Best technician: Hopkins or Toney?

I feel this way. But, I hesitated to agree with you, because you've already just had Foreman Hook agree with you on that Tyson thread. :blurp

 

Hopkins is the greater technician, boxer etc. Everything. Toney was good, but not in Hopkins class.

 

Toney was an excellent in fighter and could not be intimidated, I think Bernard was the better conditioned of the 2 ...2 different styles Bernard makes you look bad, Toney tough and smart....both have their doctors degree

 

very very close......in my opinion......two great fighters !

 

Toney may look a more spectacular looking fighter,and I'll agree that he's the more impressive fighter in terms offense shown,but he's nowhere near as versatile and complete as Hopkins is.Hopkins is as good a counter puncher as Toney is,and his footwork and balance are leagues above Toney's.Hopkins is as adept at pressing a fight,going forward and initiating the action,as he is moving back,using side-to-side lateral movement and counter punching.Toney is only truly effective against stationary fighters that stand in the pocket with him.Very poor at cutting the ring off and never looked comortable against intelligent boxers that gave him angles.



The first two fights with McCallum sums up Toney perectly as a fighter.In the first fight,where McCallum was willing to trade and initiate exchanges with him,Toney looked impressive and ended up sharing a draw with McCallum.In their rematch,however,McCallum fought a more conservative fight,used the ring more,gave angles and simply boxed Toney.McCallum really exposed Toney's limitations and,on any fair scorecard,won that fight convincingly.

 

Well, I´m very agreeable these days, BE. :deal

 

:huh Why would you only watch 5-6 rounds of a 12-round fight in order to make a point about the whole fight? Toney does the more effective work over the course of the whole fight, and deserved the decision. :deal

 

Hopkins bested De La Hoya purely on boxing skills alone.He spent the majority of the fight stalking De La Hoya,looking to create openings,and nailed him with well-timed single shots.Those fly-swatting flurries didn't have any effect on Hopkins.


Hopkins has never fought anyone as technically good as McCallum - but this thread isn't about him.

 

He beat DLH because he was too strong and thats why DLH ducked out of the fight. DLH actually held his own for a few rounds but he was never a middleweight.

 

Both guys are skillful as hell. I think Toney had more balls to fight anyone out but Hopkins had more discipline. I heard Hopkins wanted Haye at once but talk is talk until contracts come into the picture. Great vids of the highly regard technicians and yes, Hopkins did outbox DLH lol.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJMBGAUelG0[/ame]




[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ZtfHeLEJo[/ame]





[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl50iVr25R8[/ame]






[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKblbW5BSDc[/ame]

 

As a technician Toney, the examples people are giving of Hops movement/footwork being partly is a large part down to Toney being lazy/less conditioned

 

What better barometer of technical skill is there than evaluating performances against fellow technicians. The truth is that Hopkins has never really fought a true technician or stylist.... And the guys closest to a technician that he has fought he lost against in Jones and Taylor..

 

Not too much of a win for Hopkins but Wright was a technician. Taylor couldn't be further from one but Jones in his prime MIGHT be considered a technician because of his smart offense and overall good ring IQ.

I thought he beat clearly Taylor in the first fight and the rematch could've gone either way for what it's worth.

Also, Nunn was one the best stylists Toney fought and though he struggled, he still beat him. Hopkins lost to the best stylist and possibly only stylist he fought in Jones when Jones was prime.