I still think a Prime Hopkins beats Dawson.

I'd favor Hopkins of the Tarver fight over Dawson. Nevermind prime.

 

Ok he might have a little more work rate but those guys mentioned still out work him ..I mean Joe and Jones both had higher work rates at any point in their careers over Hopkins ..Dawson would be no diffrent ..Hopkins may have engaged more and held less but he wasn't going to out work these guys with his style ..These guys are also movers .


And all past his prime well which one is it ? Against Jones he was too green ,after that loss he doesn't lose for another 10 yrs ..His next loss is to Taylor ..By then people are saying he is finished ..Then he beats Tarver and Pavlik he's the timeless wonder ..With Hopkins you never could tell when he peaked ..But one thing was certain he basically fought the same way for yrs ..He always started slow ,thes guys didn't ..

 

Prime hopkins beats prime anybody he's faced the last 10 years, exception : Jones Jr.

 

A younger Hopkins beats Dawson imo

 

You would almost certainly have to favor prime Hopkins over Dawson.

 

A freshly moved up Hopkins would have taken more risks and won, IMO.

 

I dunno, this is a tough one. I thought BHop would win last night because I thought people put too much into those two rounds. However after watching last night it's clear Dawson's style causes BHop a lot of problems. I think it would be closer in BHop's prime but I'm leaning toward's Dawson still beating him.

 

It would always have been a difficulty for sure, but at the same time, Dawson was winning his rounds clearly but by just a little. Small bursts of activity that meant one or two more clean punches landed and a few less Hopkins wasn't able to throw himself under the assault. I think that difference could have been rectified. In fact, by round 9, Hopkins started connecting with lead rights, and I was wondering myself why he hadn't been doing that more the whole time. It was far too late, but I think an earlier Hopkins would have found the holes quicker by pressing more vigorously.

 

Dawson was fatigued because he had two cuts in his eyes. None the less I gave Dawson the 10th and 11th round. Letterman gave the 11th round to Hopkins but towards the end Dawson had a good flurry but was tackled to the ground. The 12th round I had a draw, nothing happened at all.

 

He was also a middleweight and the only boxer he fought who was A class was RJJ. Everyone else Hopkins fought was not as good as Dawson, who is a fast right-handed southpaw.

 

I don't see how cuts cause fatigue? Hopkins was making him miss a lot. Not putting forth much of his own, but neutralizing a lot of what he did. My only point is that adding some offensive eagerness and sharpness could have turned rounds he was losing into rounds he could win, some years ago.

 

I agree. Against most guys Hopkins looked big enough, but against Dawson he looked like a small light heavyweight.

 

Hopkins fought quite a few people in Dawson class. Tito,Jones,Calzaghe,Wright,Tarver,Pascal. etc.

 

Yeah it sounds very achievable when you put it that way. :good

I'd like to think he could do it because he's one of my favourite fighters.

 

Hopkins always loses to Jones.

Four of those loses came AFTER he turned 40.

Hopkins arguably beat Taylor twice when he was struggling to make 160 and had abysmal stamina. No reason NOT to think Hopkins circa 1997-2002 whoops Taylor's ass.

Hopkins arguably beat Calzaghe in a ridiculously bad fight at the age of 43.

Dawson clearly beat a shell of Hopkins at 47 years old, but didn't look THAT impressive in doing it. Certainly didn't look like somebody who jumped out at you as a truly great light heavyweight.

I'd favor Hopkins to beat all three at his best and do so decisively, even if some fights themselves weren't aesthetically pleasing.