This Saturday night, unified middleweight champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins, puts all of his titles on the line against undefeated prospect Jermain Taylor. Taylor has been groomed as the middleweight heir apparent by his promoters and cable network HBO, but he must defeat the the number one rated pound for pound fighter in the world in order to claim the throne. It won't be an easy task to defeat Hopkins, a fighter that has not tasted defeat since 1993. The top fighters of Hopkin's era have all been knocked off, Hopkins is the last man standing. Future hall of fame fighters like Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis, Felix Trinidad, Roy Jones, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and Kostya Tszyu have either retired or recently tasted defeat. Hopkins on the other hand is a 40 year old fighter on top of the world, but age is quickly catching up to him.
Jermain Taylor is bigger, younger, stronger faster and more importantly undefeated. Although Taylor is an undefeated fighter, he has never been tested as a professional. Taylor's biggest win was over William Joppy, who came out of retirement to take the fight. Many of Taylor's opponents have either been blown up junior middleweights or over-classed competition. Many experts feel that Taylor is not ready for a fight of this magnitude. Taylor was forced to take the fight sooner then later since Hopkins is either one loss or two wins away from retirement. Hopkins on the other hand is the most experienced and craftiest boxer in the game.
The staff of BoxingScene give their thoughts, strategies and predictions for the upcoming event.
Adam Pollack - Taylor will win. He has a more overall balance of skill, speed, power, and footwork than anyone that Hopkins has faced in quite some time. He isn't as powerful as Trinidad, but he has a better jab, better footwork, and better defense. He isn't as fast or experienced as Oscar, but he is physically bigger and stronger, a natural middleweight, and won't get tired or dropped late like Oscar. Hopkins is a crafty veteran, but I have noticed that he is slowing just a bit in the last couple years, particularly in regard to his punch output. Taylor is a young hungry lion who brings a fair amount of versatility to the table, and I think Hopkins' time has come.
Jim Amato - When this fight was first made I thought it was a mistake. It's not that Jermain does not deserve this shot, Taylor was the next logical choice. Jermain has been groomed as Bernard's successor for quite some time now. Why rush? Why not I thought. Take the shot, Bernard can't fight forever. Anyway wouldn't you rather win the title from the real champion instead of through some elimination tournament? If you lose to the champ you are still likely to be in the front of the line when the old lion decides to move on. Nothing is etched in stone. We saw that recently when Ricky Hatton upset an aging Kostya Tszyu. We saw it when Barry McGuigan upset the aging great Eusebio Pedroza. The bottom line is that youth will be served in this fight. It's just a gut feeling, but I have to go with Taylor by decision.
Rusty Rubin - Jermain Taylor, young, aggressive and unfortunately, it seems to me about a year away from this fight. Problem is Hopkins is retiring so Taylor can’t wait another year. Of course another problem can be age. At 40, Hopkins is certainly at an age where he can get old in a hurry, ala Kostya Tszyu. But Bernard knows how to conserve energy, really hasn’t been hit much in his long career and is always in shape. Win or lose, Taylor will learn greatly from this experience. The best bet is that the fight will go the distance, and my guess is that Hopkins is too smart to let Taylor hurt him. The only way I can see it not going the full 12-rounds is if Hopkins lands a liver shot like the one that put De la Hoya down for the count.
The other problem with this fight, from a betters’ prospective, is that Hopkins is a very slow starter and tends to give away the early rounds. That can hurt him against a hungry fighter like Taylor. Bernard can’t give away too many of them. Still, we have to make a prediction here, and I’ll call it Hopkins by decision. Experience and staying in shape make the difference. Youth will be served and Taylor will be a champion but not this day. He will learn from the fight and be all the better for it.
Richard McManus - It's impossible for me to pick against Hopkins. He's made a career out of dragging his opponents into deep water and than disposing of them. Taylor is young, tough, strong and fast. Hopkins is cagey, tricky and experienced. This should be Taylor's fight, however a decision loss to Hopkins won't lower his stock any. I can see Taylor having some strong moments early but in the middle to late rounds Hopkins should slow him down just enough to take over. I'm taking Bernard by decision.
Richie Maldonado - The Hopkins era is almost over. If Jermain comes in confident without any doubts in his ability to defeat Hopkins and does not let the aura of this fight get to him, Taylor will win. Taylor has a great jab and vicious straight "down the pipe" right hand. Hopkins keeps his head low when he rushes in and will be vulnerable for a Taylor uppercut. Hopkins wants to beat Taylor bad, not because he doesn't like Taylor but because he doesn't like promoter Lou DiBella. Hopkin's hate for DiBella could end up being a huge be a huge distraction in this fight. Taylor by an upset decision.
Matteo Alderson - I like Jermain Taylor by a fairly close decision. I just think Taylor is going to stay on the outside and use his legs and speed to outbox Hopkins. If the forty year old Hopkins can somehow beat this young undefeated former Olympian, I’ll rank Bernard the second greatest middleweight of all time.
Dave Wilcox - Taylor will have a good showing against Hopkins, but his inexperience will be the difference. I think this will be a close fight early on with Taylor boxing well. Look for Hopkins to start taking over around the 7th round and eventually winning a clear decision. No disgrace for Taylor, he will return another day. Hopkins UD over Taylor.
Frank Lotierzo - From strictly a boxing perspective, the only reason to pick against Hopkins or to pick Taylor, is because Hopkins will be less than 5-months from turning 41 on Fight-Night. At the world championship level, there are more questions about Taylor than answers. Picking Taylor can only be justified by him being 14 years younger than Hopkins. Anyone who says Taylor is the better fighter is hoping Hopkins shows up and fights like he is closer to 50 than 30, which he is. I know what Hopkins is, I can't say the same about Taylor.
I'd rather be wrong picking Hopkins because father-time caught up with him, than Taylor because he couldn't answer the questions he's never been asked before. I know this. The boxing establishment/HBO want Hopkins out in the worst way. The last thing they want is Hopkins to beat Taylor and fight Tarver. This is the last chance the powers who control boxing will have to steal his title. Never will Hopkins title be in more jeopardy than IF his fight with Taylor goes the distance. I'll go with champ, Hopkins.
Mike Indri - While the young and talented Taylor has shown he has the potential for greatness and to become a champion, Hopkins is one of the greatest middleweight champions of all-time. I feel that Taylor is going up against too much, too soon. While you can never fault anyone for fighting to become a world champion - which is the ultimate dream and goal of every fighter, yet rarely achieved - Taylor is still a bit too inexperienced. The good news is that Jermain Taylor will bounce back from this defeat; as will his promoter Lou DiBella.
Bernard Hopkins defeats Jermain Taylor via unanimous decision.
Johnny Ortiz - I look at this fight as if it were a chess match, Jermain has to anticipate Bernard’s uncanny, clever moves, Bernard has to work on nullifying Jermain’s jab by getting inside of it, he has to be ready for the fast combinations Jermain throws behind it. It’s kind of like a young Bernard Hopkins facing the older Bernard Hopkins. I read somewhere that even though Jermain Taylor is a big middleweight, he may come into the bout with a 10-15 pound weight advantage, if so, Bernard will know how to make it work in his favor. Bernard does not like to add any more weight than he has to, he usually comes in around five or six pounds more than he weighed in. His mobility and knowing every inch of the geography of the ring are a few things he does better than anyone. If he is to lose one day, it will be that his time as a fighter has arrived; only time can beat this magnificent fighting machine. As I have done throughout his career, I am picking mi amigo Bernard to win Saturday night.
Sammy Rozenberg - The time for Bernard Hopkins has come. I don't think Hopkins has the stamina to match Taylor's punch ratio down the stretch. Taylor by a 12 round decision.
Eric Rineer - This is a tough, tough fight to pick. You've got a future hall-of-famer who has ruled the division for years going up against a former Olympic medallist. It really comes down to who wants this fight more and I believe the timing is right for an upset. Jermain Taylor is hungrier, stronger, faster and younger than the veteran Hopkins. This fight has all the potential to be a fan favorite and I see it going all the way. I think Taylor is going to outwork him behind his wicked jab. It's going to be a close, close fight with Jermain taking control in the later rounds. But the question is: Who will the judges award the fight to? This bout could possibly end up a draw if Jermain doesn't win rounds decisively.
Robert Padilla - Bernard Hopkins closer to 41 than 40 and now will faces the number two middleweight in the world, 26 year old Jermain Taylor. old. Hopkins by all means should take care of Taylor as easy as eating pie, but is the the result we will see. Taylor is stronger, the hungrier, the bigger and the younger of the two and will cash out on his advantages over Hopkins. Hopkins is getting older and sometimes father time doesn’t show until someday you’re in the ring and all of a sudden your muscles don’t respond as fast as your mind tells them to react. Case and point would Jones vs. Tarver and Jones vs. Johnson. Yes Hopkins is older, but has father time caught up to him? This could be the beginning of the end for Hopkins. Taylor by decision.
Dave Selwyn - Bernard Hopkins has not lost in 12 years, and that defeat was to prime Roy Jones Jr.. Hopkins has gotten better since then and is still in his prime even though he is 40 years old. Jermain Taylor is a big middleweight, he has a 44 inch chest compared to 39 inch chest on Hopkins. Taylor also has a 3 inch reach advantage. Still he is not in the same class of a Hopkins today or a Jones 12 years ago. Taylor should move on to light heavyweight, he has a fine long career ahead of him. Hopkins has the decisive mental advantage over his young challenger. Hopkins knows what he has to do to win and is a very careful fighter. Hopkins by Unanimous Decision.
Pedro Fernandez - Nothing can discount the effects that age puts on a man. That being said, this is Jermain Taylor's fight to lose. If he can't beat a 40-year old Hopkins who throws punches somewhat infrequently, just one at a time, then it is on him! I can't think of a Bernard Hopkins opponent that had more going for him then Jermain Taylor. None of Hopkin's past opponents had Taylor's combination level of strength, speed, and power. And then you bring in the age factor. Hard to go against youth. I am backing Taylor to win, and impressively.
Ronnie Nathanielsz - While Taylor may not have the experience and the ring savvy of Hopkins, his youth, punching power and desire are likely to eventually prevail. It's a pickem fight. Whichever way it goes, this should be a good one.
Richard Thomas - It seems that Bernard Hopkins will pull off another victory. Even though Taylor has the skills and power to handle any middleweight, Hopkins' experience, skills, and will to win will be too overwhelming for Taylor. And Taylor does not appear to be too confident. After his last win over Daniel Edouard, Taylor did not think that he was ready for Hopkins. And up to this day he stated at a press conference that if he wins or loses that he will still have respect for Hopkins. Winning or losing can happen to any fighter, and it is something honest to say. But someone who definitely believes in winning will talk about it but they won't talk losing. And even if they do think about losing, they try to fight those thoughts. I see Taylor coming in with a little bit of confidence, and as the rounds go, his confidence will decrease. Hopkins will win by a unanimous decision, or earn a knockout victory over Taylor in the later rounds.
David Sauvage - I had a good seat at the Staples Center when Bernard Hopkins took a so so decision against a faster, stronger and pathetically determined Howard Eastman. It wasn't that Hopkins won; it was that he effectively avoided Eastman. In the fifth, he gave Eastman the chance to fight and Eastman clocked him in the first minute. Hopkins had to dance the remaining rounds. The question isn't whether Taylor can beat Hopkins, it's whether Hopkins can avoid Taylor long enough. And from what I've seen of Taylor, the answer is no way, no how. Here's a guy who's as quick as Mayweather and stronger then Hopkins. When Hopkins starts dancing, Taylor will, just he did against Joppy, have the maturity and patience to wait out the aging master. Mark my words, it will happen, Hopkins will be forced to forget winning about winning a decision and make his final charge. And there Taylor will be, to deliver the knockout blow to one of the greatest boxing careers in history. Taylor by KO in 11.
Jose Villegas - This is a tough one to call. At the end of the day I have to go with the guy who's been there and done it before at this level. Hopkins has fought guys as good and better than Taylor, but Taylor has never fought a guy who even deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Bernard Hopkins. I don't think Hopkins is as good as he was a few years ago, but I think he stills got enough to get by Taylor. Hopkins is going to make it ugly by hitting low, hitting Taylor on the hip when the ref isn't looking, wrestling on the inside. He'll frustrate the younger fighter and take an ugly decision.
James Blears - Hopkins has done it all, and there’s nothing really left to achieve. A record number of defenses, iron discipline in his conditioning and he possesses a crafty boxing brain. But Father Time must catch up to him sometime. The question is whether he’s hung on too long or he can fit in a couple more fights before he hangs up the gloves. Taylor is also a big middleweight, obviously younger and has an excellent record. Much depends on whether of not the younger man can force a fast and frenetic pace, which won’t suit Hopkins who’d prefer to fight economically in judicially studied flurries. In a battle between youth and experience, I’ll go for Taylor via split decision.
Tom Donelson - The key to this fight is whether Taylor can step up to the moment. Hopkins is still sharp at 40 but against Eastman, he depended upon his smarts as opposed to just skills. Hopkins proved economic in his punch count. He forced Eastman to fight his fight. Eastman did not step up and force the action and as the fight wore on, Hopkins' accurate punching won the day. Taylor is a boxer, similar to Hopkins. Some like Frank Lotierzo have observed that Taylor has to force the action and make Hopkins fight every minute of every round. Taylor is the younger and stronger fighter but Hopkins' savvy can neutralize those assets. Hopkins is the kind of fighter that can fight any style but he prefers to be counterpuncher. Hopkins will not be at a disadvantage on the inside.
I agree with Frank in part. Taylor can't allow Hopkins to throw 20-30 punches per round in the early part of the fight and allow Hopkins to conserve his strength. He needs to force more activity from Hopkins early but I am not certain if fighting Hopkins in close is wise. Taylor is the quicker fighter and that gives him the advantage in any jabbing contest and Taylor's jab sets up his other punches.
It is hard to bet against Hopkins even at the age of 40, but there is that nagging feeling that this fight may be similar to the recent Hatton-Tszyu encounter. That fight featured a young fighter that many wondered whether or not he was ready for the big time against an all-time great near the end of his career. Hatton's youth and energy carried the day and Taylor may do just that. This may be one of those changing of the guard fights. Taylor in a close decision over Hopkins.
Rick Reeno - The true test of who will win this fight will occur when Hopkins lands the first powershot on the chin of Taylor. If Taylor can take Hopkins' big punches, he will attack the old man without any fear whatsoever. Taylor's chin has barely been tested, Hopkins knows this fact and will check for glass as often as he can. The problem in this fight is that Taylor is not ready for an opponent like Hopkins at this point in time. People compare this fight to Hatton-Tszyu, but I disagree. Coming into the bout with Tszyu, Hatton had 15 more professional fights then Taylor has right now. Tszyu was also very inactive due to multiple injuries and Hatton faced a much better assortment of competition prior to the meeting. An aging Raul Marquez, demolished by a 16-0 Fernando Vargas in 1999, was able to last 9 rounds with Taylor in 2004. William Joppy, stopped in five rounds by Trinidad in 2001, went the distance against Taylor in 2004. While Joppy lasted the full 12 with Hopkins in 2003, Bernard has never been known as a power puncher. Hopkins beats his opponents down with accurate hard shots and after 12 rounds with Hopkins, the face of Joppy was beyond recognition.
Something I really see as suspect about Taylor was the fact that he turned down an eliminator against Howard Eastman, the winner was set to meet Hopkins. Eastman, known as a heavy hitter, got the mandatory contender spot after Taylor would not take the fight and was easily decisioned by Hopkins. Taylor has not fought any fighter that can come close to hitting as hard as Hopkins, having the experience of Hopkins or the skills of Hopkins.
In closing, Taylor has the stuff to eventually become a force in the division, but he has bitten off more then he can chew in this fight. Hopkins will win by way of a close 12 round unanimous decision.
