Who were the best fighters Hopkins beat at MIDDLEWEIGHT ?

Hopkins's win over Glen Johnson was a schooling over an untested prospect, not a win over the experienced, always pressuring veteran that he later became. What's impressive is the way Hopkins performed that night, regardless of the opponent. I always thought that Hopkins should have rematched Johnson after 2004. Glen often called him out for a rematch.

 

Which Johnson would be the first to admit.

I don't think a rematch was necessary, but a thrashing of a 1997 Glen Johnson is not the same as a thrashing of a 2004 Glen Johnson. Johnson, unfortunately, is no more than a name on Hopkins's record, he did not bring much to the table at the time he fought Hopkins.

 

It's not that rare. After all, the average fan probably doesn't even know Hopkins ever fought Johnson. There were certainly incentives when Johnson came up with wins over Tarver and Jones. But it was better for him to hold out until Tarver's win in the rematch.

 

Robert Allen.

Even the first Echols win was rather emphatic.

 

Oh you have no ****ing idea mate!
At the time of the Hatton/Mayweather fight I was working in a music/DVD store and every time someone bought a boxing dvd I'd ask them their opinion on who they thought would win. To a man the siad Hatton would ko or at least win easily. When I told them Floyd was going kick his ass they looked at me as if there was a huge **** growing from my forehead.

 

It's happened before and it happened before twice with Hopkins. Fighting Glen Johnson again wouldn't have been a huge effort for him. Not that it takes away from Hopkins's record but it would have given people a better reason to throw around the Glen Johnson name.

Funnily enough, Glen Johnson was by a mistake called "Glen Jackson" in the Hopkins fight. He was that much of a no name, the commentators didn't even bother getting his name right.

 

I don't think Johnson could have ever forced the issue as much as he did with his 2004 campaign.

 

Fair enough. One cannot blame Hopkins for the fight not happening, as Johnson was not a fighter anyone would look forward to facing without a just reward, especially when you had beaten the man before. I guess there is still minor hope for a rematch between the two if Johnson somehow manages to beat Froch and Ward.