I could see a split trilogy. I think Robinson is close to the hardest match up in history for Hopkins. In a one off at their best i think Ray might outpoint him in a competitive matchup. Hopkins sure can spoil and nullify tho so it'd be a tough gig.
I actually think SRR would hate to fight Hopkins. Not cos he feared him but styles. Robbo wins but it's not pretty to watch!
Hopkins 8-4 type fight Hopkins is too big and skilled Only guys who im picking to beat Hopkins at Middleweight are guys who are natural middleweights and have a big speed advantage like Roy Jones.
Hopkins was probably bigger,but SRR had a good speed,power and everything else than size advantage,but I'm afraid that Hopkins would spoil Robinson and repeat SRR vs Maxim.
B-Hop would outbox SRR imo. He was too big, too rangy, and too crafty for the much smaller SRR. Turpin for example was able to defeat SRR by countering him because of the rhythm of his footwork and by outmuscling and out-hustling him on the inside where SRR was uncomfortable at times. Gavilan was a similarly excellent counter-puncher who give SRR one of the toughest fights of his career. Basilio and LaMotta both gave Robinson losses and a lot issues by outworking him on the inside. Counterpunchers and good inside fighters tended to give Robinson a lot of problems. Hopkins was both those thing and much larger than Robinson. SRR was undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of gloves but B-Hop is much bigger and a stylistic nightmare for him. The rhetoric of SRR being the unbeatable GOAT who was endlessly talented and versatile is romantic but overlooks the fact he was a man and did have styles he struggled against.
Maxim was due to the conditions of extreme heat. Robinson was outboxing Joey and on a normal night he probably cruises to a UD. It happened to be the hottest night in New York history on that date. The referee got switched out because he couldn't stand anymore. Joey Maxim was big and durable and Ray seemed to miscalculate his battle plan by moving too much. Maxim certainly won fairly but it was a fluke.
Hi Buddy. Correct, mind you had they fought in any kind of normal weather, Robinson would have most likely have been a runaway winner up against the rather plodding Maxim, heat aside Ray would have been a 3 weight champ, not that his resume needed a bolster, but it surely wouldnt have hurt it, might even have put him as undisturbed P4P , without the mention of Armstrong, Langford, and Greb, as possibles, who knows. stay safe ETM, chat soon buddy. Mike.
Hopkins has about an 1 in height, he is a bigger man. Robinson definitely had the quickness advantage. He might have the power edge as well.
Robinson campaigned at middleweight for a long time. I’d take the younger middle version of him over Hopkins, he’d be too fast for Hopkins and is just a better fighter. UD Robinson. The slower middle version of Robbo that was losing to Fullmer and Pender most of the time would struggle just due to Hopkins size and physicality. I’m not a big Hopkins fan but he could beat that version, UD Hopkins
True and Hopkins struggled with speed Hopkins would be a LHW back in same day weigh in days so I'm just sure it's a fair comparison to SRR