No-one outboxes Hearns. I see Hopkins, being the mast strategist that he is mugging Tommy. He is too smart to hang around mundanely on the outside and would rush Hearns in various ways and bully him in close. Hopkins is brilliant at sneaking in with right hand leads and he will use it as a bridge to get inside on Hearns. He'd wear him down and Tommy would rarely hit him clean.
I don't see a particular style that would trouble prime Hopkins (ca 95-02), no. Jones was just that good and seeing how superior Jones was to everyone else those years, Hopkins gave him a fairly competitive fight. And maybe he'd have pushed him closer fiver years or so later, when he had gained more experience. Hopkins at his best wasn't really lacking in any area, so while he could be beaten I don't see a certain style that would trouble him especially. And please, please don't bring up Taylor.
Nunn's work rate over 12 was never that great. Prime Hopkins would make him earn every minute and every inch and I don't think he really could have handled that pressure.
Love the lowbrows who default to dribble .. Cal was no where near Hopkins class, ever. He was seven years younger, coming off for him a huge win over for him a top opponent in Kessler going into the fight, showed no slowing down and barely squeezed out a win .. Hopkins was 43 years old .. if your logic is styles and volume of punches then also factor in age and level of opposition .. it's not even close .. Cal was a very good fighter who was well promoted and very smart ... he fought no one and left the sport on time. He would have had a different career in the states ..
He lost to every top opponent he faced. I can't see him beating a prime Hopkins. The version Taylor beat, perhaps, but not the prime version. And what do you base it on that his style would be that troublesome?
Imagine if prime Hopkins had struggled as relatively much against an ageing Whitaker as prime Hagler did against Duran...
Graham s style gave all that he faced trouble, that's how he along with Johnny Nelson were trained. But Graham only lost to the best, I don't really rate Hopkins, maybe I'm biased in that. Remember that Golden Boy was showing Hopkins up, well I see Herol getting a decision over him.
Oscar showed Hopkins up? Not in the fight I've watched. Nor the judges or anyone else I've ever heard. But if you think that, I can see why you think Graham would beat Hopkins.
