Hardly any fighter retires on top... most go out after a lost or series of losses(ali, hagler leonard, hearns, holy, holmes, etc)... i think this will be the one fight too many for nard... history says nard has to lose somebody sooner or later and i say the time has come with taylor...

taylor, unlike tito or oscar, is a real 160'er.... taylor is good boxer with good hand speed and power... no doubt nard should be the favorite, not a big one but a decided one.... but i like taylor in an upset by decision.... at the very least, i dont see this being an easy fight for nard even if he wins, IT WILL BE A TOUGH FIGHT...

AND DONT FORGET THE EA SPORTS CURSE!!!!!! if you've been on the cover of one of their games, you are due to lose or get injured..... it's happened to michael vick, eddie george, roy jones and now its nards turn....

Taylor is a decent fighter and has the tools to win but i don't think he will. Hopkins is so good he rarely loses rounds nowadays. Taylor hasn`t been in with anyone of the class of Hopkins.
Nard W12 ( but it wouldn`t be Douglas Vs Tyson if Taylor beat Hop!)

hopkins by tko 11 in a war, taylor will realize he cant be cute with hopkins and win a ud, therefore he will press the action like trinidad and force hop to fight, which he will and ko taylor

Taylor is a decent fighter and has the tools to win but i don't think he will. Hopkins is so good he rarely loses rounds nowadays. Taylor hasn`t been in with anyone of the class of Hopkins.
Nard W12 ( but it wouldn`t be Douglas Vs Tyson if Taylor beat Hop!)

I agree with you Bernard Hopkins is in a whole different class than Jermain Taylor.

I got my money on Taylor :boxing:

I think this will be a very tactical battle with Hopkins winning a decision. The fight will be fought at Hopkins pace because Taylor isn't aggressive enough to force him to fight at a higher pace.

Im not to sure about this one, during the Eastman fight Bernard looked very ordinary at times, but during other parts he was putting on a master class in boxing. Taylor would have to make Bernard fight at a fast pace and over power and out think him, i don't see this happening so would go for UD to Bernard.

I think this will be a very tactical battle with Hopkins winning a decision. The fight will be fought at Hopkins pace because Taylor isn't aggressive enough to force him to fight at a higher pace.
I agree. I don't see a war but more of a measured pace by Hopkins. Jermain will try to bring it to him and go to the body often, but Hopkins will run (just like he did against Eastman) and come in for pot shots here and there. It might be closer than the Eastman fight, but I don't think Taylor will pull it off.

That said, I'm rooting for Taylor.

i smell upset here... it's been a long time since nard faced an "A" level "BOXER" type, that was a legit 160lbs... i think taylor has a style that can give nard trouble, plus he's young and quick...

Hopkins will win in style and then he will take on felix.

I also feel that Taylor has a good chance to beat Hopkins (50/50). I think Hopkins' mental strength will be challenged by the young buck. Taylor has never met anyone that was his match in the pros or amateurs, and I feel that pattern will continue, because Hopkins has declined JUST ENOUGH to be taken advantage of by a guy like Taylor.

Eastman was known as a complacent fighter vs guys like Hacine Cherifi. It was very unlikely that he would have beaten Bernard. However, many people picked him for the upset (including me). In reality, I think people hoped for the upset more than they really believed it would happen.

Taylor I pick for different reasons. He will force the fight in my opinion, something that Eastman would not do. Taylor has a real mean streak in him...and it could be enough to beat a 40 year old Bernard Hopkins.

Complacency (Eastman) won't get the job done. Taylor could very well get it done. It's very possible.

Taylor hasn't met his match at the pro level because his management hasn't tried to.

The problem with Eastman was that he looked so awkward, almost like he didn't hav full control of his limbs. Taylor is a well conditioned and schooled athlete w/ an excellent jab and the footwork necessary to jet out of Bernard's grapples. Hopkins is gonna hav to fight at a much faster pace otherwise I feel Jermaine is gonna simply beat Hopkins by out pointing him w/ his quicker and longer jab. I kno Hopkins is gr8 but man he's soooo boring

The problem with Eastman was that he looked so awkward, almost like he didn't hav full control of his limbs. Taylor is a well conditioned and schooled athlete w/ an excellent jab and the footwork necessary to jet out of Bernard's grapples. Hopkins is gonna hav to fight at a much faster pace otherwise I feel Jermaine is gonna simply beat Hopkins by out pointing him w/ his quicker and longer jab. I kno Hopkins is gr8 but man he's soooo boring

He may be boring but he gets the job done and Taylor won't be an exception. The only real problem Hopkins will probably encounter against Taylor is the jab. The jab alone won't get it done and the right can be seen a mile away with the way he ****s it back. The straight righthand lead will more than likely be Hopkins best punch in this fight. He'll shoot it down the middle while Taylor has his left down by his waist.

Taylor 8th round ko.

I think Taylor is going to catch Hopkins and have him trading at Taylors size and power will put Hopkins away by late Ko.

I'd love to see Taylor do it. But it may be decided by the ref. Just like the Eastman fight, Taylor may be pushed away by the ref when in close. So 'Nard can get away with running away for 12 rounds. I'd love to see Calzaghe move up and clean up. But that may look like it may never happen. It's a shame that by far and away the best Super Middlewight wont be able to get the big fights at Light Heavy, just because he wont pull in the punters Stateside. What happened to the best fighting the best?

i cant wait for this fight to happen because the odds will surely be favoring b-hop and i will place at least 500 dollars on taylor winning the fight.

I can see this fight bein pretty boring. Taylor's a pretty big guy so I don't really see Hopkins tryna fight with him the whole time. After seein some of his fight though, I'm goin with Hopkins in this. And from what I've seen of Tito so far, he seems to be a pretty legit middleweight to me. He did alot better against Joppy than Taylor did. Taylor hit William with some ill shots but couldn't stop him whereas Tito did (granted, though, Joppy fought stupid against Trinidad).

I think we've seen what happens when a fighter can take away Taylor's jab, he starts lookin for the power shots (from what I've seen at least). Hopkins may be an older fighter, but I don't think he's slowed down so much as to get beaten in that manner.

This will be a replay of the Eastman fight. Taylor is a little faster than Eastman, but not enough to make a difference.

Taylor needs a couple more fights to be ready for Hopkins. He is a really good fighter though. B-HOP by UD. Hopkins always gets the job done.

Taylor needs a couple more fights to be ready for Hopkins. He is a really good fighter though. B-HOP by UD. Hopkins always gets the job done.

Singing.....

"Crazier than Gigi more p.C. than ian...........he was the baddest mutha ****a I ever did see:

Hell, he is even more punk than me.....shoulda been on tha cova......shoulda been on tha cova........of punk and disorderly......"

NOFX rules and do not forget that dude.
I am sending you 100,000 points for being a NOFX fan.

And from what I've seen of Tito so far, he seems to be a pretty legit middleweight to me. He did alot better against Joppy than Taylor did. Taylor hit William with some ill shots but couldn't stop him whereas Tito did (granted, though, Joppy fought stupid against Trinidad).
.

I could not agree with you more. Tito did the unthinkable in simply making William look average and knocking him out. Shifty's words after the fight were: "Ive never been hit like that before". That is saying so much it is not even funny. Tito has cemented himself as a legit contender for X's throne.

although I do not think he would win a rematch. Excellent post and insightfulness.

His win over Mayorga was nothing compared to that. Joppy would destroy Mayorga with relative ease.

"Joppy would destroy Mayorga with relative ease."

No doubt.

I also feel that Taylor has a good chance to beat Hopkins (50/50). I think Hopkins' mental strength will be challenged by the young buck. Taylor has never met anyone that was his match in the pros or amateurs, and I feel that pattern will continue, because Hopkins has declined JUST ENOUGH to be taken advantage of by a guy like Taylor.

Eastman was known as a complacent fighter vs guys like Hacine Cherifi. It was very unlikely that he would have beaten Bernard. However, many people picked him for the upset (including me). In reality, I think people hoped for the upset more than they really believed it would happen.

Taylor I pick for different reasons. He will force the fight in my opinion, something that Eastman would not do. Taylor has a real mean streak in him...and it could be enough to beat a 40 year old Bernard Hopkins.

Complacency (Eastman) won't get the job done. Taylor could very well get it done. It's very possible.


taylor will put up a better fight that eastman, eastman needed to be a lot busier, but Hops is good at controlling the pace and his experience and smarts will really show...also this will be the first time taylor is in with a guy he can't outbox, he's gonna have to figure out another way to set up the big shots while worrying about what's coming in