Bernard Hopkins vs Marvin Hagler.

In fairness, I should add that I thought Hopkins lost fair and square to Calzaghe and Taylor.

 

I think you can pick holes in both their resumes like that though.

E.g. Winky was on a crispy creme diet to make weight for that fight and Hopkins still struggled to distinguish himself, DLH had no business at middleweight, Tarver had been making movies and got beyond himself ala Lews vs. Rahman and he's perhaps fortunate that I even listed the Calzaghe and Taylor fights because many would argue he lost them. And that's with a Calzaghe dragged outside his best weight and looking old and not himself that fight.

 

Tarver was obviously not the same fighter when he fought X, as he was when he took on Jones the first two times.imo he only had a very short prime as a decent fighter before he got old.Even in 2000 against Harding he looked a lot more lively than he did against the treacle slow road warrior four years later.

by the time he got into all that rocky shite he was positively third rate.

 

To be fair, Calzaghe was made to look bad by Hopkins. Thats why he never looked himself. It was an ugly fight and neither looked too good. Calzaghe needed accumulation without accuracy to convince the judges. This was quite possibly the only fight where Calzaghe just threw punches in the direction of his opponent hoping for the best at times. He knew the defense and ring generalship of Hopkins would prove to be a tough nut to crack. Calzaghe looked pretty much bang on and as good as ever against Jones in his last fight.

 

Yeah, he was coming off a draw against a shopworn 60 year old man FFS!

 

I'll credit Hopkins for contributing to Joe's ordinariness, but you have to be kidding about Calzaghe looking as good as ever against Jones.

He was god-awful shite in that fight, and was lucky he was facing a shadow of a man ....

He couldn't even clown a shot Jones with any measure of success.

 

Calzaghe at that point in his career needed the move up in weight. I have a documentary following Calzaghe in the days leading up to the Jones fight and he wasn't exactly a fighter making 174 1/2 easily. Calzaghe may well have fought at 168lbs for 95% of his entire career but at that particular time he was at his best weight for Hopkins and Jones.

 

You ain't saying that Hagler looked shite against Duran......when he clearly did.

 

He didn't have a shell of a fighter in front of him.

Robbi, just out of interest sake, how do you think Bernard does against that Duran that Hagler faced?

Think he does a better job? I don't.

 

If he was to fight a tactical fight - holding back and being cautious, relying on his normal accuracy....He'd probably look better than Hagler, yes. I don't think he'd KO Duran inside 5 rounds with some sort of bombardment.

 

Robbi that is an epic avi with Whitaker in Fila :happy

 

On the way to the fights last night, had a great talk with two good friends, who truly know their boxing. A trainer frined of mine ,the other a fromer 3time GG GG winner at 168 lbs. I asked them their thoughts about Hop/Hagler. Now they both love Hop. However they both stated that all the rough stuff,dirty tactics and head games that Hop always employs. Would NOT have any affect on Hagler. They both felt that Hagler could box, siwicth fighting stances. But the big thing they saw was that none of Hopkins dirty` tactics` would work with Hagler. They both felt Hagler wa stronger, meaner and in NO way be intimadated by anything Hop would try. Hagler with CLEARLY the better chin,and a much better boxer than given credit for. They also felt that Hagler wouldn`t let Hop slow down the pace and fight comfortable. For what it`s worth, they also felt that prime RJJ, beats anyone head to head at middle or super middle. Jones crazy speed and solid power would be a problem for any and all past great middles...

 

Hager is not stronger than Hops. It's not close.

 

You just made me day !! Hagler`s not only stronger, but tougher and a whole lot meaner !! Yoi never saw Hagler trying to bag out with `fake `injury`s ! You are awesome Great post !

 

Hagler for me, in a close fight. Over 15, Hagler would do the better work down the stretch. He has more area's to explore than B-Hop in this matchup, and I don't think Hopkins can use his height and reach advantage to stifle Marv' enough.

Hagler is the better middleweight champion.