in their prime, Jones vs Hopkins

I was hoping I could vote for Hopkins AND too close to call.

I would slightly put the edge to Bernard (Glen Johnson actually credits Bernard with telling him exactly how to beat Jones after his win vs him...but that wasnt prime....but still warrents mentioning), but wouldnt be surprised in the LEAST to see Jones pull it out. And I mean not in the least.

Anyone saying definately either way is picking with their heart and not their head.

 

It looks as though you were saying Tarver broke Harding's jaw.

At LHW, I think Jones beat a few good prime fighters who would have been champions for a bit had Jones not been there. Woods, Harding, Griffin, Gonzalez to name a few. None were great.

 

Virgil Hill WAS GREAT if you ask me tho. People severely underrate Jone's resume.

Hopkins, Toney, Hill, Griffin, Woods, Tarver, Ruiz, etc. He beat some greats, as well as some borderline greats.

 

You are officially the first person I have ever heard of on this planet that feels that fight could have gone either, and that's including hopkins himself.

 

Hill was great, though not an ATG. But the guy asked me what good fighters Jones beat in their prime. I would be lying to call Hill prime at the time of their encounter.

 

True...very true.

 

Hopkins wasn't easily beaten.

 

If they fought in their primes in a real life example where they'd already fought before, I would pick Hopkins. If they fought in a hypothetical situation, in their primes, with never having fought before, I would pick Jones. I think Hopkins had to lose to Roy before he could ever beat him. Hopkins is a master at figuring his opponents out, and I think after their first fight Hopkins would have done just that. It would have been an all-time classic war, but Hopkins would have won it.

Supposing they'd never fought, but just met in their primes, Jones would win the first fight, as meeting him for the first time must be daunting... considering he brought so much to the table.

Head to head you can make an argument for Roy as pound for pound the greatest of all time... so there's no shame in losing to him.

 

Hmm, do you know where I could find Johnson saying that? I didn't know that.

 

I read it in an interview a ways back (right after the fight actually). Went to look for it and couldnt find it (googled it)....

He also said that Hopkins was easily the best fighter he has ever faced and by far his toughest match and said he actually felt LOST trying to fight him.

Ill poke around a bit and see if I can unearth it.

:hey

 

He felt Hopkins was better than Roy? How recent did he say that part?

Edit: Obviously the Roy he faced was faded/shot... etc., I know.

 

Actually, no. To attempt to fight a fighter like Jones using speed and athletism, you are doomed to fail.

He is one of the fastest (if not THE fastest) fighters of all time. And athletically, he IS the best ever....I dont think there is much of an arguement to be made here.

Now how do you fight a fighter like that. Well.....the best weapon against speed is timing....there arent many fighters better than Bernard at timing his shots and timing his opponents. And to counteract an athletic fighter like that, you MUST make it a FIGHT, as opposed to a boxing match.....and how many fighters are better than Hopkins at THAT?

Bernard matches up with prime Jones better than almost anyone. Which is why I would be torn as to who would win (but for the reasons above, as well as a few others....I slllliiiiiiightly favor Hopkins).

 

Tho the Johnson version of Hopkins was tremendous. He wasnt really matured (maybe the wrong wording...but I think ya get me) defensively yet. I would say the Holmes/Trinidad/Joppy Hopkins (maybe a bit earlier) is the one the best exemplifies his prime (tho Id have to say out of any other fighter in history, Bernard's prime is the hardest to pinpoint).

The comment he made was something about watching his fight with Hopkins, he couldnt figure out even on film how he could win. High praise...tho Johnson has ALWAYS been pure class.

:good

 

no ****. rjj could have been the president of his own fan club. does anyone buy that rjj hurt his hand in the first hopkins fight, and beat him with one hand?? this is of course RJJ, the sultan of humbleness were talking about. seems like he's making excuses for the fact that hopkins made a respectable showing against a guy who was supposed to KO him.