Is Bernard Hopkins a top 10 MW?

Obviously there are some reasonable arguments that he is in the top ten middleweights of all time. But, having watched his entire career as it happened, I would not place him there.

 

I definitely have him behind Robinson, Monzon, Hagler, Greb, Jones, Leonard, Toney Burley. Likely behind guys like Steele, Flowers, LaMotta. Quite frankly, he is no lock H2H over guys like Giardello, Hearns, McCallum, Jackson, and McClellan. He certainly made no attempts to fight fellow champions like Jackson and McClellan even though they were contemporaries. Instead, he was happy to fight the Robert Allen's and Joe Lipsey's of the world while racking up meaningless defenses of the lesser regarded (at least of the 3 major belts) IBF title. It really wasn't until he beat the much smaller Trinidad, that anybody considered him even the best middleweight in his own time. Hopkins' longevity was incredible. He performed almost as well at 40 as he did at 29. But, I value a fighter at their best. And, his best was just a cut behind most (if not all) of the men I mentioned above.

 

Just behind Golovkin

 

This,,,,,,

 

Jackson hadn't held a title for a year by the time Hopkins won the title. Three months after Hopkins won the title Jackson was getting ko'd by Quincy Taylor before having a year off and only having two more fights, ever. Jackson wasn't really a contemporary and never held a title when Hopkins did and definitely never remotely pushed for a shot at Hopkins.

McClellan was brain damaged before Hopkins even won the title. Both were done and dusted in boxing before Hopkins ever faced Robert Allen.

Here's the top 10 around the time Hopkins was going into the Allen fight. Note Hopkins is considered the best middleweight in the world even in 99.

Title Vacant

1. Bernard Hopkins
2. William Joppy
3. Hacine Cherifi
4. Keith Holmes
5. Otis Grant
6. Antwun Echols
7. Robert Allen
8. Robert McCracken
9. Ryan Rhodes
10. Julio Cesar Green

 

He dominated 160 only after the iron of the division like Toney, Jones, McClellan, McCallum and Jackson were gone. Would you have put a big bet on him beating Steve Collins or Reggie Johnson? The American writers started this ATG stuff after the Felix Trinidad win, and Tito turned pro 30 pounds lighter than Hopkins.
Also, the image of Hagler, Monzon, Robinson, Burley or La Motta rolling around the floor trying to draw a DQ or claiming a shoulder injury to steal a No-contest verdict is impossible to bring to mind. Hopkins was a good, skilled champion who is not amongst the ATGs at 160.

 

No.

 

Just to add Felix Trinidad won Middleweight title off of William Joppy, and was P4P number 2 at time and was actually the favourite over Hopkins when they met.

So whilst Middleweight isn't Trinidad's most notable weight obviously Welterweight is. But considering Trinidad destroyed the number 2 ranked Middleweight he had proved he was legit at that weightclass.

 

I understand. I was actually at Trinidad-Joppy. And, at the time I was pretty impressed. But, hindsight has shown that Joppy was nothing special.

 

Without a doubt.

 

Yes.

1. Greb
2. Monzon
3. Hagler
4. SRR
5. Hopkins
6. M. Gibbons
7. Ketchel
8. Steele
9. Ryan
10. Burley
11. Williams

Have to mention Williams as my 11, his win resume at MW is insane, likely my strongest divisional #11.

 

Haven’t done a middleweight list but I’d imagine so. Not a fan of him at all, but he was a great fighter.

 

Pretty comfortably, yes.

 

When Ring did a top 20 middleweights all time list back in 2000, Hopkins was placed at #16, iirc. This was before the unification tournament, and before his signature win at the weight.