Bernard Hopkins: I would have knocked out Tommy Hearns

Bollocks.

 

Fantastic fight and I'm the biggest B-Hop fan there is but I don't like this fight for him! I'm hoping for a knockout win for B-Hop cos he will not outwork Dawson!

 

Hearns would have destroyed him IMO. He'd match Hopkins in every department.

 

He would've stopped Caveman Lee.

I love B-Hop as you all know, but Tommy might well be a bad matchup for him if he sticks and moves. His handspeed alone would cause 'Nard problems; his jab, offensive variety and heart as well.

Tommy was not this vulnerable guy peeps make him out to be. He has a good shout in with quite a few middles IMO. Hop, great as he is, is one of 'em.

Fascinating matchup though. Hopkins wasn't in a great era for Middles sadly, if he'd peaked 10 years earlier his career would've been even more intriguing :yep

 

Bernard usually speaks the truth but I think he's lying to himself here.

He's not reckless enough to be able to take advantage of Hearns' weaknesses, and would probably be pulled in the late rounds.

Hearns really could have been one of the best middleweight champions ever if he'd either been around in another era or not gone up to 175 and come back down. Nobody would outbox him in a million years and only the genuinely iron chinned could take his right hand.

 

I actually think he'll outwork Dawson pretty easily Tony. Even at his cagiest, Hopkins looks like an out-and-out slugger against Dawson, who takes more rounds off than the scrounger down the local ;-)

 

If Dawson shows a high work rate, he can stop B-Hop.

 

Iran barkley did, even Roldan had him stunned, Hearns was never at his prime at middleweight either. I wonder if a prime hopkins has the power to ko him:think

 

Hopkins is never knocking out hearns, but then again i think Hearns isn't ever knocking out Hopkins either.

Hopkins is a crafty ******* and would cause any fighter some serious trouble. At middleweight i would take Bernard on points.

 

Hop of course brought accuracy to the equation, but Roldan and Barkley were beastly creatures.

Hop' just isn't the kinda' guy that gets Tommy out of there, if we're taking Bernard at his rounded best. Early days, he was more aggressive of course.

Prizefighter entrant Jeff Thomas' two cents:

 

Cool. So he needs to do something he never does.

 

When was the last time Dawson showed a high work-rate?

 

Hops could hurt him but Hearns wasn't quite as fragile as people make out. He used to get wobbled but after Leonard/ Hagler he got the hang of holding on when hurt. I don't think Hopkins would be able to commit enough to pressure Hearns without getting hurt himself.

That said, I'm biased towards that generation of fighters!

 

Dawson is just a lazy bum who throws ten punches a round, and is ridiculously easy to confuse.

I'm sure Hopkins can do better than throwing wild right hooks by telegram.

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I just can't see Hopkins winning beating Hearns. Some tend to pigeonhole Tommy as a shaky chinned banger, when he was probably the best pure boxer of the time.

The fact that he could take an opponent's head off with either hand is secondary.