Bernard Hopkins - From Minter To Mugabi?

IMO, no

 

Yep

 

Can he? Yes. He’d be favored over any of them in one-off fights at his best. Would he if that was the opposition he actually faced starting in ‘95? I really don’t know.

I disagree with the notion that Hagler’s opposition was no stronger/weaker than Hopkins’, either way.

 

BHops defense and superior range and footwork would make him a difficult outing for anyone from Haglers era, specifically the top fighters.
If anyone were to give Hopkins a run for his money I see it being one of the gym heroes like Willie Monroe.
Mugabi had brutal power but he was not at all impenetrable

 

Yes. Can't see anybody who'd even have more than a 30% chance of beating B-Hop.

 

I could see him getting thru them.

 

No I don't think so but he would have beaten the majority.
Mugabi I don't know. Echols dropped Bernard in the first fight even though it wasn't ruled a knockdown and I think Mugabi hits harder and is a better boxer then Echols.

 

which of Mugabi’s wins over championship caliber opponents at 160 leads you to envision him beating Hopkins?

 

Its his POWER that could come into play.
Sure Hopkins is alot more skilled but POWER has a way of turning the tables.
Not to mention Mugabi did go toe to toe with Hagler in a war which Hagler was a pretty strong middleweight.
I always thought the win over Parker was vastly underrated. Parker had NEVER been stopped and here Mugabi decimates him in a ROUND.

 

well I agree about the Parker win being underrated, Parker does hail from a city I love so I always enjoy him getting some love. But I would also say this was at SWW and as we know power does not always move up in weight with you. What championship caliber MW at 160 did Mugabi beat and or stop that makes you see him beating and/or stopping Hopkins?

 

Hearns Hamsho and Roldan for starters were all miles better middleweights than Trinidad and Oscar who had about 3 fights at the weight between them and are put up as legacy fights for Hopkins...Hopkins does well but takes a loss or two at least against Hagler's opposition. Hopkins isn't proven against those calibre middleweights.

 

Hopkins would beat all of them including the Leonard that Hagler lost to. Im mystified by the people picking Mugabi as one of his tougher opponents. Mugabi fought a hell of a fight against Hagler, who fought a stupid fight against him, but Mugabi was made to order for Hopkins and frankly I dont his power being any better than several of the guys Hopkins beat like Trinidad, Pavlik, Echols, or Tarver to name just a few. And I dont think his power would matter anyway because Hopkins had great defense, was better inside and out, bigger, stronger, and had a great chin to back up everything else. When Frank Fletcher is your best win dont try to tell me Mugabi would beat Hopkins.

 

I don’t know if he beats Hearns. Perhaps. The rest I’m fairly confident he defeats. Only difference is that we might not see some of the impressive knockouts that Hagler gave us. There’d be a lot more decisions