How Highly Should Bernard Hopkins Be Rated?

What he did to Trinidad was nothing short of a public service to our species.

 

Sneaks into the top 5.

 

It's tough to rate this guy because so much of what he did was being a flash-in-the-pan, fan-friendly slugger. And I'll give him that he was a great slugger but I never saw him do much hard thinking in the ring. Great athleticism, fun as heck, but never much of a thinker, if we're honest. If you just do an apple-to-apples comparison of Greb and Hopkins and their respective training footages, one can see a significant disparity in how analytical they are in doing things. If he had stuck around when he was no longer capable of physically out-speeding and out-hustling the Pavliks of the world, he may have had to show if he even could use his brain in the ring. And maybe he could. Maybe I am being too hard on him. I just would've liked to have seen it.

 

Hopkins is definitely in the ranks of Hagler, Monzon and Robinson...

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I just can't put him there. He isn't even the best middleweight of his own era. Jones was better. And, Toney and and old McCallum have a chance of beating him, too.

 

I agree, personally I can't rate him in the top 10 middleweights and I don't rate him much at all at 175.

 

He does not make the Top10 middleweights simply because his resume at 160 is not that impressive. Add to that his 2 defeats against Taylor when he still was very good.

 

Top 10.
Not Top-5, for mine.

And, I understand why there are those that won't even put him in their 10. (I didn't - for a long time - and I couldn't say that I'm a fan, either). However, looking at it objectively, I find it difficult not to.

Hopkins has genuine longevity. Sure, the opposition wasn't stellar, but it wasn't a slew of bargain basement cans, either. There may have been a few paycheck collectors in the mix, but the majority of his challengers were genuinely trying to take the title from him - and not just happy to be there (for the cash).

He was the first undisputed Middleweight Champ since Hagler and, other than the guy who took those honors from him (and was promptly relieved of that status by the IBF for immediately re-matching Hopkins), no one has been able to claim 'Undisputed' status since.

I don't hold the Taylor losses against him. They signified that Hopkins had outstayed his welcome at the division limit of 160. No surprise at the age of 40, as he was by then. Not to mention they were razor thin decisions, IMO.

Either way, onward and upward Hopkins went, having been the best Middleweight in the world for roughly 8 or 9 years. Good enough to make the 10 in my book.

 

I have no problem putting him there.

He was the best middleweight of his era, resume wise, by a country mile and then some. I'm assuming the question is resume unless nominated H2H, which you are utilizing and that's far more opinion based than resume. Incidentally i'd still have him top 5 H2H all day long. He was a master inside that squared circle.

Resume wise Jones doesn't hold a candle to him at 160. He was there for 5 minutes. When he beat Hopkins he was entering an extraordinary run that would see him completely school a prime James Toney the very next year. Hopkins was miles behind his schedule, development wise, as Jones was a freak with god given talents that saw him performing at a level that was barely fair to mere mortals. A year and a half later Hopkins was drawing Mercardo and he didn't get real recognition until he beat Trinidad another 6 years later. He was fighting at an awfully high level from 97 tho and people hadn't caught on.

Having said all that i'd still favor Jones peak for peak, absolutely, due to his freak talent and notable stylistic advantage. On a resume list however Jones struggles to make the top 40 Middleweights of all time.

 

Sorry maybe I need educating and schooling here or missing something, but I always thought Hopkins was the opposite of that in there he was the supreme tactician could decide his opponents.

 

BE was being sarcastic, in his own inimitable style.

 

Just when i thought the entire forum was awake to him

Don't change BE whatever you do, your patience and dedication is admirable.

 

Probably? Fergy!!!!!!