By Tom Donelson
You know why I like Hopkins? The man is one of the smartest boxers around that is why. Here we have a 40-year old fighter who should be long past his prime. Yet, he still beats the best in his division and continues to dominate the Middleweights. Last Saturday night, he defeated a very tough Howard Eastman. Here are the fight facts. Hopkins throws less than 30 punches per rounds and connects on nearly half of those. His opponent throws nearly twice as many as punches but he rarely connected. Eastman hit air; he hit Hopkins' arms but rarely Hopkins' body.
Hopkins moved throughout the first four rounds to a chorus of boos. Fans, still excited by Jermain Taylor's short evening, disapprove of the lack of action. Hopkins did not stand toe to toe with Eastman, but moved and boxed.
Then in the fifth round, Hopkins' punches started to hit their mark consistently. Every round, Hopkins threw 25-30 punches and nailed half of them. Eastman threw weak jabs, Hopkins responded with stiff jabs. Hopkins threw left hooks and on occasion, threw a right hand over Eastman's left jab. Eastman could take Hopkins' best punches but he rarely tested Hopkins' chin.
Hopkins showed the one thing in this fight that he shows in every fight, he can adopt in the ring better than anyone. First, Hopkins allowed Eastman to come to him and fought at his strength, his counterpunching. His early maneuvering allowed him to set the pace of the fight. Being the younger fighter, Eastman needed to press the fight. Instead, Hopkins' movement forced Eastman to chase him. Eastman never looked comfortable chasing and did not cut off the ring. He followed Hopkins and Hopkins pot shot the challenger.
Hopkins found out very quickly that he could nail Eastman with his left hook with ease and later in the fight; he found room to nail Eastman with his right hand. Hopkins is an economical fighter who does not waste punches. He throws when he has opening and he rarely makes a mistake. He allows the other fighter to make mistakes. Hopkins has nailed his twenty-title defense, that fact by itself makes him a great fighter.
So what now? Hopkins wants more than ensure his legacy, he is striving for greatness. He will fight the young Jermain Taylor and then follow up with Trinidad and the winner of Glen Johnson and Antonio Taylor. Or maybe, he will fight Winky Wright if Wright upsets Trinidad. All of these fights are great challenges. Jermain Taylor is a younger version of Hopkins. Taylor has speed and quickness to go with power. As a young fighter, Taylor has patience and looks for an opening, what he lacks is experience.
Then there is Trinidad. Hopkins has already beaten Trinidad and shown that he could out box and out fight the young Puerto Rican. Hopkins is forty and eventually, he will fight like a forty year old. And that is Trinidad's best chance.
If Hopkins faces Antonio Tarver, he is facing a fighter who is bigger and a stronger puncher. If he faces Glen Johnson, he is fighting a fighter who will throw punches and force an alley fight. Sure Johnson lost to Hopkins when they were middleweights but Johnson is a different fighter now.
Hopkins has decided that his last year in boxing will be a challenging one with many obstacles. There is no guarantee that he will win all of these fights and who knows, Taylor may end the dream year in their next fight. The only sure thing, Hopkins is one of the great fighters in boxing history. His legacy is secure. It doesn’t stop him from taking more risks. Inside the ring, Hopkins can be a cautious fighter. Outside the ring, he is taking risks.
