Bernard Hopkins, who would knock him out?

Foster and Moore are solid shouts.

 

At 160 or 168....

You'd need someone who was big for the weight.

You'd need someone with great toughness and physicality to hold up to Hopkins own gameplan.

You'd need someone with above average mobility and handspeed, at minimum.

You'd need someone with concussive power.

And, you'd need someone with a fighting brain that could compete with Hopkins himself.

In short, you'd need Bob Fitzsimmons. Would he fight for the knockout? Being smart, he'd have known better than to force things. But, if anyone would've done it, it'd have been him.

 

.................... Not Nobody not never , not ever !

 

When it comes down to it you simply can't answer a question like this.Nobody is knockout proof.Now maybe Hopkins deserves the benefit of the doubt in fantasy matchups at 160(i'd agree with that) but thats another thing entirely.

Someone like Robinson or Hearns, to pick just two fighters, can wreck anyone with a single shot if they land right.

 

Foster is the best bet at 175. Spinks I think would be more content with boxing him and using his slickness. Moorer I think was a bit too "green" in the sense of he never fought anybody at 175 on the level of Hopkins. Moorer was beast though but didn't have the smarts to KO Hopkins. No fighter KO's Hopkins at 160.

 

Thanks Mac. :thumbsup

I've been thinking on it for awhile and it's a tough case to crack because Hopkins style and defense puts him as close to knockout proof as anyone you'd likely find at the weight in his prime along with Monzon and Hagler... I doubt Fitz himself would've even risked going for the KO unless Hopkins made a rare mistake, especially in a 12 or 15 round fight, but I couldn't even think of who else would be a realistic threat to do it.

Other guys have some of the qualities you'd need (Hearns, Ketchel, Hagler or even possibly an awkward swarmer like Greb who might be able to throw Hopkins timing off and accumulate damage), but they all were lacking something (be it size, chin, power, guile, or polish) to make me say "That guy's got a legit shot at stopping Hopkins".

Being a great body puncher is something I didn't list, but probably should have because I don't think headhunting would be that effective on him at all.

 

Hopkins as an air of unstoppability and its with good reason but as Matequilla said no one is unstoppable.

Echols rocked him, he has been dropped and I think you put him in Fitz's day with the different interpretation of the rules and a longer time to actually knock him over there is at least a chance it could happen.

Foster is a considerable chance also..but I think its unfair to put Nard into these lightheavy matchups because quite simply he has only fought one and a mediocre (in a historical sense) one at that.

 

Perhaps a prime RJJ might have a chance - but only if he fights aggressively and abandons his "safety first" mentality.

 

Who would you put your life on to do it?

 

Under that scenario Hopkins might also KO him.

 

Spinks at 175 has a good shot at it. Moore too.

 

Hopkins is hard to knock out because

1 ) He has a great chin.

2 ) He has good defense.

3 ) He doesn't take many risks in the ring.

4 ) He can bend the rules if he's hurt to survive a rough round.

Can he be Ko'd? Sure. Let's seem him take a flush shot from the likes of Jullian Jackson, Jeff Lacy...one of those types.

Having said that, I think the first fighter to TKO Hopkins will be Father time.

 

Hopkins is too smart to get KO'ed.

 

Earnie ****in' Shavers. :happy