both fighter are ATG's no question, but i think the non-stop pressure and infamous toughness from lamotta would get to hopkins sooner or later. hopkins would have his moments early on in the fight, but the more the fight drags on the more of a possibilty of lamotta winning. lamotta by late stoppage or SD, it would be an absolute war.
It depends on how Hopkins responds to LaMotta rather than vice versa IMO. Hopkins is/was a bully in a sense who could dominate fights on the inside against fighters who had no idea how to respond to such tactics. Jake, however, is a whole different kettle of fish for reasons I need not explain. Hopkins has the overall ringcraft and toughness to offset LaMotta, but I'm still going with Lamotta via close but clear decision; he'd outwork Hopkins, bullying the bully.
You all seem just to remember the Hopkins of old. On the inside, I agree, LaMotta would win on volume but Hopkins could also fight on the outside and he was very good with that. If he kepps his distance, fights disciplined, uses his feet, jab and defence I see him winning an UD.
Hopkins extreme savvy, toughness and cunning infighting would hold him in good stead here. This isn't the low workrate Hopkins Taylor edged out, it's the peak model. I think he'd hold out to edge a narrow decision in a gruelling fight for both men. Jake brings out the best in him IMO.
Hard to say in fantasy matches like this, there are things to take into account which the op hasn't mentioned. Is it over 12 or 15? And, I don't consider myself an expert in 'classic' boxing by any means, one thing that's apparent to me from watching older fights is that the style of refereeing is quite different today. In LaMotta's time infighting was allowed to a much greater extent whereas holding and spoiling (something Hopkins has learned to make great use of) was far less tolerable than today. Refs seem to me to have been been far quicker way back when to break clinches where both arms are trapped. That's obviously going to effect how the fight goes. So under what circumstances are they fighting?
Bollocks. If you genuinely think that Hopkins ever beat a middleweight of LaMotta's calibre, well.......
one of my favourite lamotta fights is the return with beltin' bob murphy where lamotta boxes murphy's head off.he was no willie pep but by that stage in his career ,he was no longer jake the bull either. lamotta by decision