Prime for prime Toney owns Bernard

Well Hopkins didn't fight at 168, but I suspect he would've performed fine at 168.

Again, Toney's best off against guys who attack, swarmer type fighters, where Toney can accurately pick them apart with counters. Even in his younger days when he was lighter on his feet, he was best off in this manner rather than being on the front foot. Toney was more consistent at 168 than 160, but part of that might've also been the style of fighters he was facing (Barkley and Williams fought the type of styles that Toney loved to pick apart). Hopkins is a very smart fighter, so he's not going to fight in the manner that gives Toney the best chance to win. He'd more likely use the ring, move a lot.

Assuming Hopkins's performance at 168 is roughly the same as at 160, then he wins a competitive decision.

 

Carlos Monzon....I not going to really argue wit u on that one......Monzon is rated the 3rd best Middleweight of all time right after "Hagler" and "Robinson"

Dam u just gave me something to think about LOL,thats a hard fight to predict Monzon vs. B-Hop,Tough one to bet on...Great Selection :good

 

Hopkins is overrated somewhat now but still a great fighter but there's never been such a myth around a fighter as there is with James Toney.

James Toney was NOT a great fighter at 160-175

 

Well, McCallum did not find a way to win. It can be argued who was better McCallum or Hopkins?

Toney is mor versatile than you think. Toney did beat good boxers who moved very well like Littles, Nunn, Reggie Johnson, Mccallum, Griffin II. Hopkins does not move like Ali either, he would try to win a tactical fight against Toney but I think it is very difficlut to outhink Toney.

 

He knocked out Nunn after trailing badly on the scorecards. He doesn't knock out Hopkins, obviously.

 

TO say Hopkins is overrated in boxing is like saying Michael Jordan is overrated in basketball :-(

 

No one owns the ageless wonder regardless of what version of B-hop we're talking about...Toney was spectacular in his prime but it's virtually impossible to see Nard get "owned" or even lose by a UD....

 

you just made nonsense of your whole argument

how is a 43 year old prime lolololl

 

James Toney... another very overrated fighter by many. The only title that he ever won in any weight class was the IBF title. He was outboxed by the likes of Montell Griffin, Drake Thadzi, and David Tiberi during his prime. Yes, it was his prime no matter how many excuses Toney fans love to make for every loss and bad performance.

Hopkins would have beat him. Hopkins knows how to use his angles and fight on the outside as well. James Toney is always his weakest when fighters can use movement, angles, and fight from the outside. James Toney is really only extremely effective when his opponent drapes themselves on top of him and allows him to sit in the pocket and counterpunch. Hopkins is too smart to do that.

 

This is one of my all time "Why In The Hell Did This Fight Never Happen" matchups. James Toney is one of my favorite fighters of all time and one of the greatest defensive fighters ever. I think James beats Bernard. James' infighting is sooo good that I feel it would counter B-Hop's hit 'n hold strategy. Actually, this is still a possible matchup in my mind if James would be willing to cut back down to cruiserweight.

 

The fight never happened because:

1) Toney left 160 when Hopkins was still an up-and-comer.

2) A fight in 2003 at cruiserweight fell apart because Hopkins wasn't happy with the amount of money King was going to take from his purse.

 

No Middleweight who ever lived would "own" Hopkins, and very few would beat him imo. Toney isn't one of them.

Hopkins at his peak just had more options than Toney ever did, clearly a more versatile fighter.

 

It's an interesting argument.

Bernard probably perfected the style he would need to beat Toney in his slightly post physical prime years (starting with Tito and moving forward). I could definitely see a younger, more offensive Hopkins playing more into James's strengths. But even then, I still think Bernard would be too tough, too conditioned, and too well schooled to ever be "owned" ala Barkley. Great fight that could go either way, but I'd lean toward Bernard on grit and mental toughness.