atsch Do you even know what the press row scoring was for those fights? Or what fighters have said when asked about it (hell even Calzaghe attempted to backtrack on saying Taylor beat Bernard during the whole face to face now known as the "white boy arguement")? Or how about what Manny Steward thinks (now that he is not employed by Taylor)? Or how about every poll that has been done since the fight ended? Any idea how small the percentage is of people who actually feel Taylor won???
complete and utter bull****. lewis-holyfield I was a robbery. sweet pea-jcc was a robbery. tight, close fights like the taylor-hopkins fights aren't robberys. if you don't bother throwing much in the opening half of a fight you are setting yourself up for a fall. hopkins mugged himself.
Who do they box to impress? The press row or the judges?? The judges said he lost. He lost 2 close fights, but he lost. Hopkins definitely lost the first one. He got going too late, landed the better punches in the fight, but had already given away too many rounds. It was a **** fight plan, no doubt about that. You have to be an idiot to think losing 7 close rounds and winning 5 clear ones will get you the decision.
He utilized his height and committed to his punches. Hopkins waited too long in the first fight, and I think he was reaching the point that at his age, making 160 pounds was working against him, too. Even still, Hopkins was jobbed on the decision in the rematch, but credit to Taylor in the first fight, where I thought he did enough to edge Hopkins out. Note, though, in these two fights, all the rounds Taylor won were extremely close, whereas most of the rounds Hopkins one were very one-sided. In both fights, Hopkins was the much fresher fighter at the final bell. I truly believe Hopkins would be better suited for the days of 15-rounders.
A common theme presented by all those that insist Taylor won both fights related to what Hopkins should have done. They say Hopkins should have started earlier or done more. Why not talk about what Taylor did to win the fight? Wanna know why that's not mentioned? Cause Taylor didn't do anything to win those fights. Taylor hit alot of air, glove and arms. So how exactly did he win those fights? That's why in my opinion, he didn't.
Sues, Have you posted your pre-fight analysis yet? I remember you said you were waiting til the fight got closer, and I was looking forward to reading it.
I don't see how anyone scored fight 2 to Hopkins he really didn't do anything til round 8 Plus he lost round 11 Not all that close Hopkins lost the first one too
Taylor didn't possess anything that would trouble a Hopkins a year younger. He just fought Hopkins at a time when Hopkins could no longer fight a full 12 rounds, and still make 160. If you look at both fights. The rounds that Hopkins let his hands go he won clearly. Taylor wasn't the biggest, or fastest guy he had fought, he definitely wasn't one of the most powerful. I thought Hopkins gave away the first fight. I gave him 5 rounds. The 5 rounds he actually let his hands go, he won clearly. It wasn't that Taylor was doing much in the other rounds. He wasn't. He at least was jabbing and trying to land something, while Hopkins did nothing. In the rematch, I thought Hopkins took it. Taylor wasn't one of Hopkins best opponents at middleweight. In my opinion Echols, Allen, Trinidad, Johnson, Eastman, Jackson, etc. would have all ****ed Taylor up. Recall, Taylor was steered clear of an old Allen, and also Eastman on the way up.
I don't disagree with the above. I'd simply ad that while Taylor commited to punches, he didn't land much outside of the jab. He just caught Hopkins at the right time, when his body could no longer give him that 12 round output. Hopkins had shown signs against De La Hoya and Eastman that he was pacing himself, and was no longer a 12 round fighter at the weight.