What a difference from the last fight. I think Roy might pull it off again, hopkins will not destroy him that's for sure
2 years ago? I'd say you're right. Now? No way. Jones is shot to **** and Hopkins is still amongst the best 10 in the World.
I will never get tired of watching fighters like Hopkins/Ward. The way they exhibit that pivot on the turn and the lead left foot constantly on the outside, it really is the throwback to prize fighting. Andre Ward has the tools as he reminds me of a young Hopkins with the bounce in the step and commitment to two stepping forward. fighters that are taught more of the leaping hybrid or peek-a-boo like Roy have to be 'special' to carry it off and have any success and sustainability.
Roy doesn't have good punch output nowdays, he spends most of the fight hidden behind a peek a boo guard on the ropes. He certainly doesn't fight with volumes, he simply doesn't have the stamina if nothing else.
If I was confident that Hopkins would go out aggressive, throw a few combinations, force him on the ropes and look to find the chin then I'd have no problem at all picking Hopkins KO 1-3. I wouldnt be surprised if its a really low action dull fight for the first 6 rounds though, with hopkins taking over in the 2nd half for a ud.
It is a **** **** fight but I'm still looking forward to it! Even though in reality this fight means absolute **** all in both fighters careers' it still feels important, because of the names involved. I find it hard to determine what this current RJJ could do to beat Bhop, I hope the opponent can bring something special out of RJJ and he at least can make it competitive, but I doubt that. Bhop TKO11 is my pick
LOL at the radio show interview being used as a promo for this fight, I told y'all that was all a set up. You know you've got problems when your promo is a radio interview. Lol.
It's way too late to have any significance (unless Jones wins by KO...yeah right), but the first thing I'll do Sunday morning is find out the result. For some reason I'm still slightly intrigued by this fight even though I'm fully aware it's basically a farcical match-up between two over the hill boxers. Jones being so far over the hill he's practically in a trench right now.
Basically this is not the Roy that '"made them look like nobody's" HE hasn't been seen since his heavyweight advanture....its good to know he still has his fans though. Because he was something else, Btw Floyd punked RJJ when he said that check left hook came from Michigan; bull$hit that was something uncle Roger learned from Pensacola's finest. And Mayweather shoulder roll followed by the uppercut from the turn was signature Lights Out! Lil Floyd was a copycat, but there's no shame in that. I'm still waiting for a fighter to copy Tyson's 1-2 signature with right to the body followed by right uppercut.
So what if this had happened at the appropriate time? say around 8 years after the original and not 17. Roy was special but I saw an Hopkins that actually won the last 3 rounds of their fight in '93; a fight where one had Olympic pedigree and the other had county orange pedigree. Bernard was/is goddamn brilliant with muscle memory and if they could've fought at 160 some 8 years after '93 bringing us to 01, I just have to lean to Hopkins. But of course no question the video game speed of Roy could've bagged the first 7 out of 9 rounds giving Roy another close but UD.
I wonder if Hopkins will carry Jones for longer than he needs to, to make it look more competitive, if it's one sided and apparent who's boss - or maybe the executioner will just want Jones out of there.
At best Jones will give him trouble for three or four rounds with his speed, but after that its all Hop IMO. Late stoppage or wide UD.