Hopkins vs Mercado

A lot is made out of these fights, but I think Hopkins aquitts himself fantastically in both.

The first is of course very tough and close (I had Hopkins winning by at least 2 points, though), but considering the altitude I think B-Hop puts on a great perfomance. From experience I know that it's brutal with any physical exercise that high up. And an effing boxing match...

In the second he just steamrolls Mercado in a great show of unreelenteing aggression.

It's a great fighter we see in these two fights. It's not like him to get caught out like he did for the KDs in the first, but other than that these are two great efforts. Thoughts?

 

You have to take the altitude in great consideration. That alters the whole thing. Can't for the life of me see why he agreed to fight there in the first place.

He was actually having Mercado going already after the first round (Mercado said as much himself), but of course he couldn't keep that pace up at that altitude, so he let him in again. Hopkins was sloppy when he left himself open for the KDs, but I think he showed good tactical nous and great will to not only finish the fight but to do so that strongly.

The rematch is probably more or less what the first one would have looked like as well on normal altitude. A great show of agression even though he did overreach at times, especially behind that right. That's something he's been doing throughout his career, though, but gotten away with remarkably well.

 

Yeah, I would imagine so. He came through some monumental adversity in the first one to finish the second one off superbly. It's clear to see on him at the end of the rematch how much it meant for him.

 

You and I seem to have it the same more or less. I gave rd 4 to Mercado, but otherwise it's the same. Hopkins probably should have had that KD but he also probably should have a point deducted for headbutting Mercado, so that evens itself out.

The only question for me concerning the scoring is rd 7, which Hopkins would have won if not for the KD. Does the KD make it an automatic 10-8 round to Mercado or could it be scored 9-9? I think I got differing information on that principle, so I'm not completely sure. I scored it 10-8 to Mercado anyway.

EDIT: According to this it should have been scored 10-9 to Mercado: http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-national/the-10-point-must-system-scoring-knockdowns That would mean I'd have Hopkins winning by 3 points. And that is non-negotiable points since Hopkins won all his rounds quite clearly. I e; a robbbery in my eyes. Almost at least.

 

This could well be true. I don't think it was experience in general he lacking as much as experience of fighting at that altitude, though. Or just the experience not to fight in those places in the first place.

 

I think it's just too close to the loss to Jones for people to want to acknowledge just how good Hopkins looked. And those who see the first fight as a bad outing for him, clearly have no experience of physical exertion on that kind of altitude. It. Will. ****. You. Up.

I mean, the best football teams in the world get their asses handed to them in La Paz by the Bolivian national team, which is nothing away from home. The difference is massive.

 

It was the altitude I was getting at. Quito is almost at 3000 metres (10 000 feet) above sea level.

Just walkig up a flight of stairs at that altitude makes you winded.

 

They are. I got newfound respect for Hopkins, watching him pull through that ordeal. I think it was at the end of rd 8 when he was so tired that he had to be helped to the corner. Still he came out and won the next three. Very impressive.