Can we just STFU already about Bernard Hopkins knocking out career WW Tito Trinidad

Complete BS. Joppy found nothing of the sort. In fact, as typical in boxing, Joppy's rep signed off on the wraps. What happened with this is, Joppy was supposedly warned by Hasim Rahman about the wraps before their fight. But did Joppy do anything? No. He only brought all this up AFTER he lost.

 

No bigger than the names at 160 where he was king. It wasn't until later that the higher divisions got infused with new blood with better talent and bigger names.

He didn't need to shrink himself down to stay at middleweight, he was a reknown gym rat who always kept his weight near his fighting weight. Bhop wasn't a massive middleweight. He was average. Guys like Holmes, Joppy, Echols, Eastman, Johnson, Brown ect....were all bigger.

Bernard was kind of blacked balled for a good portion of his career at middleweight especially. He didn't make it easy on himself because he didn't want to be dictated to from the promoters of networks but he did face the best opposition in his division at the peak of his physical prime. He surely would have opted to face the big names during his physical prime if he had the opportunities....They just weren't there because the networks and promoters didn't want to work with him for a number of reasons. He was a difficult fight for anyone and a hard sell to the networks.

 

JohnnyDrama99,

Bernard waited 7 years for King's tournament.

Look at who fought within his reach at SMW-LHW at that point.

There was no comparison.

Yes he did. He's even admitted it. No, Joppy, Echols, Eastman, Johnson and Brown weren't bigger than him. Bernard is 6'1, with a 75" reach.

He had opportunities.

HBO offered him $6m to fight Roy at a C-W in 2002, which included a comeback fight on their network had he have lost. Bernard declined the offer and instead demanded $10m. He then spent a year out of the ring before fighting Morrade Hakkar for $1.3m.

The reason that Bernard didn't move up, was because he didn't want to.

He took the easier route of ruling a weak MW division, where again, he enjoyed physical advantages over the majority of his opponents.

 

He didn't wait for the tournament, it came about organically and wasn't his idea. He just benefited from it because he won.

There were some good names at MW, SMW and LHW....but not better or worse than the crop of opponents Bhop took on at 160.

Just because Bhop was taller doesn't mean he's bigger. Their frames were all the same. Keith Holmes is 6'2. But it doesn't mean he's a bigger man than Bhop. They were all legitimate middleweights.

He could have moved up but it wouldn't have made him any more money or given him more popularity and recognition if he did....unless he faced Jones again but in 2002 he had already beaten Tito and was in a solid position to dictate negotiations and face some big names that would really make him some good money. He simply did things his way and it hurt him early in his career but ultimately paid off towards the middle and end of his legendary career

 

JohnnyDrama99,

No, he didn't wait specifically for the tournament. I don't think he possesses psychic powers. What I meant, was that he was more than happy to plod along with his IBF belt, fighting whoever was put up in front him, whilst he racked up his number of defences. He had no real ambition.

That's simply not true.

Again, look at who he fought, and then look at who fought at SMW and LHW within that period. He was happy fighting the likes of Robert Allen 3 times.

Bernard is 6'1, with a 75" reach.

How many MW's are there with those stats?

GG is 5'10, with a 70" reach.

Bernard's height and reach gave him significant advantages.

He was content to fight at MW because it was easier than fighting SMW's and LHW's.

Take a look at the following transcript with Larry Merchant from 2008, courtesy of Serge:


Bernard Hopkins: "I'm glad he (Super Joe) feels comfortable fighting at his real weight that he could have been at a couple of years ago.. I know the feeling Joe I did it for 13 years at middleweight"

Larry Merchant: ''You suggested that you could've moved up in weight several years ago''

Bernard Hopkins: ''About 5 or 6 years ago I could've moved up. I could've fought 3 weight classes 4 or 5 years ago"

Larry Merchant: ''Why didn't you?''

Bernard Hopkins: ''Well, there was more money down at the small weights and the risk was minimum to going up to fight the big boys''

"At the end of the day, if I can get a guy to a weight class where I know he's not used to or hasn't been in - why wouldn't I take that advantage or take that chance.

Why couldn't he have moved up?

Why wouldn't it have been possible for him to have earnt more money, against better opposition?

It was reported that his fight against Keith Holmes gave him his biggest pay day to date, earning him a purse of $1m.

After he'd beaten Tito, he was fighting guys like Morrade Hakkar for around $1.3m.