Considering Hopkins' career began when Dawson was still wetting the bed and Dawson's career began after Hopkins was already ensured a place in the HOF, no.
i did think that after. i think cleverly could be alright in future style very similar to calzaghe hopefully NC will have a bit more power.
Thanks IB, that was a genuine joy to read. :good (no homo) One thing that I will add, though: Campillo's fight with Murat was very close and it smelled like German home cooking when I saw Murat get the decision. The fight was hard to score, though.
What about the last 5 years which is what I was referring to. I've seen more than a few articles were Mustafa and Mayweather both stated Bar-Nard wanted no part of Bad-Chad! I'm gonna search for them!
In the last 5 years, Hopkins has had six bouts at light heavyweights (Wright and Pavlik were both at a 170lb catchweight and don't count). Of those six, only two were "soft touches" - the score-settler against Jones and then another tuneup against Ornelas a few months later. In his four LHW appearances against legitimate big names, he won the lineal title from Tarver, lost to Joe Calzaghe when the SMW king moved up, and went 1-0-1 (but really should have been 2-0) against Pascal. Dawson would have been a better opponent than Jones and Ornelas, but you can make just as strong an argument against him having seemed a better opponent or bigger scalp than Tarver/Calzaghe/Pascalx2 at the times Hopkins fought them as for.
Cleverly won his version of the World title at 24, Calzaghe was 25, Cleverly started boxing in the same gym as Calzaghe {shack would be a better description}, and has studied the master at close quarters. If Cleverly's manditory is indeed Erdei, that will be interesting as Erdei was World Amateur champion and an Olympic Bronze medalist, has a pro record of 32 wins from 32 fights, he is a two weight World champion winning titles at Light-heavy and cruiserweight and is the lineal champion at Light-heavy, he has been a stay at home fighter that is the king of cherry picking but it would be an interesting match up if it happened.
It was about this time that everyone assumed BHOP was running!http://www.***********.com/chad-dawson-blasts-bernard-hopkins-you-t-run--23857
Here's another. I just assumed this was the case!http://www.maxboxing.com/news/max-boxing-news/dawson-hopkins-is-running-out-of-excuses
Again: while there was a case to be made at any point after Hopkins became lineal champ by beating Tarver (disputed, as some trace the lineage through Erdei back to Michalzewski) for him to face Dawson, there was just as strong an argument at the time for him to face a much more proven Calzaghe moving up in weight, or a peer and fellow titlist of Dawson's in Pascal - coming off a win over Dawson. His three "real" matches at LHW (not counting the catchweight bouts, vengeance over Jones, or Ornelas tuneup) since arriving in the division five years ago have all been against more deserving foes than Dawson at the time.
Really? How do your figure? In 2007 he had a definitive win over Adamek who was around 175lbs back than. Also after 2 wins over Tarver in 08 & 09, how is Chad not the most dangerous opponent for Bar-nard at that time? He was obviously the best boxer in the division and still is! Don't get what you're saying.
That's obvious. You've completely missed my point every time it's been explained. I've said that at the times he fought his legitimate opponents at 175 since Tarver (Calzaghe in 2008, Pascal in 2010, and Pascal again last week) they were better, more creditable options than Dawson. Why the **** are you even bringing up 2007 and 2009 when that bears no relevance on said point? In 2008, Joe Calzaghe coming off his long SMW reign (weak as some think it was) was still more proven than Dawson had yet become (bear in mind also that Bernard fought Joe in April; Dawson didn't beat Tarver until November and had only beaten Johnson the week before...so at the time Hopkins-Calzaghe was signed Dawson didn't have either of those names on his resume yet). Calzaghe > Dawson at that time. In 2010, Pascal was coming off a win over Dawson. Pascal > Dawson at that time. In 2011, Dawson still hadn't fought since losing to Pascal. Hopkins and Pascal had a score to settle after their controversial draw. Pascal > Dawson at that time. Are you getting it now?
Yes I understand! from a media perspective I can get to that. But than again this is why mandatory bouts should be enforced. If there were mandatory bouts that were enforced, would we be having this conversation? And I brought up 07 because within the 5 year window that BHOP was rumored to be ducking. Which goes back to my original question. Hasn't BHOP been avoiding Bad Chad?
If mandatory bouts were enforced, Cloud (onetime IBF #1 contender during Chad's reign) may have already dethroned Dawson by now. :yep