James J Braddock v Bernard Hopkins

Very interesting matchup. I've never been overly impressed with Braddock. Baer fought a very strange fight the night Baer wrested the title against him. Braddock did fight well against Louis.

So Braddock has an inch in height and 15lbs in weight. However he is not the most athletic guy and comparisons could be made to Tarver and Pavlik. Both embarrassed by Hopkins. Yet Braddock has infinitely more experience then both and did well at higher weights.

Great fight. I think it comes down to work rate. If Braddock can keep his work rate up his heavier yet cruder blows may sway the battle against Hopkins faster hands and more precise punches.

Hard to go against a guy that beat Baer and floored Louis. Yet there is something strangely appealing about picking Hopkins in this matchup.

 

I think Braddock is underrated, they talk about the Baer win as a fluke but he thoroughly outboxed his man

I still think Hopkins wins as he is the greater fighter and greater pure boxer. Braddock would have to win with pressure and imposing his size. He managed to beat LHW champ John Henry Lewis ofcourse and we could do with seeing that fight to get a better idea of how he deals with a smaller faster LHW.

 

Braddox all the way, 2x on Sunday jeez Hopkins did his best work at 160, he had very little power at LH:roll:, you can't win a fight if you can't hurt your opponent who's much bigger, and stronger and who has fought and beaten bigger men..

Hopkins wasnt even a banger at 160, the last guy he stopped was Oscar way back in 2004- from a rib shot..

Braddox wins with relative ease..

 

braddock was much smaller and weaker and couldn't hurt baer, who had fought and beaten bigger men

hopkins makes him look silly for 10 rounds then tires in the last 5.

hopkins 10-5

 

Braddock was great against sluggers that didn't bring a variety of tools to the fight, but he couldn't beat smarter fighters, Loughran outsmarted him pretty easily apparently. Braddock vs Baer was not a easy win for Braddock even considering that Baer barely trained for the fight.
I think Hopkins would be way too difficult to hit for someone like Braddock. Hopkins in a boring UD.

 

Interesting hypothetical...What factors involved made you think it up?

 

I would have to go with Braddock at his best here.

The most pertinent fight to look at, is probably the Johns Henry Lewis fight.

 

Aye SS, a poster with sanity...Braddock was naturally bigger, hit harder and would lick the overblown MW Bernard Hopkins with relative ease...:good

 

I think Hopkins was more like big MW than an overblown LHW. I agree that Braddock should take it though.

MG b4st4rdized his thread. :-(

 

Hopkins UD. Braddock was much bigger. And he wasn't a good puncher. The height and reach are close. Skills decide this one.

 

Hopkins would win this. Braddock was bad. He looked like an absolute amateur against Loughran. Even against Baer, who wasnt the most skilled guy, Braddock wasnt so good it was just that Baer was very bad and even then that fight was razor close. Ive always felt it was awfully close to take a champions title. Either way Hopkins would come prepared and would outpoint Braddock. The best fight Braddock ever fought was against Louis and he lost that one. True Hopkins is no Louis but Braddock did better when a guy was there to fight him. He had trouble finding guys and that would be a big issue with Hopkins.

 

Despite an obvious weight advantage, I don't think Braddock had the power to stop Hopkins and likely wouldn't be landing on him much anyway. Height and reach are comparable as mendoza mentioned, with B-Hop have better mobility and far superior boxing skills. I'll give Bernard the edge to take a decision.

 

So, does Jermaine Taylor beat Braddock, also? Joe Calzaghe? How many middles and light heavies are better heavies than Braddock? A dozen? A hundred?