Rate Hopkins best middleweight title opponents. Who would be your top 5?

Of the guys he beat Holmes was the best good boxer great jab tall with decent power and a solid chin.A very underrated fighter IMHO.

 

I'm not docking Hopkins anything here, Magoo. I'm merely stating that IMO, Oscar, who was a super-featherweight with nary a victory at 160, was not one of Bernard's (who was a Light heavyweight) best wins.

Bernard's MW reign is not notable for the names he racked up, but rather the longevity, and the number of defences.

His best wins that solidify his status were not in the MW division (Tarver, Pavlik, Pascal )

 

I agree. Holmes was a good boxer. I was sitting ringside when he won the title from Quincy Taylor on the afternoon undercard of Tyson-Bruno. Both Taylor and Holmes threw hooks simultaneously and Holmes' landed first for a shocking KO win over the normally durable Taylor. I thought Holmes boxing style would give Bernard some problems. But, Hopkins won that fight clearly. Definitely one of his top opponents (and wins) at middleweight.

I have his best 5 opponents as: Jones, Trinidad, Taylor, Holmes and Joppy. (and, in that order).

Oscar was nowhere near the same fighter at 160. And, in spite of a decent record, Glenn Johnson just really wasn't that good at that point of his career. He is one of very few fighters who I have watched actually make a dramatic improvement later in their career.

 

Funny though C as Pavlik was a natural middleweight that went back down there after fighting Hopkins

 

Aye, I think Hopkins would have won at MW as well.

 

Ya, maybe so. Pavlik proved to be slow and predictable despite his height and reach advantages. Fighting in straight lines never works against cuties.

 

Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2017 !

 

And to you and yours, brother! You're class, always have been and always will be!

 

Fair enough.

 

Syd Vanderpool was another tough defense.

 

Indeed. Vanderpool was one of several underrated fighters who vanished in the mix of things but a very admirable defense.