More Skilled, Hopkins Or Toney?

Toney without a doubt, Hopkins resorts to rough housing when things don't go his way and tends to hold to keep the pace at his level

meanwhile, toney is leading the poll

its stupid that Toney couldn't keep his weight down, he wasn't even a big middleweight, Hopkins was bigger than him. taller perhaps...but james was pretty good against taller guys..

honestly i don't see even prime hopkins beating anybody his size and equally talented well Toney is 5'9, Hopkins is just over 6 ft.

is headbutting and lowblowing a skill? lol too bad these two never put their skills to the test against each other...still can't figure out why this fight never happened when nardo was at 160 and and toney was at 68 its stupid that Toney couldn't keep his weight down, he wasn't even a big middleweight, Hopkins was bigger than him.

Toney was a better counter puncher and had slightly better defense. toney's defense looked flashier but Hopkins defense is right up their with Toney's. Toney was a better counter puncher and did well when someone attacked him, however Hopkins was very good at making adjustments and feints/timeing. If they both fought I'd edge a prime Hopkins over Toney so I'm going with Hopkins by a hair..overall. honestly i don't see even prime hopkins beating anybody his size and equally talented

Not a fan of his but Hopkins, for ABC boxing skills. Hopkins gets bad rep as he's a dirty fighter. His fights are always close, he makes adjustments. Toney has been dominated in the ring. I've never seen Hopkins completely beaten. I think Toney is the better counter-puncher though. I'm confused as to why so many people have voted for Toney.

Toney was a better counter puncher and had slightly better defense. toney's defense looked flashier but Hopkins defense is right up their with Toney's. Toney was a better counter puncher and did well when someone attacked him, however Hopkins was very good at making adjustments and feints/timeing. If they both fought I'd edge a prime Hopkins over Toney so I'm going with Hopkins by a hair..overall.

is headbutting and lowblowing a skill? lol too bad these two never put their skills to the test against each other...still can't figure out why this fight never happened when nardo was at 160 and and toney was at 68

Guys let me break this down for you. When it coves to James Toney he is who he is. He had one style and used it to the best of his ability, most of the times it worked and he dominated, but a few times he was really taken advantage of and could come up with no answers. Slick defensive fighters are usually not one dimensional, but if you could label a slick counter puncher as being one dimensional it would be Toney. On the other hand we have seen Hopkins adapt in the ring almost every fight. he is a guy who has and still does gives fighters different looks every round of a scrap. One round he is on the back foot shoulder rolling and countering, the other round he is in a peek a boo stance and is walking down an opponen, the other her has his right hand by his right ear, his left hand down, and is strictly feinting shots, slipping shots with upper body movement (much like Whiataker used to) and using his LEGS to set up shots. Other times he fights in the trenches on the inside, and punishes the head and the body not giving his opponent the chance to hit him back, he also always does this with angles, and has the best footwork of any fighter since the late 80s to now alongside mayweather. To make matters even more challenging he mixes up all the styles, looks whatever you want to call them together in one round, and it meshes perfectly. James Toney on the other hand had minimal foot work, and would almost never use his legs. He was flat footed, and had two looks, one was a guy who would stand in front of you , using the occasional side step, or back step and use a pilly shell to set up counters. His other look was a guy who would walk you down and use ashoulder roll to pressure you. Thats it. I must admit james Toney putting on a clinic was probably prettier than seeing Hopkins use about 8 plus styles to put on a clinic, and using rough house tactics ever now and then, but if you ask me its a no contest. Hopkins was more skilled than Toney by quite a margin, which came from evolving his craft in the gym, Toney was more of a natural with the one style he had his whole career, which is why he is ineffective now. i mean come on...what do you expect hopkins biggest fan boy to say...lol all this is true when it comes to trinidad, oscar, and smaller fighters...against prime jones, calzaghe, even taylor, it was an assortment of dirty tactics that resulted in losses

Guys let me break this down for you. When it coves to James Toney he is who he is. He had one style and used it to the best of his ability, most of the times it worked and he dominated, but a few times he was really taken advantage of and could come up with no answers. Slick defensive fighters are usually not one dimensional, but if you could label a slick counter puncher as being one dimensional it would be Toney. On the other hand we have seen Hopkins adapt in the ring almost every fight. he is a guy who has and still does gives fighters different looks every round of a scrap. One round he is on the back foot shoulder rolling and countering, the other round he is in a peek a boo stance and is walking down an opponen, the other her has his right hand by his right ear, his left hand down, and is strictly feinting shots, slipping shots with upper body movement (much like Whiataker used to) and using his LEGS to set up shots. Other times he fights in the trenches on the inside, and punishes the head and the body not giving his opponent the chance to hit him back, he also always does this with angles, and has the best footwork of any fighter since the late 80s to now alongside mayweather. To make matters even more challenging he mixes up all the styles, looks whatever you want to call them together in one round, and it meshes perfectly. James Toney on the other hand had minimal foot work, and would almost never use his legs. He was flat footed, and had two looks, one was a guy who would stand in front of you , using the occasional side step, or back step and use a pilly shell to set up counters. His other look was a guy who would walk you down and use ashoulder roll to pressure you. Thats it. I must admit james Toney putting on a clinic was probably prettier than seeing Hopkins use about 8 plus styles to put on a clinic, and using rough house tactics ever now and then, but if you ask me its a no contest. Hopkins was more skilled than Toney by quite a margin, which came from evolving his craft in the gym, Toney was more of a natural with the one style he had his whole career, which is why he is ineffective now.

This still isn't saying anything. Toney is still toney ,he's been teh same fighter with the same style his entire career. I've seen nard go from a pressure guy to a technician - we've actually seen bhop evolve. No one is arguing who is more effective or who is better, blah blah. The question is SKILL.. and hopkins seems to have a more diverse style. He has done things I haven't seen toney even attempt. he's a more well rounded boxer - he has more tools. It doesn't make him better or worse, it's just a fact it looks like he has more tools against smaller fighters....against fighters his size, all it is is hold, grab, headbutt, lowblow, etc.

Toney if you count headbutting and clinching as skills then hopkins takes it. plus toney tested his skills against bigger fighter, while hopkins tested his headbutting and clinching against smaller fighters (apart from the ones he lost and tarver)

Who was purely more skilled out of the two? ??? ??? ??? Toney or Hopkins? Tell us Bolo instead of making another thread you won't contribute to.

Hopkins! It is still hopkins!

HOP can't compete with Toney's natural skills, but He compensates by knowing every trick on the book and training harder. Toney = Skills HOP = Tactics

Definitely Toney. Hopkins was more dedicated to his craft though

Hopkins is infinitely more diverse. Toney is incredible at what he does/did.. but his arsenal isn't near as deep. I agree. Well said.

toney did more with bigger fighters out of shape than hopkins could imagine... This still isn't saying anything. Toney is still toney ,he's been teh same fighter with the same style his entire career. I've seen nard go from a pressure guy to a technician - we've actually seen bhop evolve. No one is arguing who is more effective or who is better, blah blah. The question is SKILL.. and hopkins seems to have a more diverse style. He has done things I haven't seen toney even attempt. he's a more well rounded boxer - he has more tools. It doesn't make him better or worse, it's just a fact

Hopkins has skill?