I'm watching his fight vs Shumenov right now and it's incredible. Despite not having great speed he's still so sharp.
Can't say anything but good about him: prison champion, over 20 title defenses, the discipline of a monk, kept his promise to quit at 40 but came back when boredom beseeched him. Would never lose to the odlh's of the world nor Tito Trinidad s. In nacho Beristeins opinion, Hopkins is the best p4p fighter to have ever lived point blank period.
He never had the raw athleticism in terms of explosivity and fandamandanation of fighters who could do certain things better. But other things of which he could do he could do greater and bestest than those of which the other fighters which I have previously mentioned could also do to their own lesser extented descent. Great skill, yes. The best skill? Perhaps no, perhaps in one sense, maybe. Perhaps.
Even his loss to prime and very well- prepared Kovalev was incredible. Hopkins took punishment but got to the finish line. He was pushing 50 which is beyond ancient. In many ways he was a role model for other fighters. As Mike b said he had the discipline of a monk, and he was actually frugal with his money. He is a jazz fan too! He was always one of my favorite fighters.
He was an excellent fighter, one who improved as he aged. Great chin too. Would do great in any era and be beaten b by only the best. I'm talking Hagler, Robinson and Monzon.
I'd probably say probably, or probably not. Either way, it's a discussion to be had, arguably. From that position it could be asserted that it's perhaps debatable. And I wouldn't argue strongly against anyone who made that claim, or something similar, maybe. But I haven't really given it much thought.
IF there wasn't a 150 Years & Thousands of Great Fighters to Talk about, Think about and discover even, then maybe, but generally speaking NO, but he will always be considered among them.
From a defensive stance you could argue he was up there. In his prime which was probably as he aged a bit his offensive became a bit jab, sneaky right hand & headbut combo and tie. So maybe not the most fluid offensive fighter at his peak. But he must have been brilliant to go on for so long ,to outpoint so many fighters and not take huge damage. He was still beating World Class opposition when he was 40+ and that is hard to do in any sport never mind in combats sports. His dedication and fitness probably pushed him into the upper echelon of fighters more than anything he did with his fists.
Hopkins was so skilfull that he regularly not only knocked his opponent out, but the audience too, who had to be revived with the fire-hose.
I think his greatest skill was his mind. He was about the most intelligent fighter of the last few decades. Had a chip on his shoulder and desire to be great, keep proving people wrong. Russell Peltz said he knew he’d beat Tito, not because he was a great puncher (Peltz said he wasn’t) or because he had great skills (Peltz said he didn’t) but because he was simply not gonna be denied. When I say most skill, I want to see the whole package. Hopkins didn’t do a lot wrong, but a lot of what he was doing was because he could negate the opponent. He wasn’t a great combination puncher or smooth enough with his offense or technique for me to consider him the most skillful, but in many ways, he has other skills that put him up there. Just I tend to factor “technique” in a lot and that’s where a guy like Marquez definitely pleases more even if Marquez had more weaknesses like on defense, adapting approach etc;
What I'm trying to say is that he compensated for his above average but not elite athleticism at world level relative to ATG rare commodity degrees of giftedness rather than skillset, with a superbly educated seasoned general technical mechanical skillset that could be said to constitute the best skillset we've ever seen on a fighter of his athletic level and general inherent talent level, evident by how and for how long he continued to perform at said level. Well, heck, hell, FFS, jeez, of course, certainly, you could say he didn't have that didn't I blow your mind this time didn't I factor, in terms of aesthetics. Some might even say dull. But Hopkins was a beast. Whichever whatever way you dice it. Perhaps.