What funny match's these were. In the first fight, Hopkins falls out of the ring dubiously, claims an injury, and the fight is a NC. This is often viewed as malarky because Allen appeared to win 2 of the first three rounds, and was on his way to winning the 4th when the fall occurred. In the 2nd fight, Hopkins made some adjustments, and started to school Allen, even knocking him down. Again, in the 4th round, Allen is the one who appears to seek the way out, as he acts as badly as I've ever seen to a belt line shot and a low blow on the thigh. The round ends with him trying to pretend a throw to the floor was a late hit. What do you guys think about these fights? In each instance, were the fighters acting?
You forgot the third where Hopkins for the most part played it safe so he could get his shot at DLH though he took Allen to school regardless. It had like two good rounds with one(the 9th I believe) having Hopkins dropping Allen and another were Hopkins lost(probably the only round he lost in the third) when he was taking many hooks at once showing his cheen. I actually enjoyed the 2nd as it was a clinic but the first had rough play from both men but it was weird to see Hopkins take a militant man's heart in the 2nd fight like that. Hopkins I don't think faked it and I think a doctor stopped it or something, the guy never quit in a fight and I doubt he'll start. Echols slammed him on his shoulder in the rematch yet Hopkins got up to stop him. Third was mostly cautious but had a couple of good rounds but was a clinic nonetheless just not as masterful as the performance from the 2nd fight from Hopkins. First two fights on yt if you want to rewatch them and the Joppy & Mercado 2 fights have been put on there aswell. Worthy to watch the Joppy & Mercado 2 performances, some of Hopkins' best performances.
I put a thread up about this a while back. I felt Hopkins was looking to quit against Allen, he was taking a whooping in that fight.
I wouldn't say a whopping lets not overexaggerate lol, Allen was giving him issues in an ugly wrestling match in the first fight. Nothing suggests that Hopkins wanted out as he showed against Echols in the rematch that he can fight on through tough times and even against Pascal he showed that fighting through rabbit punches. Hopkins still put two clinics on Echols in the rest of the series.
Maybe, but I maintain Hopkins was looking for a way out. He kicked Allens ass again too, but Allen was taking it to him and Mills Lane's little love tap wasnt enough to make him fall out of the ring and do that BS acting job.
Not sure if he looked for a way out, but I don't think he was getting comprehensively beat, despite the hyperbole from the showtime clowns that basically painted it that way. It was an ugly yet uneventful wrestling match leading up to Hopkins' fall. Neither really landed anything substantial. God I'm glad Ferdie Pacheco no longer commentates....
What do people think on Hopkins-Mercado 1 incidentally? I know it's perceived as a hometown decision by some but I actually gave it to Mercado by 2 rounds in a very close fight. And I am a massive Hopkins fan
Yes, I think these fights really illustrate what a terrible fighter Hopkins was. Allen was clearly better as the first bout conclusively proves - Allen won 2 of the first 3 rounds! Hopkins quit to avoid humiliation and then got lucky with Allen quitting in the rematch and being past prime in the third fight. I tell you who would have really thrashed Hopkins, Monzon.
I thought it was a pretty even fight. I had Hopkins winning it pretty wide really, real bad decision IMO.
What about Allen in the second fight? I've rarely seen a fighter try THAT hard to get a DQ from lovetap fouls. In my opinion, if both were looking for a way out, that was just as bad as Hopkins in the first fight. The low blows landed on his legs, and he went down like he had been castrated.
Around this time Hopkins was paranoid of losing his IBF title because he knew he would be pushed out because he didnt get along with anyone who promoted him. He felt everyone was against him. Guys like Butch Lewis and Don King were winning his purse bids and trying anything they could to get him beat. So much so Bernard was acting like a crazy man. I think Bernard panicked in that fight and Allen was taking it to him, so he took a dive and acted his way out.
Surely him falling out of the ring was risky in his eyes, the ref could have counted him out or if he could not continue stop the fight.
