BHOP vs JT

Yeah, B-Hop vs. Taylor at 170 would be great I think.

 

It's styles, JT presented a difficult style for Hopkins.

JT still has a chance, I'm a fan of his too, he's hardly finished and this Hopkins win makes him look good to be honest. Now that he's moving to Super middleweight he has a very good to take over that division with Kessler being the most difficult challenge there. JT has some great fights to bring and I'll be watching.

 

I think Hopkins stayed at 160 too long. No way Taylor would beat him at 170 right now. I think Taylor got gift decisions against Hops anyway.

 

no it doesn't

 

I was just thinking about making this thread. I always held those decisions against Jermain, but I guess it's (finally) time to admit that being as competitive as he was against B-Hop was a hell of an accomplishment (even though I scored the first for Hopkins and the second a draw.) Especially as a fighter only in his mid-20s.

For one, Bernard had to show a ton of respect for Taylor's athletic qualities. His speed posed a problem that Bernard never completely figured out (minus the championship rounds of the first fight, when Taylor gassed.) And secondly, Jermain has that strange, unpredictable rhythm, one a whole lot harder to gauge than Kelly's plodding "one-two, step in behind the jab" approach. When Emmanuel Steward tried to break this rhythm by turning him into a jab and one-two machine, the effect was simply awful. Losing Steward was a great move by Jermain and his people.

Without getting too deep into it, EM was on the money calling Taylor an instinct fighter. Trouble is, his strengths then (unpredictability, speed) will only mask his weaknesses (shaky defense, wide punches, questionable stamina) against certain fighters.

He ought to beat Lacy, but he's an elite athlete first, elite fighter second.