Why was Tarver so lacklusrte against Hopkins?

I've always thought it was a combination of weight loss and Hopkins strategy.

 

I think the main factor was that he underestimated Hopkins big time, he had all the physical advantages and thought he would steamroll the older man
he did not seem to have any game plan
and of course, as he was pursuing an "acting career" at the time, he had to loose plenty of weight very fast
Hopkins was just himself, supremely prepared physically and tactically

 

hopkins dissected him

 

Hopkins is just a better fighter hands down

 

Hopkins absolutely feasts on slow plodders. Tarver, Pavlik, Trinidad. Add into Tarver's southpaw stance opens up the lane for Hopkins' best punch, and it's a match made in hell. Tarver was weight drained, but even if he wasn't, he's still outclassed.

 

well... he did this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0994917/

To be frank I am not 100% sure a prepared and motivated Tarver would have won, but if JT could do it twice (controversial wins I know...), why not an in-shape Tarver like from the RJJ fights?

 

Hopkins is just a much better fighter with much more in his arsenal.

 

Tarver is big, but he's slow. Taylor was a prime athletic specimen. His hand and footspeed really bothered Hopkins. Tarver doesn't have those dimensions.

 

"Have you got any excuses tonight Roy?"

That came back to haunt him big time.

I've heard him say it was the weight loss after the Rocky film, and that he'd also been poisoned.

Going up in weight, isn't half as hard as coming back down in weight, especially when you're 36/37.

 

it could've been a combination the other factors you mentioned but overall I think hopkins executed an immaculate gameplan.