Bernard Hopkins vs Segundo Mercado I

Don't hide from me . . . pretty boii ***. :yep

Bring your sorry ass back here. :rofl

 

Mercado was nothing but a journeyman (typical Hopkins opponent) who benefitted from the huge leveller of high altitude, as the man above says look what happened when he fought Hopkins when they were down from a 2800m hill.
I see others are giving sporting examples of the effect of altitude.

 

Plenty of fighters have done the same in a rematch after an even contest first time around, altitude or not.

 

It still didn't affect him as much as you're making out. Anyway, Yanks can't just have home advantage every time they fight. They've had it for most of the past 100 years. It is meant to be a world championship fight.

 

It takes approximately two weeks to adapt to high altitude. And that's not taking into account the vigorous activity of a boxing match which would call on more oxygen to the body's muscles. Mercado would have had a higher red blood cell count being from his living at high altitude- so it definitely would've played a part.

 

I think Hopkins is an overrated arse but you're clearly underestimating the effect of high altitude.

no doubt Hopkins saw Mercado as just another handpicked jounrneyman for him to feast on, just like most of his fights, but got a surprise when he found he could hardly breathe in Quito

 

Well that's Hopkins fault for not arriving in Ecuador sooner.

 

Yeah but what happened is that Hopkins thought he'd get the bum out of there in a few minutes, hence his fast start early on. He failed and paid the price. He was lucky he was fighting someone so mediocre in high altitude. At least that evened the contest out a bit. :yep

 

Regardless, it still takes into account that altitude plays a part. And as I said, that's to aclimatise, not to be ready to perform strenous activity like boxing. So it does play a part.:good

 

Of course. But intense heat didn't do any favours to the likes of Barry McGuigan and Billy Hardy when they fought in the west coast. They were ****ed after a few rounds. But, that's just their hard cheese, just like it was Hopkins'. :good

 

Very interesting read. I haven't seen the fight and I'm not sure where to find it...

 

He has fought many big names and his competition is A-class without question. But De La Hoya and Holyfield have more big name opponents.

 

The Middleweight division was universally regarded as the worst in its history. Ended up full of blown up welters who barely won a fight at 160 anyway.