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

No accusation in there, this is what one can objectively understand. Taylor beat Hopkins twice ( even if not so clear in the rematch) and Pavlik beat Taylor twice ( even if not so clear in their rematch again) and therefore, Pavlik and Taylor can be compared directly with Hopkins, fair enough. The Pavlik and Winky comparison based on Taylor is not that clear either, because Pavlik basically overpowered Talor, didn't outmanoeuvred him like Winky did to Taylor and Hops did to Winky.

Pavlik beat Taylor and Miranda since 2006, Taylor won a decision over Spinks and lost twice to Pavlik, Wright beat Quartey ( and more soundly than Forrest did) and lost to Hops at 170, Hops won against Tarver and Winky... There's nothing much to chose from between Pavlik and Hops even by recent results - Hopkins has too much more experience than Pavlik going further back. Calzaghe and Kessler have nothing to do with Taylor, Pavlik, Wright and Hops... The missing link is to happen in the near future, exactly on April 19th, and even then, you can't say much between Pavlik and Calzaghe, just that Calzaghe has much more experience than Pavlik ( like Hops compared to Pavlik).

Haye is another matter and it's really hard to think about him and the aforementioned... We can't put Wlad, Pavlik and Mijares in the same bag with more than 100 pounds between them or can we? Compare Haye to Wlad, Pavlik to Calzaghe, Cotto to Mayweather, Mijares to Vazquez and that's good enough. Hopkins is a completely different fighter than Haye, style-wise, natural weight-class, experience, power, ring generalship, everything... Haye has been at the top level of competition, but Bernard only takes on Top level opponents for quite some time now... He even said he needed a threat to get motivated, mentioned Haye, Maskaev and others, it's nothing like Hops is avoiding anyone.

 

Let's be real about these scenarios and leave fantasy match-ups, fairy tales aside. Hopkins makes much more money fighting Winky and Calzaghe than Dawson. And Calzaghe does excellent business fighting Kessler in the Millennium, Cardiff and Hopkins in the Thomas & Mack Center, in Vegas, than he would facing Bute, Mundine or Froch. Either Calzaghe or Hopkins are not likely to face Dawson ( or Johnson or Diaconu) - they are too old for that... The only logical fight next for either one is obviously Roy Jones Jr or retirement. Should fight Dawson? They are prizefighters, this is a business and they are not tryin to prove who's number 1... I think the thing is like this - regardless of what happens, Hopkins and Calzaghe are already one step into retirement... The newcomers will have to compete between themselves, just like Hopkins and Jones did after Toney and Nunn, just like Calzaghe and Reid did after Benn and Eubank and Collins... New Era, whole new ball game.

 

yes because of his legacy