Toney v Hopkins... Who ya got?

I'd personally pick Toney. I feel like the way Hopkins fights wouldn't effect Toney as much as other fighters, him fighting negatively. Then again.. Hopkins has the reach advantage.. and I would expect him to try to utilize it.

Although not a "fan-friendly" fight.. I do think you would see a high level of boxing skill and tricks utilized. A student of the game would enjoy this.

 

Hopkins. Better from a distance and far more consistent and dedicated.

 

Toney be KO

 

Toney schools the master

 

What's funny is I would give an older Hopkins a better chance of winning this than him in his physical prime.

 

Toney would have been the only dude to have ****ed BHOP up... this is one fight that i would have loved to have seen

 

10 years ago at 160-168 lbs James Toney wins, if they met now at a lineal catchweight of say 185 lbs for Hopkins and 200 lbs for Toney, then Hopkins wins a UD.

 

I think Toney was greater than Hopkins, yet I pick Hopkins to win. He prepares for fights better than James and finds out all he can for an opponent and fights that opponent with more of a gameplan than James ever could.. He really finds his opponents weakenss and capitalizes on it. He preparation gets him the win here.

 

Didn't an identical thread pop up about 5 days ago?

And Hopkins wins 10 times out of 10.

 

Hopkins wins, in a fight that I would watch over and over and study endless times, these two know tricks that are almost extinct from Boxing, Old School fighters who would have a technical ATG matchup.

I picked Hopkins because he's better conditioned and he's got so many different styles he can open up with.
I actually think Prime for Prime, Toney is more skilled, but he doesn't have anywhere near the same ammount of dedication as Bernard.

 

:deal

 

Hopkins too well rounded for any middleweight in his prime.

 

Which version of Toney shows up? At their best, I can't really pick a winner. Both are brilliant. I think Toney has slightly more skills, Bhop has slightly more cunning.

The problem is that Toney could come in and shine like a diamond or he could also underperform.

So let's say that at their best, they each win 50% of the time against each other (assuming no draws). Let's say Toney comes in underprepared 20% of the time.
So out of 10 fights, Toney gives away 2 from being underprepared. The other 8 are split 4 each.

Bhop takes 6 out of 10 fights.

 

That fight would be in a phone booth. But there were different versions of Hopkins at 160. When Toney was still at 160, Nard was an aggressive killer type of fighter, Toney beats that version no problem. The Hopkins that beat Trinidad was in his peak era, I'd still pick the prime 160lb Toney to edge it. He threw heavier, threw more, had a more durable chin, and equal defense. To beat an in shape Toney, you need to be a mover. The guy was a natural fighter with an unshakable attitude (if he only trained good). Thinking about it, I really favor Toney. I don't see how Hopkins can win. He'd give an awesome fight, but he's not going to hurt Toney or out land him.

The pre-fight trash talk would've been as epic as the fight. Toney probably would've got in Hopkins head before the fight.