Pick em' then debate. Golovkin vs Hopkins at their best

Tough one. For me the jury is out a bit on Golovkin. A want to see him against Canelo, once more against Jacobs and preferably against another top contender or two before I say something more definite.

I have to say that he's been a bit of a disappointment in his last two fights. I don't know yet if that's because he has had off nights or because he's just not as good as he has looked against lesser opposition.

Going by Golovkin's showings against Brook and Jacobs, I'd have to say Hopkins when he was at his best, but, as I said, I'll defer more definite judgement when to I've seen more of him against top opp.

 

Hopkins was a meister spoiler and rythmn breaker. He specialized in analysing and dismantling the games of sluggers.

But GGG is no ordinary slugger; he has built his game around the fundamentals and some of the best footwork I've seen. When Murray tried to hit n grab Golovkin made him pay through his footwork, taking a halfstep back and plugging Murray as he came in. Hopkins would find it hard, I believe, to impose his own pace on the fight because of GGG's penchant for non-stop pressure. Add to this a hard, accurate and hurtful jab, and I think Golovkin has too many tools in his toolbox for Hopkins.

I voted GGG by late stoppage, but Bernard was a crafty and durable customer, it would be no surprise to see him go the distance even against Golovkin. If it did go to a decision, Golovkin is a busy fighter and Hopkins not so much; GGG'd likely take a decision.

 

At his peak Hopkins certainly had a very high output. Have you watched his 90's fights? The rematches against Mercado, Echols and Allen for example (well, the Allen rematch was 2000, if one wants to be picky)? Hopkins was very physical (and of course very dirty) and held a very high pace.

He was not a speedster, but he definitely had decent speed in his prime. Neither Jacobs nor Brook really seems much quicker than prime Hopkins to me. And I don't think they are as accurate. For a guy with less than great speed he surely had a knack of beating guys to the punch. He had great timing and was among the very best when it came to finding openings.

More than anything he was extremely smart and absolutely ruthless. I think he'd make Golovkin really start to hate boxing. There is a real risk that Hopkins would get inside Golovkin's head. The tricks the feints, the traps combined with the fouling, the unexpected lead rights with the head coming right after etc.

Golovkin winning by TKO... Kovalev couldn't stop a nearly 50-year old Hopkins, but Golovkin is going to stop the prime version? That I'd call very, very unlikely.

 

As for the "Golovkin is probably slightly past his prime"-hedge; Hopkins was older for all his major wins than Golovkin is now.

If you're going to claim that Golovkin's long amateur career means he is further past it than Hopkins was at a similar age, you probably won't persuade anyone except other Golovkin fans.

 

Hopkins hasbeaten 3G types in sades, butits always a tugh battle fr hm. UD12

 

Actually I think Mendoza may be right. Was he just up against a big well schooled guy in Jacobs ,or has he begun the downward descent? We wont really know until we see GGG against Canelo.What I do know is the Alvarez fight doesn't look like the one-sided blow out some were predicting pre Jacobs!

 

Well, when you two agree on something, I hesitate to disagree.

I won't rule that Golovkin has started to slide a bit, but the more likely explanation for me is that he has stepped up in class lately.

 

I’m not the biggest fan of Hopkins but, he was an exceptional fighter. Concise boxing, with controlled movement and purposeful punching came naturally to him; making Hopkins extremely efficient and effective. As a pure Middleweight, he’s probably the best since Hagler.

In the last 25 years, there were probably few fighters as canny (I can only think of guys like Whitaker and Mayweather, right now, who compare), with the kind of insight, which allowed him to target his opponents’ weaknesses, whilst maintaining one of the best defenses around. He was also a durable ring general; able to cope under pressure.

Golovkin brings with him a determined relentlessness and power; a huntsman’s jab, with an ability to cut off the ring. Testing these capabilities against Hopkins would be interesting but, I don’t see Golovkin tracking Hopkins down for a toe-to-toe; neither do I see Hopkins volunteering himself to stand in front of Golovkin and trade. And, why should he when Golovkin is there to be hit and outboxed?

Jacobs showed how a world class Middleweight can compete with Golovkin and do well whilst they stick and move. I would confidently suggest that Hopkins is a level above Jacobs. Better defense; better armory; better punch selection; better execution (small pun intended).

Hopkins - Comfortable UD12.

 

JFC, throw that damn phone in the lake. You're killing me here.

Your usual posts are gibberish but this is something else. Don't make me kill myself.

 

Nice analysis. Don't agree with it all, but it's plausible.