Bernard Hopkins vs Mike Mccallum

Mc Callum by close decision. The key here is the jab

 

This is it. McCallum is a superb performer but Hopkins is that bit better and naturally bigger.

 

Chin scratcher. Hopkins has the resume but McCallum certainly has the skills to make it super close.

Split decision win for Bernard. As others have said, Hopkins is the bigger of the two and if he was getting outboxed early on, I can see him spoiling and making it ugly. He just has that extra string to his bow.

 

mid 90s-2001 prime Hopkins by close decision.

McCallum can only win by being more active with his jab and trying to land the cleaner and crisper punches like he did with toney.



Hopkins can try to force a slugfest and use his slightly better power at 160, he can try to use movement with ambushes like he did vs Tito. He can try to use his size and pressure, he can go dirty and maul if he has to.


Imo Hopkins has slight edges in strength, power and possibly chin.

McCalkum was very well rounded but so was Hopkins and Hopkins has that extra tricky/dirtyness.

 

Look, I think Toney had that booming right hand, Hopkins does not. Looks to me like Mc Callum superior slickness and jab would carry him to a close points win.

 

You think toney has a harder right hand than Hopkins???

The power on toneys counter might be similar but Hopkins lead right hand is definitely harder. Both guys tended to stop opponents late but Hopkins needed less punches to hurt opponents than toney.

He was also bigger and harder to look
good against than toney was. Toney was slick but hopkins was slicker. Nobody looked pretty or sharp against Hopkins ever.


I suggest you watch a few Hopkins fights from the 90s. He was a puncher. If he wasn't then he could never had kept his opponents off of him at 50 years old with a movement based style.

 

I have to disagree with certain points. Toney had that overhand right hand and staggered Mike on several occasions in their first fight. Hopkins does not have this in his arsenal. He has that sneaky right hand but not the overhand right. I also think Toney was a lot slicker than Bernard.

 

I could go with this. McCallum was an awkward tricky customer and Hopkins imo prefers them straightforward.

 

In the minority and taking McCallum. B Hop a little overrated 4 me.

 

McCallum. Hopkins is at his best when he is in control and slowing the fight down to a crawl under his dictation. Hopkins doesn't like busy. And McCallum would be very busy with the jab. McCallum on a close but comfortable decision.

 

50/50 fight here.

I detest Bernard Hopkins personality and I disliked his fighting style especially as he got older but I won't deny his talent and accomplishments, Bernard was usually able to outhustle fighters but I think he may have met his match in The Body Snatcher, McCallum was about as cagey and clever as they come.

McCallum UD

 

Hopkins was nowhere near as technically sound as prime M.Mccallum though I agree the bigger,stronger, and awkward Hopkins beats him at Middleweight where Mccallum was clearly past his prime.

 

A big factor in this fight that I think the McCallum supporters are ignoring is stamina.

McCallum did NOT have all time great stamina. Hopkins did. If anybody is taking charge of this fight in the championship rounds, its B-Hop.