Will Hopkins have a harder time with Dawson, than he had with Calzaghe?

Canibus81, Bernard is not shot at all like Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya were when they faced Manny Pacquiao. If members like JMP and Royal-T-Bag want to convince themselves that Bernard can't fight at an average to hard pace against a top LHWT, then they should ask themselves how could he do it against a youngster 24-3 minutes rounds. Actually that youngster was forcing the pace in his own twelve rounder against Dawson which proves that Dawson cannot increase the pace that much and have the old man about to gas out like Calzaghe did. Now, if you ask them, I would agree with them that at any given moment, Bernard can get old overnight, even before April 28th and during training. Unfortunately for Dawson, he and his fans and Hopkins haters are just giving that extra motivation for Bernard to fight 12 rounds more at a hard pace and since they recognize the man has skills and experience, that means unnecessary trouble for Dawson if he could keep his mouth shut like I always have seen him, a humble, short-spoken and polite fighter tryin to make a livin out of his skills and the game.

 

Hopkins can outsmart and outmaneuver a limited boxer who stands in front of him and tries to out-muscle him. Calzaghe was smarter than Hopkins, and proved it by out-strategizing and adapting to neutralize Hopkins' strengths. Dawson isn't as clever, but he's much younger, bigger, and more mobile than Bernard. Dawson will win the fight, and fairly easily - unless Dawson has another of his Kermit Cintron mental-meltdown moments. Then it's anyone's guess.

 

Oh, absolutely, this logic Pascal-Hopkins-Dawson is the only one rational here. You can't just pick up two men and say one is a 47 year old who lost to that young man and to that young man and here's another who is only 28 or 29 and lost b'cause he was headbutted when he was about to finish his opponent. That is bull****! Even more so cause they fought very recently and so there is no indication that they will fade and come tumbling down from their last performances. I actually remember few gave Dawson a chance against Hopkins when he beat Diaconu and just cause he came forward and they assumed Bernard acted once again, these members minds go back to the 10th and 11th rounds against Calzaghe and the rabbit punches against RJJ in the rematch and even go further back to Allen and Mills Lane throwing Bernard out of the ring.

I do agree with you that Dawson is not taking Hopkins lightly and that he probably just will study Hopkins instead of letting all hell break loose in the first six rounds... That's not his style and any fighter who would do it against Hopkins, not just Dawson, would run into risk of gassing out at mid-stage and losing the fight. I get what you are saying cause I have seen that change from Hopkins from the Tito fight, fighting on the backfoot and waiting to get his opponent out of position to tag him with counter shots, reducing a lot his punch output. You don't have to go that far... Even Calzaghe's output was reduced against Hopkins early and when he understood that the fight was about to be lost, he went all or nothing from round six on like his dad told him to.

Now, there's one thing I agree with one of the fellow posters, can't figure out exactly who, pardon me, but Hopkins himself admitted he is easier to get tagged now like Pascal did in the end stretch because Pascal was supposed to as a young man, that was in a post-fight interview. And I beleive that is what our fellow members who support the opposite idea are thinking... If Pascal could hit him and staggered him, then Dawson will do the same like he was about to do in that 11th round against Pascal... Tell you what and I'm out of there - all Dawson supporters expect Dawson's volume of punches, aggressiveness and size, reach, height advantages will play a role and he will win a decision. period.