I want to ask a few questions...why is everyone saying that Joe C is afraid to fight someone with power? Is this because he is not fighting Kelly? He just fought Kessler who has power, right? Do you all really think that Kelly hits harder than Roy does? Sure, Kelly gets them out of there, but it is ALWAYS after wearing them down. So, you could say that it's more of a workrate thing rather than power. Also, what's with all of this ko'ing of Bhop? Are you folk that fickle and shortsighted to really think that BHop who is the naturally bigger fighter, more seasoned, and better defensivly will really be knocked out? In both of these fights we are gonna truely see what boxing is all about and the difference of talent between all four fighters.
Pavlik will not stop Hopkins, I agree, but B-Hop being naturally bigger has nothing to do with it. The weight probably suits him better because Pavlik relies on strength, power, and aggression to beat fighters so bigger men will always do better against him, but Hopkins is not any bigger. He spent 14 years at 160 and quite often came in lower than the limit, Pavlik could not sustain making 160 for 14 years. Hopkins is certainly more of a middleweight in the traditional sense (day-of weigh-ins) than Pavlik.
Really, Bhop started his career at 175...then went down. He did make 160 with ease, but could have went up with ease. I brought up the size factor simply for an analysis. It could be a major difference in the fight.
Hopkins had his pro debut at 175, but easily made 160 in all of his other fights for the next 14 years. Hopkins' prison years and other outside activities may have had something to do with him starting out at 175, he had absolutely no problems making 160 for a decade, very often coming in lower than 160, and almost never rehydrating over the limit more than 2lbs at most. Pavlik has never been hit by a man weighing 170lbs, and has never hit a man who weighed that much, where as Hopkins has done both, so the weight could certainly play a big role in the fight as Hopkins' style is better suited for moving up in weight, but he is no bigger than Pavlik in a natural sense.
It's all the same, just a minor issue of the fight. I'm picking Hopkins to beat Pavlik bTW, and logic points toward Calzaghe but all my hope will be in a Jones win that night.
