It's been a pleasure following Hopkins' career.

And personally, I've never found him boring, but technically masterful. We've had the oppurtunity to experience a true modern ATG go through the motions and continue to have success late in his career against very highly rated fighters, one a bit over his optimum weight, but a top 3 P4P fighter no less.

History is going to be good to Hopkins...

When rating him, we have to take into consideration what 15 rounders would have given an amazing technition like Bernard, and then compare them to close 15 round fights that top rated legends, such as Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler had and what effect they put on the result. The closest thing that comes to mind for me on what Hagler's resume would be like if they banned 15 rounders in the 70's instead of the 80's is that Duran would have won a close decision over Marvin, where Marvin needed the extra 3 rounds to seal the deal on a fight that was his by 2 points on most people's cards...

So let's take that and then take what Hopkins would have with 15 rounders and add it in to what he already has in the books:

- A tko over Wright last night would have occured in round 14 or so.

- A definite finishing off of Jermain Taylor first time around, leaving no need for the fraudulent scorecards or the rematch.

- A finishing off of Joppy.

- A finishing off of Eastman at about 14.

- Already has a KO9 and TKO12 over Trinidad(undefeated) and DLH respectively.

- Would have TKO'd Tarver 13 or 14.

- Would have a clear win first time around over that Mercado guy, leaving no draw on his record.

- Already is the only guy to stop Johnson, but under a 15 round fight, TKO11 looks much more definitive.


If this isn't comparable to the other top 15 ATG's, then I don't know what is, because we have to take the era/era comparison into context.

His resume is highly underrated, but with time he will be rated where he should, perhaps he even gets one more really significant win before retiring.

 

Wright was dead tired mate, Hopkins was landing some good shots in the last couple of rounds and that would have continued, those extra rounds make a world of difference and Hops would have gotten a TKO.

Eastman was eating bombs from round 8 to 12, give it a couple more, I could see that one being stopped, despite the fact that I agree with you that he has a great chin. Both guys no KOed, they both have great chins, but TKO'd, "stopped", taken too much and would be too whipped to continue.

However, Taylor maybe would have been KOed.

 

What did I post that was not on target?

 

Flux -

I only used the 12 to 15 comparison because the great MW's whom some hold over him had 15 to work with, where as Bernard is a fighter geared for long, tactical fights and would be extremely hard for anyone to beat in a 15 round fight.

 

Perhaps the RJJ bout, but we already know Taylor would have been finished off by Bernard in a 15.