What do you define as past prime? I define it as when a boxer is noticeably worse at boxing than they used to be and/or starts losing a lot more than they would ordinarily be expected to. Roy Jones, for example. Hopkins doesn't fight that much differently now than he did way back in the day. And he's still fighting the biggest fights out there and winning or cutting it very very close. Also, you're ghey :good
He's not the greatest boxer of the last 20 years, but he's d*mn good and up there, he deserves respect that unfortunately he doesn't usually get...
joe was ok but that win over hopkins was ****/ did anyone else not think after watching taylor outbox hopkins in parts due to sheer energy and athleticism that bernard was coming to an end of his career. all joe did was outwork an old man and even got caught in the first by a sneaky right. point being many people here dont know much about joes career anyone old enough from the uk and have grew up watching down the years know. Calzaghe was past it too when he fought hopkins and jones, anyone that had seen him fight when he was younger would testify/ warren ruined his career would you rather be undefeated or undisputed like ray robinson or leonard or hagler/ yhose are unquestionably all time greats
as for last twenty years definetly Khan and apparently if he beats Mcloskey it will prove that he is the best boxer to ever put on gloves
I look pretty good when I'm beating up beginners and guys who are smaller than me too... Johnson hadn't fought anybody at that point, and shortly thereafter he went on his 30 fight losing streak (or something like that). Johnson is definitely a late-bloomer. And Trinidad was just not a middleweight, sorry. So yeah, I agree he looked good...but imo he's actually a better fighter now than he was then. Maybe a bit slowed down physically but he compensates for it.
Pavlik was smaller than Hopkins also. He's no more of a light-heavyweight (or 170 lb. fighter) than Trinidad was a middleweight. Tito at least did something of note at MW and beat the #2 guy there (as poor as that division was). Although what Hopkins is doing at this age is amazing, I do attribute some of it to matchmaking and choosing the right style of opponents. Fighting smaller men, guys with average speed, or guys that don't throw a lot of punches. Calzaghe would always be a tough matchup for Hopkins with his speed and activity.
Oh for sure, there's a pattern here. Call a puncher up a few divisions above his natural weight where you can exploit his newfound lack of power with your superior skill. Hopkins has always been extremely image-conscious and goes out of his way to fight guys he knows he can beat. Why else do you think he absolutely jumped at the chance to face Pascal after Dawson had been calling him out for years