Most Skilled Old-school Fighter: Toney or Hopkins

Hopkins, hands down. Toney is kinda one dimensional, he wants his opponents right there in front of him throwing punches and not making him move around too much. He just comes back with the right hand counters and has trouble with boxers. Hopkins can pretty much beat any style.

Here is another question that helps to answer your question: James Toney beats cruiser/HW's completely on skill alone -- could Bernard do better? No. Toney is an aggressive counter puncher and his work on the inside is only rivaled by Mayweather.

I'd give the edge to Toney, cuz he's effective both offensively and defensively.

Hopkins doesnt have defense like TONEY and thats a fact!!! Toney stand in front of a guy and trade punches. I never see HOPKINS great defense. PLS TELL ME WHERE I CAN SEE HOPKINS GREAT DEFENSE????? He doesnt get hit that much cuz he land few punches and then run. Educate yourself. Notice specifically how he rolls with punches, effectively uses countershots, defends while while winning an infight, and uses the ring to his advantage. I don't knock Toney's defense because it is great. But it's plain stupid of you to say Hopkins only runs when he's universally regarded as a defensive genius.

are you crazy, hands down it's Toney. Bernard's defense is holding, if the ref keeps him from holding and clutching where's that defense then. With, Toney no grabbing straight technique. Bernard's defense is his footwork, He slips and rolls with punches. You need to watch more bhop fights if you think his defense is only clinching.

Hopkins defensive genius.WTF!! Did you ever whatch hopkins? Guy ran all day in every fight that doesnt make him defensive genius. Toney has better defense without a doubt. Toney also won heavyweight title and Hopkins only go to lightheavyweight. LOL Shows how much you know about boxing if you think all Bernard Hopkins does is run. Oh yeah, how could I forget Toney's defeat of the legendary John Ruiz. Real class of him to go after the weakest champion in the division and of the last decade. Hopkins could go to Heavyweight if he wanted also, but the problem with that is unlike Toney, he has discipline and seems to have a problem with the idea of being a fat ****.

Hopkins is a dirty c*nt, Toney is (well was) slick.

Bernard Hopkins. bernard hopkins now but i think the middleweight or super middleweight version of james toney would get the nod

skill and knowhow are two different things, bhop knows how to fight (using his legs, angels, etc..) but toney's skill is amazing it allowed him to beat and to compeat with much bigger men. could bhop beat or even compeat with men that are much bigger? i dont think so, his first pro fight was above middle weight and he lost i belive. if toney put the work in the gym like he does the dinner table there would be no question in anyones mind. and i think bhop is getting alot of love from that kelly win but for a while there watching a bhop fight was kind of painfully boring

James Toney is the cleanest fighter in the sport. Think about that for a sec. Never goes low, elbows, cheats...nothing. Anyway. I say Toney. His skills were on par with Hops he just didn't have the same drive and discipline.

Hopkins. Also back in the day, the clinched just as much as they do now and hit and held while hitting a lot more it seemed like. Toney might be more old school due to the fact he's had like 90 fights.

I think this question may confuse a few people but heres my answer.. Toney has the better old school technique.. Hopkins is the smarter fighter, has better physical fitness, and is more of a strategist.. he has a plan a, b, c, d, etc.. I lean towards this sort of thinking on the matter.

People aren't voting Hopkins because of his dirty tactics and clinching. He is getting votes because of his great footwork, defense and counter punching, Basically his overall ability as a fighter. You make out Hopkins has clinched his whole career when really he started clinching when he hit his 40s, At 40 plus i don't blame him for clinching. He didn't clinch often against Pavlik to be fair also. Whats's Hatton excuse for clinching, he is close to his prime and is in his 30s. that's what his talking about, his defense is holding and clutching. Toney on the other hand slips punches moved up to HW and still looks good. Fighting guys that can put him down with one punch. Hopkins best fights have come against WW (Oscar & Tito). come on be for real

bernard hopkins without a doubt. He is a master of the game. his defence is superb, the angles he shows are out of this world. To cut a long story short bernard hopkins is bar far and away the better of the two. are you crazy, hands down it's Toney. Bernard's defense is holding, if the ref keeps him from holding and clutching where's that defense then. With, Toney no grabbing straight technique.

I think this question may confuse a few people but heres my answer.. Toney has the better old school technique.. Hopkins is the smarter fighter, has better physical fitness, and is more of a strategist.. he has a plan a, b, c, d, etc..

Why is hugging people called a terrific skill when Hopkins does it and yet called cheating when Hatton does it? Head butting people is not a boxing skill either. Also, how would Hopkins do at HW, could he do as well as Toney? People aren't voting Hopkins because of his dirty tactics and clinching. He is getting votes because of his great footwork, defense and counter punching, Basically his overall ability as a fighter. You make out Hopkins has clinched his whole career when really he started clinching when he hit his 40s, At 40 plus i don't blame him for clinching. He didn't clinch often against Pavlik to be fair also. Whats's Hatton excuse for clinching, he is close to his prime and is in his 30s.

Hopkins........

Why is hugging people called a terrific skill when Hopkins does it and yet called cheating when Hatton does it? Head butting people is not a boxing skill either. Also, how would Hopkins do at HW, could he do as well as Toney?

Hopkins, defensive genius. Has a one of a kind defense that is a phenomenal mixture of a high level text-book orthodox style (that he's undoubtedly spent countless hours perfecting) and insane unorthodox methods that've never been seen before. He's the only fighter whose defense consists of bending to a 90° angle, looking at the floor, covering himself up, and walking backwards. Hopkins is also a very affective in-fighter when he chooses to engage. Though not a serious threat in terms of knockout power, he's been around the game long enough to know a weak spot when he sees it and can methodically break his opponent down. Oh, and though not technically a skill, he has arguably the best beard in the game today.

Bernard Hopkins.