Bump. Hopkins from the Tarver fight beats him, he’s all wrong for Stevenson, Stevenson was 1 dimensional, relying on using that long counter left hand measured by the right to keep you in your box and keep the fight low volume, he didn’t have a jab, he didn’t throw great combinations, just had great timing with that long left to the head and body and knew how to measure for it. Hopkins would be able to read and not step in too close without realising. When he does commit, he’d make sure to get down to his right to keep his head off the centre line and then quickly rush Stevenson and make it scruffy on the inside where Stevenson doesn’t want it. He can also outjab Stevenson and catch him with the right as Stevenson backs up by ducking to the right slightly as a feint/to keep off centre line, then coming with the straight right as Stevenson backs up in a straight line without covering up. Hopkins has far more tools and has the right tools to take away a sole counter straight left, you need much more than 1 tool in your arsenal to beat Hopkins as he’ll easily figure you out if you don’t.
I remember I was hyped to see this one after Chickenson announced the intention to immediately pursue an unification with Hopkins after he KOed Dawson in the very first round of their fight. In retrospective, I can see why it didn't happen...
Stevenson would have iced Bernard and Bernard knew that. Stevenson was incredibly fast and could hurt fighters with one shot to either the head or body. And Stevenson threw that straight left incredibly fast.
