Most impressive run: Hopkins, RJJ or Wlad?

obv wlad is last, we all agree on that.

perhaps u meant ward, it sridiculous mentioning wladdie alongside these guys.

 

This is pure fiction. Middleweight has a weight limit and continuously trying to tell us Hopkins was bigger than his opponents etc etc etc is just plain silliness and/or agenda laden.

 

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about in terms of height and reach, natural size and strength etc.

He's 6'1, with a 75" reach.

He had height and reach advantages over the majority of his opponents.

You don't think that's an important factor?

You don't think he was stronger or naturally bigger than guys who moved up from the lower weight classes like WW?


These are his comments:

"I could have moved up several weight divisions years ago, if I'd have wanted to. But I didn't want to give up my advantages"

"If I can get a guy to a weight that he's not comfortable with, then I'm going to take advantage of that"

And that's exactly what he did all throughout his career, which is why we saw a career JMW in Winky fighting him at 170 pounds.


In 2002, it was the year following the victory over Tito. He'd won the MW tournament. There was nothing left to achieve. He could have moved up to SMW or LHW yet he wasn't interested. He then had a huge rematch set with Roy at a 168 C-W for more than twice what he'd made against Tito. But he priced himself out to instead target the JMW champs.

A guy who went to extraordinary lengths in order to fight at MW, calling out the guys below to go up and face him, instead of moving up.

That's a joke and the very definition of being a bully.

Nobody swerves a huge fight with Roy to target Mosley and Oscar instead.

It's time you saw him for what he really was.

He was no tough guy from the streets of Philly.

He was a bully until things got tough. And then when things got tough, he had to foul and cheat, before rolling around on the floor feigning injury.

 

Trying to claim a guy has size advantages in a designated division is quite frankly strange. Height and reach advantages? So what? Tyson decimated a division giving up height and reach to all and sundry. Dick Tiger was a fantastic middleweight despite giving up height and reach on almost every occasion. Dwight Qawi etc etc etc. History is littered with shorter guys with shorter arms beating good to great fighters. My examples are extremes as well and it's not like this is how it was for Hopkins. If it was all about height and reach every division would have tall guys with good reaches at the top.

Sure history has it's share of notable tall guys but they are just part of the overall mix.

Of course Hopkins had advantages over people moving up. Newsflash - that is what happens when you are perfectly natural at the weight. Hagler and Monzon had the same advantages as did thousands of others. You are just going out of your way to slam Hopkins for it.

So what? Hagler and Monzon among others fought their entire careers where they were perfectly suited. Again, you just want to bang on Hopkins, particularly given he is being critiqued against your boy Jones.

Hagler fought a career Lightweight at 160. Monzon fought a career Welter (almost Junior Welter) at 160. These things happen and are an often great part of boxing. Sometimes the little guy even wins!

In Hopkins previous fight he won the 175 pound title off Tarver, who had starched Jones not that long prior and beaten him again immediately before being schooled by Hopkins. Hopkins dropped 5 pounds himself from where he had just fought to fight Winky at 170. Winky's previous 4 fights had been at 160 so lets be honest and open about that.

So Hopkins simply had to move up because you say so? The JMW champs had to target Hopkins in order for any fight to happen. Like Duran, Hearns and SRL targeted Hagler

Hopkins moved up when he was good and ready to move up and did fantastic things. He certainly showed Roy how it's done against Tarver.

You are just hating, seriously. If he was giving up as much as you try to make out to make middleweight he would not have had a fraction of the success and longevity he had there. You are flogging a dead horse and following an agenda.

He was tough alright. I'm sorry he and Roy couldn't make their fight when they were peak and also that Hopkins touched him up when they finally did fight as i think these two things don't sit very well with you to say the least.

Nothing personal, i think you are a fine poster on almost everything. I also like seeing someone defending Jones in here and making many great points as to his career. He gets an unfair rap in here at times imo.

 

Roy growing up was beyond boxing. But saying that I feel Wlad would be last...competition is just terrible w the exception of Byrd. Roy and Hopkins tie...can’t decide. I do know RJJ should have retired after the Tarver fight.

 

And Roy tested positive for steroids.

 

Byrd wasn't Wlad's best opponent. The list of heavyweights who reigned for as long as Wlad is very short.