Hopkins vs Monzon

Where exactly do the Monzon advocates see him beating Hopkins? With the slow jab on the outside that Hopkins will slide and counter with rights? Is it the wide relatively slow punches that won't land? Is it because Monzon is greatly conditioned and Hopkins is also greatly conditioned? Is it on the inside where Hopkins is a master of the rough stuff? Is it because Monzon's stronger, because hes not? Is it because Monzon presents quite an easy target to tee off on? Is it because Monzon usually had a height and reach advantage and against Hopkins he'd be facing a taller man?

I'm inclined to pick any version of Hopkins over the best of Monzon let alone prime for prime

Hopkins Wide UD or Late TKO

 

Tough match. Monzon on points. But Hopkins winning would not surprise me considering his all round game and what he brings to the table tactically. Hopkins himself doesn't fancy his chances against Monzon. A very honest statement considering his ego and self belief.

 

Yeah, he did not look good in doing so but who looked good against Hopkins, Winky and Spinks? And Ouma took just everything he threw at him. I think the expectations for him were too high. After beating Hopkins HBO made people think he is an atg in the making while it was obvious he was not. He is a very good fighter though and while I bashed him when everybody was on his hype train, I know stand up for him because he get´s too much ****. And he is not finished yet. I expect him to beat Lacy and than take on Hopkins in a third fight at 170 - losing this one - and then grab a belt at 168. He´s good enough to do so, only Kessler and perhaps Bute are good enough to have a chance against him at 168.

 

I think he was more athlete than technician. He just wasn't a highly skilled or resourceful fighter IMO, not at elite level anyway. An aging Hopkins (more effected by the weight-draining taking point at that time in his career) arguably won and or/drew in both of those fights, even if he waited too long to get going. Spinks arguably outboxed him in a completely lackluster fight which proved my point about his lack of resourcefulness or skill, and on a smaller opponent with very little offense of his own. Wright, another smaller man, arguably outboxing him, controlling the pace of the bout once again. I just haven't seen much to make me believe in him.

 

I never said he was very skilled. He has moderate skill and is a great athlete. This combination isn´t easy to beat and is more than most other fighters bring to the table. I had him losing and winning against Hopkins also I tend to rate close fights more as no decisions as anything else. I think in a fight there should be a clear winner or not a winner at all. Spinks did not beat him, that´s a quite a stretch imo. Wright was not a small man, he looked very very comfortable at mw and was even able to bully Taylor at times.
But it´s funny that people always want fighters who take on anyone and then they get one and they start to whine that he is no atg. What do you guys expect? Look at his level of competition: Hopkins-Hopkins-Winky-Ouma-Spinks-Pavlik-Pavlik. And he was at the very least competative in every single fight he was. And you don´t do this when you are not elite. What do you want? He is no Hopkins or Jones for sure but he is a very good fighter and he is Top5 at 160/168 at the moment. He surely got hyped to much when he won the mw championship but he also get´s too much **** because he wasn´t dominant against the top notch competition - remember those who were in the history of the sport are mostly atgs. Give that guy his due, he earned it.

Damned, so there is a guy who just joined Ruiz and Ottke in getting defended by despite my dislike for him

 

We wouldn't whine if people didn't continuously overrate the hell out of him.

 

Robbi, do you recall where you read/saw this re Hopkins' thoughts on Monzon? Sounds like very interesting reading. I've read a few articles by Ron Borges with Hopkins stating how he would have fought with Robinson and Hagler...But I've never seen him comment on Monzon.

 

When I watched the Hopkins vs. Taylor fights live on ppv, I scored both fights for Taylor. It may be the flaw in boxing's scoring system, but I felt like the better fighter lost both fights. I think I had both fights 7-5, Taylor, in rounds. I thought Hopkins won his rounds more convincingly than Taylor, but he somehow came out losing. Maybe boxing needs to adopt the half point. That way I could have scored some round 10-9.5 for Taylor, and the 10-9s I had for Hopkins would count more.

I believe if there were a Taylor vs. Hopkins III, it may look a lot like the first two fights. Taylor is too athletic for Hopkins to pursue, and Hopkins is too skilled for Taylor to press. You end up with both fighters waiting on the other, and Taylor ends up winning rounds simply because his hands are a bit heavier.

 

Bernard Hopkins.

“Sugar Ray Robinson at 147 pounds was close to perfect,” Hopkins posits. “But at middleweight, he was beatable. I would have fought Ray Robinson in close and not given him room to do his thing. He’d make me pay a physical price. But at middleweight, I think I’d wear him down and win. Me and Marvin Hagler would have been a war. We’d both be in the hospital afterward with straws in our mouth. We’d destroy each other. I wouldn’t run from Marvin. My game-plan would be, rough him up, box, rough him up, box. You wouldn’t use judges for that fight. You’d go by the doctors’ reports. Whichever one of us is damaged less gets the win. Carlos Monzon? I could lose that fight. Monzon was tall, rangy, did everything right. I see myself losing that fight more than winning it. I ain’t saying I’m number one, but I’m one of the best middleweights of all time. My legacy is what it is. If you want to be great, then beat Bernard Hopkins.”

http://www.secondsout.com/Columns/index.cfm?ccs=208&cs=22451

 

Damn good analysis of his own fantasy matchups from Bernard.

 

@ 160 Monzon...I think B-hops best weight is 175 but he would have fell short @ 160 vs Monzon and Hagler

 

:huh

 

"Me and Marvin Hagler would have been a war. We’d both be in the hospital afterward with straws in our mouth. We’d destroy each other. I wouldn’t run from Marvin. My game-plan would be, rough him up, box, rough him up, box. You wouldn’t use judges for that fight. You’d go by the doctors’ reports. Whichever one of us is damaged less gets the win"

 

atsch