As I Mayweather fan, I rate Hopkins slightly higher. Johnson, Tarver, De La Hoya, Wright, Trinidad, Pavlik ect. While Mayweather fought bigger guys most of his career, and Hopkins fought smaller opponents, the names on Hopkins resume are too big to ignore.
He cleared out 160, to be fair there wasnt really anyone stand out at that weight for him to fight. He fought everyone that was there. He could be criticized before for fighting smaller guys movnig up to 160 and not jumping up fighting bigger guys, but now at the tail end of his career in his 40s he has done that and done quite well. Meanwhile mayweather is the opposite, he has a great early career and as he moved up in weight he didnt take the hardest fights the way Hopkins has. Hopkins took risks. He jumped 2 divisions to fight Tarver. He fought Winky who can always cause problems for everyone, he fought Calzaghe which is a hard fight for anyone as well. He fought Pavlic when everyone was saying he was too old and would be outworked and maybe KOed. Did Mayweather take the Margo fight, a fight with risks? He took the fights that paid the most money. Mayweather hasnt gone out of his way to take the fights people dont expect him to win.
Mayweather for me. Head to head #1 all time at super feather for me. Sublime skillset. Unbeaten. Got as high as 154, good wins all through the weights. Mayweather, not much in it. I'd probably have Hopkins at around 48, Mayweather a little higher.
Hopkins has always faced the top fighters of whatever division he's been in and the few loses he's had were close. While Floyd is undefeated, there are too many gaps against big names so there will always be doubt. Most of his reputation is based on assumption rather than fact.
It's as you say, Mayweather did better early work career, while Hopkins did better later work career. I give Floyd the edge overall based on resume and success through the weights, while Hopkins has the edge in longevity. I can see the argument for Hopkins though, in fact I'm not even completely sold on rating Floyd higher. I see it as a virtual toss-up, just as I said.
mayweather is a better fighter...hopkins has a better resume...but P4P mayweather is the better fighter
bigger risk TARVER??? or ODH...come on now...hopkins had great wins vs tito and KP who was overwhelmed and looked like ****...PBF beat ODH Hatton....how is odh not a risk but tarver is...PBF is a 5 division champion
Let's see!!! B-Hop Jones G.Johnson Brown Allen K.Holmes Echols Tito Joppy DLH Eastman Taylor Tarver Wright Calzaghe Pavlik. Pbf G.Hernandez E.Augustus Chavez Corrales Castillo Corley Gatti Mitchell Zab Baldomir DLH Hatton. I will go with B-Hop.
Mayweather is better. Although Hopkins has taken more risks lately he's been beaten 3 times in the last few years and that does not help his ATG status. The Pav. fight makes a lot of people forget though