The ATG middleweights

Oh ,I see,must be a bit slow today.
No offence taken.:good

 

Yes, but this comes back to my "granmother/brother" parallel. Take BHop's top 5 wins and then Teddy's top 5 and compare. I think few would argue that it's no contest. Also consider this when you're assessing and comparing dominance(It begins the year each began to make a splash on the national stage):

HOPKINS ........... TEDDY YAROSZ
1992- 6 fights.... .1932- 10 fights
1993- 4 fights .....1933- 14 fights
1994- 3 fights .....1934- 10 fights
1995- 1 fight ......1935- 4 fights(due to broken knee)
1996- 3 fights .....1936- 5 fights(still struggling with knee)
1997- 3 fights .....1937- 5 fights (4 vs world champions)
1998- 2 fights .....1938- 11 fights
1999- 2 fights .....1939- 7 fights
2000- 2 fights .....1940- 6 fights
2001- 2 fights .....1941- 5 fights
2002- 1 fight ......1942- 1 fight

Hopkins- 29 fights
Yarosz- 78 fights

You'll notice that even in a year he suffered a broken knee he still managed to match Hopkins's second busiest fight year.

As you can see, "dominance" in the modern era and "dominance" in the old timer's era are two completely different things. Yarosz had almost three times as many fights against superior opposition. Would Hopkins have been so dominant fighting that often against that kind of opposition?

I personally wouldn't bet on it

 

Let me clarify by saying that I think Hopkins does well in ANY era. I'm just saying that I think he would have a few more losses on his record had he fought as often against the type of opposition Yarosz had to face.

 

Hopkins held the belt in a very, very good era for 160-168 fighters. Unfortunately, he didn't meet many of his best contemporaries in the ring. A very good, possibly great, 160'er but his work at higher weights has enhanced his status in this division.

 

Jeff Clark is one of those fighters who has been prety much forgotten, but was a huge figure at the time. The best way to understand him would be to say that he was the Harry Wills figure of the middleweight division. A huge force in the division, verry highly avoided and a victim of the colour bar.

No less a person than Jack Dillon himself said that he wanted no part of Jeff Clark.

 

As Hopkins was in his own era, or as Yarosz was in his?

 

Sure, as long as it's taken into context, as Surf clearly laid out. You truly believe it's all black and white when comparing this type of thing? No shades of grey?

 

In the post I quoted, were you saying you believed Hopkins would've fared as well against Yarosz's opposition as he did against the Middleweights he faced in the 90's? If so, I agree with you in that you should have your head examined.

Or were you saying that Hopkins would've fared as well in Yarosz's era as Yarosz himself did? I can accept that.

 

If that hasn't cleared it up, McGrain, I believe this will.

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Regarding losses.

As of this posting Hopkins is 51-5

Yarosz was 88-5 by the time he fought Billy Conn for the third time.

One of the 5 losses was a split decision loss to Conn(later avenged). Two were to Babe Risko due to a broken knee(also later avenged) and one to Young Terry(later avenged by knockout).