Pascal Hopkins RBR and Analysis

I decided to watch this fight for myself and score and analyze it following all the controversy and all the buzz on FNF about the rematch.

Round 1-Hopkins lands first with a big right. He is very aggressive early unlike his usual fights and is working with the right hand and left hook. Pascal just not aggressive at all. Inside a minute a good left hook by Pascal that I’d like to see more of. Then a right hand lands flush for Pascal. Hopkins continues to work Pascal side steps and drops him with the right looked like it was behind the head. With the birds eye view replay it looks like it hit the side sort of and wasn’t blatant with the side step I think it was a good KD.
10-9 Pascal for the KD but not 10-8

Round 2-Very inconclusive round in my opinion, don’t know if it is my crappy vid quality on you tube but they are throwing and landing at similar rates. I watched the round 3 times and have it even. Though this slow pace benefits the old Hopkins.
10-10, 20-19 Pascal

Round 3-Hopkins pawing the jab and Pascal scores a solid lunging left. Pascal lunges in again score 1 of 2 thrown. Pascal lunges again Hopkins lunges in after. Hopkins throws a 3 shot combination. They exchange rights but Hopkins sneaks in an extra left. Pascal drives him to the ropes and drops him with a left I didn’t see it’s a KD. On replay this KD was the real deal Hopkins steps in to throw and is hit with a left hook.
10-8 Pascal, 30-27 Pascal, close kind of round but cause Hopkins did not dominate it’s a 10-8, though the thrown is very similar and neither guy appears to be in command this 10-8 will probably hurt, though the pace favors Hopkins

Round 4- Hopkins best round, well 1 was great but he went down, he clearly dominated. Pascal threw nothing til the last minute. He dropped him with a big right, had the potential to really put this out of reach but it was ruled a slip and a rabbit punch but that right looked hard. Pascal chased but did not do enough to steal.
10-9 Hopkins, 39-37 Pascal
Press row has it 39-36 and 39-35 2X so I guess those 2 had had it 2 10-8 rounds, mine is generous
Round 5- Best round of the fight, I can’t believe it I can say I’m watching an exciting Hopkins fight. Hopkins is looking tremendous throwing the right and left hook together. He also is hitting the body a lot. Pascal lands a solid combination in the middle of the round. Lands a big lunging left hook that sends him into the ropes. Also Pascal fought his way out of the corner at the end of the round well.
10-9 Hopkins, 48-47 Pascal close exciting fight very tactical

Round 6- Hopkins takes this round big time Pascal was on the retreat and Hopkins was all over him even trapping him in the ropes and raining in the right hands. Hopkins looks like he got in a time machine throwing so much more than usual and landing with authority. Pascal has moments but Hopkins is fighting great.
10-9 Hopkins, 57-57, even at the midway point

Round 7- Best round for Hopkins and now I’m saying it after every round, its crazy. Hopkins throwing combinations using the right but utilizing his under used left hook. The body punching is incredible he needs to do this more.
10-9 Hopkins, 67-66 Hopkins his first lead
Press row has Pascal ahead still two have it 67-65 one has it 67-64
Round 8- Slow round, ugly sort of round. I give it to Pascal based on combinations and power punches.
10-9 Pascal, 76-76 even, SWING ROUND

Round 9- Good round closer round then most where Hopkins has been dominant. Hopkins slowed a bit here and Pascal got a little more active. Hopkins still landed cleaner and often. Pascal cornered Hopkins and failed to do much. Two good exchanges but kind of even Hopkins maybe a little more in command.
10-9 Hopkins, who regains the lead at 86-85
Press row 85-84 Hop reasonable 86-83 Pascal no way 85-84 Hop Tarver and Bernstein have Pascal by 1
Round 10- Hopkins dominated this round the counter right hand was sending the head back. Pascal got aggressive at the end but not effectively.
10-9 Hopkins, 96-94 Hopkins Championship rounds approaching

Round 11- Unbelievably tight round, Hopkins threw more I thought Pascal landed the harder punches. He got in a big right before being pushed for a slip and landed 3 solid uppercuts at the end of the round.
10-9 Pascal, 105-104 Hopkins, Hopkins is ahead but by the tiniest of margins last round will decide

Round 12- Ugly round at 1st lots of holding. I had it even all the way and then near the end Pascal gets in some good power shots. I give the last round to Pascal.

The Verdict- Canadian has it 113-113, Neutral Belgian 114-114, American 114-112 Hopkins
My Card-114-114 even a draw in a close fight with a lot of drama

 

Discrepancies- I had round 1 10-9. Some had it 10-8 I think that is wrong but that’s where my card may differ. Round 3 I had 10-8. When I give a 10-9 round where there is a KD I do it when the down guy dominates. In round 1 Hopkins dominated and made it 10-9. This round was close so Its 10-8, had Hopkins dominated it would have been 10-9 but Hopkins did not excel enough in the round to rule a 10-9 compensation. Round 2 I had even that would swing cause most probably gave to Pascal. Had I made round 1 10-8 or round 3 for Pascal he would win. If 1 was 10-8 and Hopkins got the 3rd it would be even. If one was 10-9 and 3 was for Hopkins he would win. 8 was a swing round even or Hopkins and he would have won. 11 and 12 I barely gave to Pascal but I gave to him on power. So very debatable decision.

What I saw- The most exciting fight of Hopkins career. A 45 year old Hopkins turns back the clocks and fights his best performance I think since before Taylor. He was active with combos and body shots. Though he hit the canvas twice. For Pascal he fought a great tactical fight, the first guy since Jones to really give Hopkins hell in a slow fight. Where as the rule of thumb has been since Taylor and Calzaghe you must beat him with high volume Pascal drew him in a slow tactical battle.

What I’d wanna see in the rematch- Hopkins fought a great effort I’d want to see the same fight may be even try and stop him if he can string the shots together. Most of all he must attack early again not wait til the end like the Taylor bouts. He must use the left hook a punch he under uses and combo with the left hook right hand. The body attack was great he must use it again.
Pascal was a bit too passive letting an old Hopkins fight a comfortable slow fight. The left hook is the best thing in his arsenal it dropped Hopkins once and sent him to the ropes another time. The right hand was impressive getting one KD and also looked strong. But the punch I want to see is the uppercut. He missed a lot with it but it looks like a good punch and if he lands it he will probably find more success.

How the rematch goes- Hopkins will be older, Pascal will be more mature and smarter this time. Can Hopkins repeat this at this age? Will Pascal be more aggressive? I personally feel Pascal can hurt Hopkins if he throws more. Pascal I think will fight a better fight and Hopkins will fight a slightly less stellar fight. I think Pascal will take him 12 and maybe even drop him again. It’ll be close but I think Pascal knifes out the rematch with hard punching utilizing the left hook and uppercut.

 

I feel like I stretched to give Pascal some rounds but it was close