Who has shown better ring intelligence throughout their career- Mayweather or Hopkins

Ya I get you, I agree. I just get the impression that people r implying that Hopkins has less to work with then Floyd, and I think it's the opposite. I think Hopkins is a more versatile fighter with more tools at his disposal, offensively and defensively.

 

Okay..... 1st off

- The philly shell defense comment/Toney and Hopkins having a more versatlie defense:

My comment on the Philly shell was more of a response in agreeing on someone else's post. But since you feel the need to delve deeper into it. Here's my response.

I'd credit Toney with a more educated use of the style over Hopkins. As for having a more versatile defense than Mayweather, thats a no-no. I don't think its wise to say anybody boxing today is more versatile than Mayweather is. The only thing we haven't seen him do in a professional fight is lose. Floyd has shown exceptional defense on the outside, inside, against the ropes, center of the ring, hands down, hands up, moving and stationary against both orthodox and south paw opponents.

- Your Hopkins does more with less comment.... I already said that, but I worded it better.

The fact is that Hopkins performs at the highest level of boxing with the least amount of attributes or physical talent. However, he also relies on a LOT of dirty rough housing/slick trickery/illegal crap to win his fights. Outside of the infamous forearm/elbow technique, and Hatton fights, Mayweather is a pretty clean fighter. He makes every opponent fight his fight, even when it appears he may be fighting theirs. He dictates the pace, and frustrates and confuses his opponent without relying on Hopkins "special tactics".

-Mayweather relying on speed Hopkins relying on skill. <<<<<< LOL

This is something i say about Pacquiao. And I said it the other day in another thread. Nobody loses to Pacquiao because he's such an incredible boxer or sooooo skilled. They lose because he possess very high attributes (speed, power, footwork) and he overwhelmes them with powerful **** they can't see coming over and over and over and over. His random sloppy awkardness doesn't hurt either.

This is also like saying that Mayweather would be like RJJ without his speed. WRONG! Floyd has technique out the ass. Roy was someone who depended purely on athleticism and attributes. Roy was a boxer who did almost everything wrong but was a freak of nature who could get away with it. Floyd on the other hand has high athleticism and does everything right.

If you take Mayweathers speed away he's still better than hopkins point blank period. We saw the Judah and Mosley fight take away his speed to some degree. And even the Hatton fight we saw him fight on the inside when swarmed by "Head first Hatton".

Long story short: Hopkins is an old V-8 engine competing with V-10's

Mayweather is a V-12 Engine with a supercharger on it. He may or may not last as long as that V-8 Hopkins does, but as long as it's able to run, its gonna beat that V8.

 

B-Hop. Even since he has been physically depleted, he still uses his brain and skills to defeat dangerous opponents.

 

hopkins, he should not be winning fights at his age, yet he makes all very close based on ring iq when he takes people to school and uses it to win rounds.
Floyd uses his skills to adapt, we can compare it fairly once floyd reflexes are gone but he still would win on ring iq.

 

Tough call. I'd say pretty equal in terms of ring IQ and intelligence. But Mayweather is much faster and has the better physical attributes. This makes him a specimen to behold. I don't think we can say realistically that Hopkins has more skills than Floyd. I'd say Hopkins knows EVERY trick in the book to gain an advantage. Including all the illegal stuff bknystl mentioned.
But I'd say Floyd is very versatile skill wise. To me it is evident that Hopkins will struggle with a volume puncher because he likes to slow the fight down to a snails pace to think and make his moves. Floyd doesn't give a ****. If you try and volume his ass out he shells up lets you expend all your energy, laughs at you and then counters the **** out of you on the inside, mid range or outside - he doesn't care. I don't think that's a matter of Floyd having better stamina either it's just Hopkins really does not like to be rushed and will get hit as he tries to get away to the range and place he wants to. Floyd will stand there and defend everything. I remember when N'dou literally threw about a hundred punches at Floyd on the ropes and he didn't land ANYTHING. Hopkins got hit by Calzaghe when he was moving away a few times.

Basically I think Hopkins knows more tricks than Floyd whereas Floyd can handle and adapt to absolutely anything. Hopkins can too but he struggles a bit more with the kind of guy who won't be put off by his tactics and repeatedly attacks him with fast and repeated combinations.

 

They are as close to a tie in fundamentals, what gets me is when did boxing trainers stop teaching solid funamentals now more than ever boxers rely more on their phyical traits than being well school for when they leave call it the roy jone effect you see boxers getting hit waaaaayyyyyyy more than in the eighties when EVERY FIGHTER WAS TAUGHT TO DEFEND AS WELL AS ATTACK b-hop and floyd should not be the exception but the rule

 

simple question with a simple answer!
Answer?
Floyd
Why?
41-0

 

I don't believe this crap about Mayweather relying on physical attributes to get him through fights. Yes, he has tremendous athleticism and physical gifts... up there with the best of all time, but he does not rely on them. As uncle roger says "skill wins fights", and Floyds style and skill set are what win him fights. Everyone expected him to use his athleticism against Mosely by potshotting and running his way to a victory... instead, he took the cente of the ring and dominated someone else with great athleticism.

Floyd is not RJJ, his style will always be effective, even when his athelicism does show signs of decline.

Don't get me wrong, Hopkins is a great, great fighter, and a true master boxer, but I give Floyd the edge in the ring intelligence dept.

 

This. What does athleticism have to do with ring intelligence anyway? You can be athletic all you want but the smart fighter wins. Skills and intelligence wins fights not athleticism.

 

There is a reason why at the age of over 40, Hopkins is still effective, he is a smarter fighter than Floyd.

 

They are both extremely inteeligent in the ring, but it is clearly Floyd, Floyd can adapt mid round instantly, Hopkins while very clever cant adapt aswel as Floyd evident by some of his fights.

Isnt correcting your mistake in fights off the bat intelligent?

because i cant think of any other fighter that does this at top level and has done many times.

Floyd is also more versatile and WE Havent seen all of his skillset, same as we havent with Hopkins but with Floyd he has so much more that we havent seen and thats because his opponents havent been able to press him enough for that to happen.

 

+1 agree with that

Thats one reason i want to see Floyd in with someone like Pac. I firmly believe that floyd still has so much to show and offer us. And the only way we will see it if someone pushes him further and further.

 

Wow, what a question. You know I think I'd go watch a Hopkins fight now and I'd say Hopkins, then I'd go watch a Floyd fight and I'd say Floyd.

Maybe, just maybe Hopkins edges it because he's still doing it against young guns like Pavlik and Pascal at 43+ that takes an enormous amount of ring intelligence.

 

Its tough, Floyd knows adapt alot better, and is versatile. Hopkins knows how to utilise what he has, and knows his tricks.

The only reason BHop is still a player in this game is because of his ring intelligence. He is the best example in modern times of a man who used his experience over youth.

As his natural attributes, speed, stamina, declined he just did simple movements in the ring that are effective and has taken him to where he is today, 46 and still a threat.

If you add dirty tactics into the equation of ring intelligence, low blowing when the ref aint watching, use of head, buying time, that man BHop is one of the smartest fighters in the ring.

 

Floyd....