Is Hopkins currently one of the best 15 fighters in the world? If so, why?

Trinidad hardly exists. Taylor is a top 20 pfp guy.

 

Taylor was undefeated and showed skill, speed and power to take it away from Hopkins under tremendous pressure in July 2005. He jabbed and that was very much the difference in that fight, he went downstairs with flurries like Pat Burns advised him to do, he took some shots and held on, fought all the way to the finish. OK, Taylor has problems with his defense but Kessler doesn't move his body, doesn't move his head, stands right in front of you and tries to catch you with a powershot. I don't see why I can't compare Kessler with Taylor?... Hopkins was said to be old since Vanderpool took him before 2001 and it still was too much for him, Holmes, Tito, Oscar, almost for Taylor, Antonio and Winky...

 

Everybody is saying that Winky was impressive enough to beat Taylor, maybe not Soliman and Quartey, but I can't say that 10 pounds more didn't affect his performance. Here's hoping that 7 pounds more won't affect Calzaghe's performance as much.

I didn't compare Winky to Mikkel directly. Just that Winky presented technical problems to Nard that Kessler didn't present to Joe, and Kessler presented physical problems to Calzaghe that Wright didn't present to Hops. I watched those fights very carefully and too many times by now...

 

If you ( I suppose Amsterdam and Decebal) dismiss Hopkins and Wright because they were visibly old, Calzaghe has nothing to prove fighting one of them and specially after beating Kessler. He should rematch with Kessler in Copenhagen and not fight Hopkins in the US. I don't understand why Calzaghe said that Hopkins performance against Tarver ( 13 months before Winky) was beautiful and that his fight with Bernard would be the fight of the decade ( to Max Kellerman in the Bika post-fight interview)... He says that Kessler is not an exceptional fighter and that his fight with Hopkins would be fight of the decade... Is there a chance that Calzaghe doesn't know what he's saying or that in those Calzaghe words, therein lays some truth? Calzaghe may believe that this version of Hopkins is superior to Kessler and that is precisely the opposite to what you are saying...

 

I'd prefer a rematch against kessler, but after Kessler destroys some overrated western name and impresses the boxing fanbase, sure.

This Hopkins fight means nothing to me. I've stated this a lot.

 

I can find plenty of ways to blame him, but he doesn't have the mindset of a GOD and never has. Calzaghe may fight like a boxing virtuoso, but his mindset is very standard, same like Hopkins.

Nobody today truly fights anybody, some guys think Taylor does, but he had a career payday against Calzaghe on the table and turned it down, obviously he won't fight ANYBODY, Pavlik was taken because he's beatable.

It's obvious that he won't take a fight he's ridiculously overmatched in.

 

I think the "I'll fight anyone" attitude dies above 147 lbs.

Taylor even said he's gonna fight the guy who brings him the most money.

 

Miranda truly will fight anybody, I'll give him that, stepping in the ring with Kessler takes INSANE balls. But luckily Miranda is nuts and doesn't know what he's getting into.

Dawson has everything to lose, a brutal loss to Kessler is also a payday for Miranda and Miranda will still have fans as a TV fighter.

Zab Judah fights anybody also, his competition is probably the best in boxing.:yep

 

Judah's a lunatic...:yep

 

I think it has to do with the weight class...smaller guys aren't always given the respect (and how many 140- guys get major massive bucks excluding the mexican warriors and Pac?) so they have to fight each other to really prove their worth. It's why IMHO a lot of lower weight class fighters burn out so early.

Bigger guys are already put on a pedestal because they're in the "money divisions" and thus opposition isn't exactly vital compared to cash.