1997 Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr.

It's possible he could beat Jones Jr as Roy did lose to Griffin that year so he wasn't fully focused on his boxing as he was not looking for risky fights then, having jumped ship from the most competitive division in boxing to fight an old McCallum and then Griffin an opponent who barely squeaked by Toney who Jones Jr had dominated.

So if Hopkins caught him on a bad day he beats him up and probably stops him. But Jones Jr at his best was phenomenal. I think at their best then Hopkins would have lost a close decision 7 rounds to 5 where he gave Jones Jr hell throughout.

 

Jones Jr. by UD. Everyone knows that the Griffin loss was a joke.

 

Its the one time I think that Bernard could have been stopped.

Jones would have been much bigger but also so so much quicker.

 

I wouldn't say the loss was a total joke, fact is Roy really struggled in that fight, though he did eventually figure Griffin out and had turned the fight around only to throw it away. But mistakes happen and the rematch clearly wiped out all doubt who was superior.

Griffins tactics were spot on that fight, Tarver would go on to use similar tactics in his first fight with Jones Jr. Problem for Griffin he didn't have the chin to survive when Jones Jr stopped trying to counter and became aggressive and didn't have the power like Tarver to punish Jones Jr for being forced to be aggressive.

 

Jones beat Hopkins when he was green and inexperienced.... Prime Hopkins mops the floor with him, might knock him out cold just like Tarver and Johnson did.....

 

should have happened loads of great fights shoulda happened more in that era with james toney aswell as calzaghe mcellan etc

 

That version of Hopkins was better than Griffin.

 

Tough one to call.
Hopkins would have had to have gone up to LHW I guess? We know how good Hopkins is even now at LHW and that Hopkins was inside CW when he turned pro, so I dont think the weight would have been an issue for him.
Its a fight that I could see going either way due to styles. When Jones was held and walked back, he didnt seem as effective and Hopkins I dont think would have had a problem holding Jones and working him on the inside.
If Jones could stay on his feet moving in and out, he could give Hopkins problems, as I think Hopkins has a style weakness with fast, two handed fighters his own size.

As said its a tough on to call

 

Hopkins didnt like fast guys who could move and box and spoil his counter punching style, Taylor, Calzaghe, Jones - 116-112

He would have not beaten any of them ever, only reason he took it close to taylor was because he gasses

 

Come on, he lost to Griffin by being stupid.

He'd turned the fight around and Griffin was in trouble.

What do you mean he wasn't looking for risky fights back then?

Frankie Liles had recently walked away from his biggest pay day to fight Roy, and Roy was looking to fight at HW.


Roy moved up to 175, because fights with Benn and Liles didn't materialise.

He had nowhere to go, so he took a new challenge.

Shortly after he'd moved up, the SMW division wasn't the competitive division it had once been.

Benn was shot, Collins retired, Eubank had moved on, Toney had moved on.


The 175 division was seen as a better division with Hill, DM, Griffin, Toney etc.


What was Hopkins doing in 1997? They were two divisions apart and he was fighting JDJ, Johnson and Council etc.


IMHO, there's no way Hopkins could have beaten that 28 year old version of Roy.

Too big, too fast, too powerful.

He knocked out Griffin who weighed in the 180's, with a single shot.

 

Ha!

Roy beat Hopkins at 28, while he was only 24, with a fractured hand.

Hopkins didn't lose for another 12 years.


Prime Hopkins mops the floor with a 28 year old version of Roy?

Might have knocked him out?


You're dreaming.


Nobody was knocking Roy out at 28, especially not a guy like Hopkins.


Get real.

 

Jones decision. In his prime he was just a bit too quick for Hopkins.

 

Hopkins doesn't ko anyone, he sure as hell wouldn't be able to ko prime Roy I don't care what his jaw is like now. Roy would beat him handily, hop has nothing for him.