Best ring IQ...Hopkins or PBF

joe calzaghe, pavlik, wladimar k.

 

BHop, although as someone said above he's had to use his ring smarts more as he's gotten older. We'll see if the same thing happens to PBF in the future.

 

Hopkins didnt start fighting at the same age as Floyd. thats not a fair comparison

 

I think Bernard even tricks himself at times - he didn't have so many technical advantages to beat all those guys and I bet he was not sure he would beat most of them... Just that he kept on doing small things and making them lose their patience until they blew their own chances to win the fights... Mayweather has done nothing particularly smart to turn his opponents' games against themselves, he dominates the fights athletically and technically from start to finish.

 

That actually works in favour of PBF...

If Hopkins started later that means he had less time to develop his skills or really sharpen/hone them as a pro before age settled in.

If you look at Hopkins, he has amazing ring smarts...and he has decent power and boxing skill, at least enough to get by.

Mayweather has speed, power(at his earlier stage of 130-140), reflexes, youth(respectably), and obviously is the more skilled.

Simply put, Hopkins has less at his disposal yet manages to be very successful even long after his physical peak.

Can we say Mayweather will do the same when his physical peak starts to dwindle? He is VERY young still. Now, the main advantage Floyd has is his speed. Imagine if Floyd was simply not as fast, or strong anymore.

Would he still be able to compete with the top level welterweights without it?

 

Bernard Hopkins is without a doubt the craftiest ring technician in the boxing game today. He knows when to box smart against guys like Trinidad, De La Hoya, or Tarver until he wears them down and he knows when to put on the pressure such as against guys like the dangerous banger Antwon Echols or the less dangerous - but at the time still capable William Joppy.

 

PBF doesnt just rely heavily on his athletic ability a la RJJ, Hamed, etc. PBF has skills and boxing knowledge to match.