have a different answer.

 

What made Hopkins' division tougher?

 

I tend to agree with this.

 

Trinidad fought Roy Jones at Light Heavy coming out of a 3 year long retirement in 2008.

He wasn't washed up in 2001 when he was beaten by Hopkins , he was undefeated and in his absolute prime.

Johnson and Vanderpool are better wins than Kell Brook and would also beat him. Brook isn't a middle weight. The WBA recognised that too when they didn't sanction the fight.
Brook isn't a good win for GGG. Having him listed as one of Triple G's top 3 best wins shows how much weaker his resume is compared to Hopkins.

 

So Hopkins's win over Tito doesn't mean much since Tito lost to Hopkins? That is some circular logic.

The loss to Jones was not at MW but at a catchweight of 170 lbs.

 

If you want to nit pick, I guess I could mention the great Segundo Mercado and how Hopkins needed two tries to beat the 19-10-2 um, legend, after being dropped twice by him. Who has ever dropped GGG?

 

Brook is naturally bigger than Oscar de la Hoya and Tito. GGG took his 0 and might have ruined him with broken facial bones

Johnson? History is not your strong point, as Johnson became a good & tough journeyman / fringe contender type, losing 21 times post Hopkins.

Vanderpool? Outside of Johnson, who I mentioned was on the slide post Hopkins, he did not beat anyone else in the top ten, had a suspect type of chin, and a record full of soft touches.

I'd pick Brook or Jacobs to beat either of these two. Let's not act like Vanderpool was a signature wins for Hopkins.

 

I'd argue it was easier as Don King partly controlled it, and was the man to put together the title unification matches, with other fighters ready to go taking on the eventually winner, which was Hopkins.

 

As of now there is a major difference:

Keith Holmes and Joppy were the main MWs next to Hopkins for half a decade, and he beat both without any controversy. He also outclassed Tito, who in turn had crushed Joppy.

Those were three standout contenders, albeit in an average era, that Hopkins showed himself clearly superior too.

Golovkin has met one standout contender so far, Jacobs, and that was a fight that could have gone either way.

Actually, Golovkin probably even doesn't have any Echols, Allen and Eastman among his victims. Guys who, though unspectacular, were in the top five for quite some time.

So even if Golovkin beats Canelo without controversy and clearly beats Jacobs in a rematch, he still looks a bit short of what Hopkins did - namely clearly beat the best 5-6 MWs of a decade. That's how you dominate an era.

 

Counterpoint, Hopkins was dirty vs Tito, and didn't have fighters ducking him ( a reason why GGG's resume isn't fuller ) in Martinez, Cotto, and Canelo.

Canelo waited for GGG to age and slow down a bit, but he's still going to lose. If/When that happens, I'd say GGG has the better resume of wins.

Also GGG is undefeated, Hopkins got schooled by Jones, drew with Mercado, and was 0-2 vs a very good, but not great Taylor, and lost to Calzaghe. Most of the class fighters who did fine work at 160 or higher beat him.

 

yep obviously hopkins by a country mile, lets see is 3g can catch him