Greatest Middleweight

Hopkins doesnt belong in the top 7 imo.Probably not in thre top 10.

 

I know you like a lot of the greats from the earlier times McVey, and i respect your opinion as i read and your posts and opinions. I do disagree with you here though

 

Tony Ayala of course....I thought his lashing of Cuevas would've made a believer of everybody!

 

Jeez, i forgot Tony! Who could ever forget his demolition of Robbie Epps too!

 

Herrera, too!

Hearns?! Oh, how the innuendo makes one ponder.....

 

So many possibilities, so little actualities

 

Oh I musn't forget Steve Gregory, the man that took Kalule the distance!

 

Gosh, with credentials like that i may need to rethink!

 

Robinson
Hagler
Monzon
Hopkins
Hearns


Harry Greb and Mickey Walker are before my time but they deserve mentioning in this list based on strong reputation from older boxing fans and there fight records. These two fighters easily could be #1 and #2 with Sugar Ray Robinson rounding out the list. Two other fighters that also deserve recognition are Roy Jones Jr and Emile Griffith.

 

I disagree.

If Hopkins had retired after the Taylor fights then in time historians would have compared him to Monzon and Hagler.

As it was he came back for an encore and what an encore.

Defeated the man at 175 lbs one of only three midleweight champions to ever do so.

Defeated the pound for pound No4 fighter on the planet, a man who had held his conqueror for the middleweight title (Taylor) to a controvertial draw sending him up the p4p rankings in his 40s.

Held the unified super middleweight champion who was honestly the best fighter under 175 at the time to a split decision.

All this in his 40s.

Historians of the future will sing Hopkins praises from the roof.

 

And yet i was left with the distinct impression any of the versions of hopkins we saw there would have been comprehensively beaten by any truly good light heavy.

Calzaghe as well at 175 if that performance is anything to go by.He wouldn't get past even a dennis andries type.

Not that Hopkins shouldn't be given credit for his success at a very late age and remaining decent for so long after his prime, but you have to factor in the relatively tame competition.

 

Hagler gets the nod as my #1 choice.

 

This stands for me as well.