Classic fights revisit edition 3: Bernard Hopkins vs Jermaine Taylor 1

Hello friends,

A while ago, i created a thread for anyone who is interested in rewatching classic fights with fresh eyes and discussing them on this forum. Thread is here: Which classic fights do you want to revisit in 2025? | Boxing News 24 Fan Forum

In our first two installment, we discussed RJJ vs Tarver 1 and Canelo Alvarez vs GGG 2. The links to the previous installments are found below the embedded video below.

In our third installment, we will discuss, Bernard Hopkins vs Jermaine Taylor 1.

You can rewatch the fight whenever you have time and we will discuss it this Sunday, 11th May 2025. This will give everyone enough time to go back and rewatch the fight with fresh eyes.

You are not obligated to score the fight. However, if you do decide to score the fight, please wait till Sunday, 11th May 2025 to post your scorecards so we can do this collectively.

Personally, i will be posting my scorecard and adding a poll on top of it.

I am going to embed the fight here.

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Links to previous classic fights revisit:

Classic fights revisit : Roy Jones Jr vs Antonio Tarver 1 | Boxing News 24 Fan Forum
Classic fights revisit edition 2: Canelo Alvarez vs GGG 2 | Boxing News 24 Fan Forum
Classic fights revisit edition 3: Bernard Hopkins vs Jermaine Taylor 1 | Boxing News 24 Fan Forum

 

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@People's Champ @drenlou @Barrf


@Dynamicpuncher @Overhand94 @Mastrangelo

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@themaster458

And anyone else who wants to participate.

 

Before i give my score card, i want to clear up some definitions on scoring

A close round - a close round is a highly competitive round where i felt one guy did just enough to win. While i personally think the guy who won this round, won it in a convincing manner, i can also kind of see other people seeing this as a swing round.

A swing round - a close highly competitive round which i struggle to score. I have zero issue with anyone scoring it for either guy

A clear round - there are two types of clear rounds. One is when one guy thoroughly dominates without scoring a knockdown. The second one is where the round was fairly competitive but Fighter A did 10% more. Competitive and not one sided but the guy who did 10% more clearly won the round. I don't think these rounds are debatable at all.

For me, the difference between a close round and a swing round is that in a close round, i think one guy did just about enough in a very close encounter. Whereas swing rounds are genuinely confusing to score.

 

Round 1 Taylor 10-9 close

Both guys probing, not much happening, Taylor lands a decent jab and Hopkins throws a lead left hook that is partially blocked by Taylor. Taylor lands a solid straight right on a retreating Hopkins and follows up with a jab.
Good exchange on the inside with Hopkins landing a left hook and Taylor a solid right hand. Taylor lands a solid jab. Taylor is definetely the agressor here. Some clinching from both men and some decent short shots landed on the inside
by both men. That being said, not much is happening outside of this. I think this is a close but clear round for Taylor. His agression and the fact he landed a few solid shots wins it for me. That being said, not much was landed overall.

Round 2 Taylor 10-9 close

Taylor momentarily stuns Hopkins with a big right hand about 43 seconds into the round and then they clinch. Taylor follows up with a good right hand to the body a few seconds later. Taylor lands a few decent shots.
Hopkins starts to do a bit better later on with landing some short shots during clinches but overall I felt Taylor did enough to win this round.

Round 3 Taylor 10-9 close

Taylor stalking, doubling up on his jab and even though all of them are not landing, some are and these are scoring jabs. Hopkins landed a good right hand lead late in the round and a solid left hook a while later but Taylor landed a
solid right hand near the end of the round. Taylor's agression and activity are enough to clinch this round for me.

Round 4 Taylor 10-9 close

Hopkins lands a couple of decent shots in the early going and Taylor responds with a good left hook about 50 seconds in. Taylor lands another couple of good shots with Hopkins on the ropes and then they clinch.
Taylor doubles up on his jab a couple of times and eventually misses with a wild overhand right. Very uneventful last minute with neither guy doing much. I felt Taylor did well enough early in the round to take it.

Round 5 Hopkins 10-9 clear

Hopkins lands a good left hook about 30 seconds in. Ref calls timeout as there is a cut on Taylor's head. Taylor corners Hopkins and lands a good right and then they clinch. Hopkins lands a good hook and then they clinch again.
Brilliant counter right hand by Hopkins inside and then more clinching. Hopkins lands a solid right hand lead late in the round. Taylor lands a terrific left hook near the end of the round and a couple of good shots but not enough
to win the round.

Round 6 Taylor 10-9 clear

Taylor is the agressor here and is landing his jab solidly and landing some good body shots. Both guys had some success in the last 20 seconds but Hopkins was far too inactive. Clear Taylor round.

Round 7 Taylor 10-9 close

Taylor is still the agressor and lands a couple of solid jabs but Hopkins lands a HUGE right hand about a minute in though Taylor takes it well enough.
Taylor starts to double up with his jab and starts having moderate success with it. Hopkins appears to be looking to walk him into a big counter but he isn't active enough. The only reason I ranked this as a close round
was due to the big right that Hopkins landed early (biggest punch of the round by far) but Taylor was a lot more active and landed a decent number of jabs.

Round 8 Taylor 10-9 swing

Hopkins ends up being more aggressive than before but Taylor is still able to hold his own. Taylor does a little better in the last 20 seconds to clinch the round in my books but it’s a close enough round to be considered a swing round.

Round 9 Hopkins 10-9 swing

Nice 1-2 by Hopkins landed early. Taylor lands a couple of good body shots. Good jabs by both men. A couple of decent right hand counters by Hopkins. Close round that could be scored either way but I felt Hopkins's right hands were enough to swing it.

Round 10 Hopkins 10-9 clear

Very even first half of the round with both guys jabbing well. Taylor gets pushed down. Some very ugly clinching, holding and hitting. About 2 minutes in, Hopkins lands a HUGE right hand. Taylor is hurt and holding on.
Taylor responds well with a good shot but Hopkins manages to land another couple of good right hands. I really dislike the excessive holding and clinching but Hopkins clearly landed the bigger shots and was the agressor here.
Easy Hopkins round.

Round 11 Hopkins 10-9 clear

Hopkins lands a couple of good right hands early. Taylor seems content jabbing. Hopkins is putting pressure. Taylor responds with a flurry of body shots and a couple of good shots upstairs to even up the round but Hopkins responds
with some hard shots upstairs. Fairly uneventful in the last 30 seconds with neither man doing much but Hopkins clearly landed more shots and harder ones. Easy Hopkins round.

Round 12 Hopkins 10-9 clear

Taylor lands a good right hand about half a minute in. Hopkins lands a couple of solid right hand leads and corners Taylor. Taylor lands a big right hand about a minute and a half in. Hopkins lands a few hard shots about 2 minutes in.
Taylor is refusing to give in but I still felt Hopkins landed more.


Overall: 7 rounds to 5 for Jermaine Taylor

 

Conclusion

Good fight. I felt Taylor won the earlier rounds closely. He was certainly more active. Apart from round 5, i felt that Taylor was doing just enough to win every round in the first 7.

I had two swing rounds in the fight. I scored 1 for each man.

Taylor really faded in the last 3 rounds but managed to land just enough shots to prevent Hopkins from going for the ko. Hopkins did try to walk Taylor into huge counter right hands but it wasn't enough.

I can't see this as a Hopkins win personally even though i had it 7-5 for Taylor. Personally, i can't give Hopkins two more rounds. I could perhaps give him 1 more at most.

Good fight. Not as high caliber as GGG-Canelo 2 but an interesting fight nonetheless.

 

would be curious to see other scorecards at some point.

 

Good card. I can see a case for a draw or a Taylor win but not a Hopkins win.