Hopkins from the Tarver fight vs Mustafa from the Johnson fight. 15 rds same day weight in. How does it go. Eddie has the age advantage. Hop has the experience and conditioning advantage. I think the same day weight in benefits him more also as Eddie often struggled on the scales. Fight is most likely not very exciting but both men were running hot on these separate occasions so who knows. Predictions?
The version of Eddie that beat Marvin Johnson was as good in that fight as he ever was. I'd take Mustafa to take a decision but it Hopkins runs into Eddie's right cross he could go.
Eddie through the right hand so relaxed and effortlessly it's amazing how much power it carried. He was one of the most relaxed fighters I've ever seen. Kool as a cucumber he was
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad was a very good fighter, he was well schooled. Bernard Hopkins was a very good boxer, good combinations, could hit, but at times could sneak in those right hands. The weakness in Eddie was that he could be out boxed as Victor Galindez proved in 1977. It would be an exiting contest from start to finish. But Eddie is the harder puncher here, after trailing early, Eddie starts to get set with his right hand which causes Hopkins to be hesitant in landing his brisk combinations. Eddie by a unanimous decision.
Eddie could also be smothered and bullied around like he was vs. James Scott. Hopkins would lure him into an ugly fight and Eddie would shift into low gear and coast (as he was inclined to do) and B-Hop takes a decision.
Eddie. Bernard, a great middleweight, was not a great lightheavy. And he did not have the power to get Eddie to respect him. And Eddie had the boxing IQ and skillset to beat Bernard. When motivated, Eddie was a great 175 pounder. Bernard gets outclassed over 12 or 15 here.
