Bernard is clearly a legend and one of the greatest fighters of the modern era. But upon close examination of his resume its hard to pick out many wins which dont have some sort of major question mark hanging over it. SO i ask which of the following is hopkins's best win post 2000 Trinidad De la Hoya Eastman Tarver Wright Pavlik Pascal
Obviously trinidad, p4p#2 favoured big time to beat hopkins and he put on a boxing clinic and knocked him out.
i probably agree with you. although i dont think its obvious at all. While trinidad was not overblown by any means he definitely was not a middleweight. Hopkins had clear physical advantage over tito. still a good win though. imo its between tarver/pascal/tito. Tarver was a genuine light heavyweight and pascal was a young lion who was schooled twice by the oldest hopkins of the lot. id probably say Trinidad was his best win
Though I never considered Pavlik world class, I think that Hopkins beating him was vital to B-Hop. He was being ridiculed in the media for his performance in the Calzaghe fight, the assumption was that he'd finally shown his age. Pavlik was being hyped as the face of American Boxing (He was supposed to succeed where Jermain Taylor failed) Hopkins showed the world that he wasn't finished, that he wasn't even close.
Eastman was actually quite good Wright was a well-grinded result against an almost impossible style, Calzaghe was another almost impossible style and Bernard looked to have won But probably Tarver, though he was old and weight-drained. Highly dominant against a guy with skills, natural size and southpaw to boot
trinidad then tarver trinidad was un beatable and active at that point and was koing everyone including joppy a very good at the time middle weight champion.
It has to be pavlik for the simple fact of EVERYBODY picked Pavlik to win! All the Writers, Vegas odds.
Tarver. Coming up from MW. NO-body thought he had a chance. In fact, most people thought he was insane (me included). Then he schooled the Milk-Dud.
