From a technical standpoint not including any black art skills i would say Spinks due to his amateur pedigree
Both tremendously skilled, but very different fighters. I feel like Hop has more iterations than Spinks - probably due to the seemingly longer career and adjustments made as he got older - but Spinks has the significant power factor in his punching that Hop just never had. That said, Hop's performances against Johnson and Trinidad are the epitome of what I'm saying about different iterations. I think Hop's technical ability, a bit like Andre Ward is down rated because of some of the tactics used to win.
Both skilled but in different ways. I feel that Hopkins was more technically sound and better defensively while Spinks was more offensively and athletically gifted but can also be versatile in his style. Hopkins and Spinks also had great ring IQ as well which is about the same level. Spinks is the better all round fighter IMO.
Agreed. I will also add that the skill levels were different depending on the distance. Michael was better on the outside but BHOP was pure hell on the inside.
Hopkins. I think Spinks had athletic elements to his game and power that Hopkins didn't have and as a result Hopkins had to use strategy more to win. Hopkins' game was pure technique with enough strength and timing to get that technique across. Hopkins could work with his head, elbows, shoulders, and at all ranges and levels--and was probably one of the highest ring IQs ever. Spinks could really hit as well, on a way different level than Hopkins and had faster hands and could move his feet well. I think Spinks would probably win the fight between them with those dimensions, but Hopkins is a pure boxing textbook.
I think it's Hopkins and by the final phase of his career I think it's pretty much irrefutable. Hopkins is an interesting case because he evolved and devolved and the time during which his skills seemed to line up absolutely with his physicality was quite late, but he boxed more than twice the number of years Spinks did even allowing for Mike's amateur career.
They were basically the same size, and Spinks would have knocked Bernard out cold. Hopkins was always really a light heavyweight who boiled down with the new rules of day before weigh ins. Spinks was really a Light Heavyweight who bulked up to heavy to find challenges and conquer giants. There is no comparison. Spinks was better. And, he did it without all of Bernard's bull**** antics. He simply did it with greater skill.
It's Hopkins by a touch but as Meta and others said, they are vastly different skillsets. Spinks is underrated, his defense was near the top of the tree for his era. He had all the punches and not many seem to realize he was extremely skilled on the dark side as well. He had some of the best subtle elbows I've ever seen. It's incredible that he wasn't picked up on by refs more often.
