Bernard Hopkins vs Sugar Ray Robinson

Great is a relative term when applied to both of these.

Robinson by a country mile.

 

There were two versions of Robinson at Middleweight IMV.

The Sugar Ray from 1949-52 would have outpunched Hopkins using his blazing speed and combination punching to win a clear UD.

The Older Sugar Ray 1955-58 doesn`t have the energy to sustain his offense over the distance and Bernard Hopkins`s defense, counterpunching ring IQ garner him a close UD.

 

Robinson by landslide or late ko .

 

I think Hopkins poses an interesting problem for Robinson and would succeed in limiting the latters offense, but hed be near the ropes and corners too often to be in a position to win. Ray could really let them hands go at those oppertune times!

 

Stupid what if....
Ray was a welter. The best ever!
As a middle, not as good but still a terror.
His late 50's fights had him in at, what?, 36-38 years old?
When he beat LaMatta in the 'Massacre' he was 131-1-1!!!!
A draw with Basora in the 40's, and after losing to LaMotta in the 40's, giving away 12-15 pounds he dominated him TWO WEEKS LATER for pete's sake! Let the modern boys fight 15 times a year for multi-years and you're gonna see some losses, from ALL the modern 'badasses'! I repeat...131-1-1 after the LaMatta bloodletting.
And again, we're talking different eras.
If anyone doesn't think that Sugar Ray was the greatest PvP fighter of all time that's your opinion but it doesn't mean s**t to me.

 

Robinson was an exceptional welterweight and a top middleweight but don't think for one second that Hopkins wouldn't give him an extremely tough tactical fight at 160. Bernard was bigger, stronger, had exceptional stamina and defense. Maybe Ray out works him but you're kidding yourself if you think this is any sort of walk. This could sort of be a Leonard Benitez without a stoppage type of fight.

 

:thinkInteresting question! Sugar Ray Robinson in my honest opinion was no doubt P.F.P. the greatest fighter of all time however while I still have him rated as the #1 Welterweight Champion in all history I do have him rated as high as the #2 guy as far as greatest Middleweights is concerned in a neck breather behind my #1 Middleweight of all time Marvelous Marvin Hagler. And the "Executioner" Bernard Hopkins in my mind, given his overall accomplishments throughout his career, is one of the top 10 all time greatest Middleweight Champions.

With that said I have to believe that if guys such as Randy Turpin, Carmen Basilio, Tiger Jones and Gene Fullmer, as good as they all were, were able to attain a victory over the Sugar Ray Robinson of the mid-50's and with it the Middleweight version of Robinson then in a best of three fight series Ray would win it by a close 2-1 edge over Hopkins whose style is much more polished than those four aftermentioned fighters if not more physical.

Guys such as Hopkns, Hagler and almost Sergio Martinez at his best are the only modern day fighters at 160 in my opinion whose style could disrupt SRR's rhythm and cause him some problems, whether it's 12 or 15-rounds. Those three would not be a cake walk for the original Sugar.

 

ray was the greatest at 147 easy but very overrated at 160. hopkins would bully ray to an ugly points win. this matchup was mentioned to bhop in an interview and he basically said ray would have been too small for him and that hagler would have been his toughest matchup all-time at 160.

 

Robinson by pretty clear decision.


During his best years at 160 lbs I would only give Monzon,Hagler and Greb a chance of beating him. Even then,Ray would probably win the rematches.

 

No walk for sure but you, and others, totally ignore the 'ERA' difference.
A, born later, prime SRR in the 90's? 2000's? Hopkins in the 40's?
Ray was well past it when he had his MW run in the late 50's. Did Hopkins fight 12-14 times a year for 10 frigging years?
he I respect your knowledge, you may well know more than I do, but I'm out on any more comparisons with fighters from different eras.
I just love the posts matching a 1922 Dempsey against a 2000 Klit. atsch
How about a 2000 Dempsey against a 1922 Klit?
I'm out, stay with your 'mythical' matchups which can't be compared in any reasonable way.
I love the classic forum, but I'm done with all the "what would have 20's guy done against a 2010 guy. What would the all time great at middleweight past prime done against a 2000 prime middle?

 

I appreciate the kind words .. none of us wrote the book .. I'm just all for rational thought and not simply tribal agendas on any of this .. Hopkins was a very big, strong, well conditioned, fast guy with an excellent defense and chin and I think he is a tough match up for any middleweight that ever lived .. he may not beat them all as his punch output is a bit low but no one's blowing through him either .. he;s a tough / annoying pill for any of them ..

 

Hopkins gave jones no trouble at all . Wat makes u think he d give robinson?

 

Hopkins should not be mentioned in the same book, never mind the same page, as someone with the all round skills, ability, and technique of Ray Robinson.

Totally different leagues.

There are very good reasons why one of them is referred to as P4P # ever, and the other is often referred to as BORENARD.

 

Did you watch their fight ? A highly inexperienced Hopkins fought Jones on virtually near perfect even level. The story that Jones whipped him is pure myth .. watch the fight .. it is a dull, tactic driven, thin decision and I feel a Robinson bout would be very similar .. can anyone name me one middleweight anywhere near Hopkins in skill that Robinson fought ? Ray's legend is legit but he did not beat the most talented group of middleweights out there .. by far the best was a weight drained LaMotta .. he managed to never fight Burley, Charles, Moore, Williams, Bivins and quite a few others, many of the nasty black middleweights he could of if he , as Bummy puts it, "wanted" to clean out the division …