Kovalev could well be the best opponent Hopkins has faced since Pavlik

I know Pascal won h2h but overall in that next couple of years after they fought Dawson was the clear #1 in the division when the dust settled. (he convincingly beat Hopkins after Pascal lost and controversially drew with him - and Dawson looked better against Diaconu, and Pascal struggled with Kuziemski, though a lot of that had to do with injury...)

 

Did you miss the fight beforewhen Pavlik "Ruined" Taylor by Brutal KO at MW for the titles?. Don't forget Kelly's 3 great wins over Miranda, Gary Lockett and Rubio.

 

Chad Dawson's issues even well before he got beat by Pascal were mental and motivational.
He's always had a non-chalant way of going about his training and getting ready both mentally and physically.

The one fighter that Chad Dawson got up and was motivated for was Bernard Hopkins. Dawson pretty much had his way with Hopkins both fights. After that, it was back to the same lack of motivation issues for Dawson.

A fighter or any athlete for that matter can have immense talent, but if he's lacking in motivation and desire to want to be the best, then he just becomes ordinary.

 

Dawson had the quickness, speed, and skillset that Hopkins would rather stay away from. Hopkins imo took the fight reluctantly in the hope that the unmotivated version that usually showed up showed up with him. When that did'nt happen Hopkins took a dive and faked and injury.

We all saw in the rematch that Hopkins could'nt even begin to stage the traps he always sets for slower more slumbering fighters on Dawson who on both those Hopkins fights was prepared in every facet of the game.

 

The more I think about and analyse this fight


The more I like Hopkins’ chances. I couldn’t resist the old cliche that you never bet against him and at 7/2 for victory by decision I had to pop a little on the Alien to abduct Kovalev’s power and find a path victory like only Bernard knows how.

I still think it’s a pick ‘em, but frankly you might as well pop something on him every time he steps in to compete in a boxing ring because he could be 100, facing GGG and King Kong’s super-sized, uncontrollable, annihilator lovechild and I still couldn’t write him off digging deep into his arsenal of offense blunting tools and finding a way to take him all the way to and defeat him over 12 rounds.

 

Kovalev ain't Pavlik with a drinking problem.

 

:rofl:rofl:rofl

 

I've been telling everyone for months on this board Sergey isn't no Kelly and now they see why

 

The way he dominated Hopkins tonight it looks like he's the goods, but lets not get carried away either. Hopkins is 6 years older than when he beat Pavlik and in that fight Hopkins was the bigger fighter, in this fight Kovalev was the bigger fighter.

 

How about now? :yep