Hopkins was surprising

He couldn't use dirty tactics because that would require getting close and Bhop was quickly made to understand that getting close was a one way to ticket to the ICU at the local general hospital. Not to mention Kovalev would have countered in kind which Bhop wanted no part of from the looks of it. He was forced to fight relatively clean under penalty of possibly death. The one time he got a little cute, he was battered around the ring like a ragdoll. He was essentially Kovalev's ***** and was kept in deep check throughout the fight.

 

He tried to use his head butt

 

I tend to disagree a bit here, I think Hopkins couldn't employ such tactics because Kovalev did very well to avoid that. He never overpaced or overextended himself to get countered, in in-fight situations he immidiately started to rabid punch and throw to the body to break the situation up. He threw unorthodox right hooks every time Hopkins came in to make Hopkins offensive actions risky for himself.In the first rounds he once punched a bit after the round ended...

He showed the whole fight that he is a guy not to be messed with, he didn't make the mistakes of many former Hopkins' opponents and fight in Hopkins fighting style. His demeanour was "I am the younger and stronger guy and I'll beat u up, it'll be much worse if you open up yourself".

 

with all due respect I disagree with your thoughts on why Bhop didn't reach into his bag of dirty tricks. Your thinking is that Bhop grew a conscious. I don't believe that. Dirty tricks come from getting close and manhandling a foe in close. Kov from the opening round was in my opinion too strong in numerous ways for Bhop to manhandle, not just with how hard Kov hit but with how strong he is and was. Take the push down by Bhop, that was done because Kov was off balance, the problem being Kov wasn't off balance very often and thus didn't give Bhop opportunity to be dirty.

Now if Bhop had been in the fight scoring against Kov then he would have had more opportunity to be dirty in between some of his exchanges but one has to be in the fight first to make that happen.

Why wasn't Bhop more committed to rough house tactics? He was more conscious from rd1 focusing upon not getting hit flush by Kov. That took priority and was the only reason that Bhop made it to the final bell IMO.

 

seems like kovalev was ready for it. notice how many times he had hopkins in a headlock.

 

I think that is a good breakdown of events. My thoughts exactly. From the beginning Hopkins underestimated Kovalevs power and his own ability to take that power and respond. Plus, you gotta give big ups to Kovalevs trainer because he knew what needed to be done and the gameplan he drew up was executed flawlessly by Kov.

 

Plenty of times but these busters is glazing past that. Hopkins would have lost without Kov doing that but when you break down the events of a fight, cover the whole spectrum.

 

He tried with the head early on Kovalev tied him up.

Hopkins attacks, holds then uses the head, he charges in with the head, or brings the head up. He was basically unable to attack without getting severely countered thats why he didnt use the head.

Are we all supposed to think that he suddenly decided to abandon his usual tactics? He had a change of heart all of a sudden? Naa

 

:deal

 

Kovalev bullied and roughed up Hopkins to were he was afraid to throw any punches, all he did was cover up and and move away until the 12th round. Hopkins was was afraid to get close enough to try his headbutts, low blows, elbows, etc, etc.

 

It looked like the shot that put him on the floor in the first was a hook to the ear, which can really **** with your balance and equilibrium.

 

Difference between ready to go, and taking a good shot, and clearing your head. If Hopkins was ready to go, Kovalev would have put him down. Now in the 12th, Kovalev was trying, and Hopkins was eating flush shots actually looking like he may have been ready to go, but he stayed up right. That is one hell of a chin, and head, great punch resistance. Kovalev would have KO'd most fighters last night.

 

The main thing was Kovalev maintaining distance. He kept his composure, moved in, threw a few shots, and then backed out again, rinse and repeat. Hopkins himself said it was distance that trobled him. You don't want to stay in there with Hopkins getting head butted and what not.