H2H Hopkins vs Toney

Hopkins by decision.

When it came to it he was more consistent and had more tools in the bag.

These two win my prize for most unknockoutable in history.

 

I think Hopkins had some trouble with speed. Slight edge to Toney.

 

Hopkins

 

Tonney out works him.

 

I think at 168 the very best Toney would win a decision, but if they fought 5 times, the much better conditioned Hopkins would win 3 or more times.

 

It would be close and probably not that thrilling to watch. I'd go for Hopkins to pinch a decision as he's guaranteed to show up in shape (unlike Toney) and more likely to be in good form.

 

I would pick Hopkins by decision

 

Hopkins slows down the action and out-thinks him.

 

Agreed. Out thinks him and does not fall for the Toney traps. Without his traps being effective, how does James win the rounds?

I also think Bernard uses his footwork and turns him & it becomes a footwork type fight. I think toney is a step late and a step too slow to land enough scoring punches.

The over/under would be what? 2:55 of the 12th round for the under? And I'd still take the over. Actually it'd be hard to imagine a cut or even swelling with these guys.

 

I actually rate Toney as the superior inside fighter, and I think Bernard's gritty, physical style on the interior plays into James' hands because Bernard won't have his typical strength advantage and Toney is an expert on short shots on the inside. His bullying/veteran "wiles" on the interior won't work much, either.

I also think he lacks the workrate or speed to really exploit Toney's propensity for staying relatively flat footed and preferring the pocket. Bernard does have the jab to score with and would have success with it, win or lose. I think Bernard's really got to focus on staying mobile and pushing the pace of the fight. The slower it gets, the better it is for Toney IMO.

That said, there's always a consistency issue with Toney so he may not win a trilogy, but if we're talking on an "on" night, I think he's got a better than 50/50 shot to pull it off.

I'd never bet on it either way, though.

 

I don't get why people think Toney would out work Hopkins. I assume this is a prime for prime type of affair not a prime Toney vs an old Hopkins. Hopkins at his prime had a ferocious work rate, he threw about a 1000 punches against Johnson, even at nearly 39 when he fought Joppy he threw over 800 punches, it's only when Hopkins really got close to 40 that his work rate began to drop.

In a match up between perhaps the most hardworking and disciplined fighter of his generation against the most ill disciplined fighter of his generation, if anyone is going to get outworked it would be Toney unless of course you are throwing a prime Toney in against a 40 year old plus Hopkins.

Tough fight to call a winner. It would be close like Toney's fights with McCallum. Toney is better on the inside and a better counter puncher. Hopkins has the movement to make Toney come to him and force him to lead which does not suit Toney's style.

If Toney can see Hopkins sneaky right coming then he would likely win. He is a master of making a fighter miss their right hand and counter with his own, if Toney can do this he takes away Hopkins best punch and wins a decision. The only fighter I've seen land right leads and get away with it with Toney was Jones Jr and Hopkins simply doesn't have RJJ's speed.

But even if he takes away Hopkins right hand it doesn't mean he is guaranteed to win. Watch Toney's fights with Griffin. Griffin sacrifices the use of his right hand and abandons it in favour of his left hook and so took away Toney's right hand counter.

Hopkins would have to make adjustments to his usual style, he isn't going to win this with the right hand leads he loves to throw, he also isn't winning this on the inside. Though Toney can be matched at times on the inside as shown in his fights with Griffin and even Charles Williams had success on the inside in their fight. Toney is better at mid range and even if he is better than Hopkins on the inside, Hopkins will just clinch and maul to take away this part of Toney's game.

I'd give the slight edge to Hopkins, but only just. He greater consistency, conditioning and movement will be enough to earn a close decision.

 

Great post. I lean Hopkins in this one because of his superior ability to control and close distance. I'm sure Toney would catch and slip a lot of his surprise lead rights and ambush punches, but I think that enough of them would land to put rounds in the bag.

 

I'll take the Toney vs Barkley, Littles and McCallum over any version of Hopkins. I've just never seen the greatness that everyone else does in Hopkins, while Toney was absolutely sublime, pinpoint accurate, wonderful defensively, and all without clinching, stalling and mauling as part of the game plan.