A few questions about Benn/Mclellan fight...

Notice Hopkins was just a Contender then.

He only started to dominate the divison when Toney and Jones and McCllellan and them guys left.

 

I'm suprised to see Ray Close ranked so highly.

I know he took Eubank to a draw - but he never really proved he was in the class of the top boys in the whole world.

 

It is a British magazine, and remember Eubank/CloseIII was scheduled until Close failed his medical (Collins getting the match instead). In this issue, Close was in an article announcing his retirement; so I think this was Boxing Monthly showing final respects for his career.

 

I always use to go on Boxing Ilustrated / Innternational Boxing Digest rankings.

They also done the monthly pound for pound list.

US magazine - doubt Close would have been so high on them rankings.

 

Boxing Illustrated (Digestive) ratings for January 10th 1995:

Pound for Pound

1: Jones Jr
2: Whitaker
3: Trinidad
4: de la Hoya
5: Lopez
6: Barrera
7: Chavez
8: Arbachakov
9: Nazarov
10: Randall
11: Quartey
12: Norris (Terry)
13: Carbajal
14: Tapia
15: Tszyu
16: Naseem
17: Johnson (Marc [sic])
18: Johnson (Tom)
19: Benn
20: Bowe

Super Middleweights

1: Jones Jr
2: Benn
3: Liles
4: Collins
5: Nunn
6: Wharton
7: Littles
8: Little
9: Malinga
10: Torres


17: Close

 

In fairness, Hopkins had drawn with and then stopped Mercado for the IBF title that year. He wasn't the complete article at that point - that was around 98 with the Allen rematch.

Jones moved to SMW right after beating Hopkins in 93 (and looked pretty underwhelming in doing so). Toney had been there since 1992. So your claim about Hopkins is baseless. He did something neither man ever really did by cleaning out the division.

 

Its not baseless.

Hopkins dominated a divsion that the real stars left.

There was no stand out stars in the Middleweights when Hopkins started to take over.

Trindad was a marquee star - but he was a blown up welterweight who had only just beaten Joppy as his big win at the weight and was new to the division - and had been in life and death struggles at lower weights.

Roy Jones Jnr looked underwhelming beating Hopkins cos he was injured with only one hand and it was a saftey first perforamcne which he did enough to grind out the 12 round decsion.

 

There you go - alot lower down than bloody 4th in the world.

I'm more inclined to go with Boxing Digest rankings than Boxing Monthly.

17th sounds more like it.

 

It's a thin argument. Toney had gone well before Hopkins challenged Jones Jr for the ibf. Jones went right after. McClellan had too. There was.never an.opportunity to beat them.

Hopkins would have beaten toney and g man anyway.

 

I can understand where White Tiger is coming from. Hopkins' middleweight reign is easy to rip to shreds. Not that it should be done.

 

I would disagree there. I have a ton of time for Hopkins, he is brilliant, he is old school and (those who know me, know I do not say this lightly); he is Great.

But Coming into 95, he was coming off the draw with Mercado, where he was decked. It seemed the big puncher who was in a near pick'em first time around with Jones Jr, clearly had not lived up to the hype...

 

Like so many superbly gifted boxers I always wondered if Jones was style over substance....like mayweather, he was just so damned good we never saw how he would react when really up against it.....that's what ya call damning with faint praise ha ha....too good to be tested....

 

Come off it.

He started his career as a Light Middleweight.

Won his first World title at Middleweight.

Developed into a natural Super Middleweight - and became the greatest Super Middleweight of all time -

Was never even a natural Light Heavyweight - yet still moved up and cleaned the divison out.

And jumped all the way Heavyweight and beat a proven tough if average World Belt Holder.

And you reckon he never tested himself > ? :huh

 

Hopkins fought Roy Jones Jnr....................and lost.

He never fought ........Nunn, McCllellan, Toney, Benn, Eubank, - the big name guys passing through the divsion.

Hopkins finally fought - Super Middleweight King - Joe Calzaghe........and lost.


Hopkins was never the most naturally greatest fighter - Toney - Jones - Calzaghe - Benn - Eubank - Nunn - fancy all them to beat him.

 

Mate, they weren't around for Hopkins to fight!