I've been watchin a lot of Bernard Hopkins lately and although I rate Kovalev highly; I believe a prime Hopkins would have beat him. What do you guys think?
Kova's own trainer was asked after the fight whether kova beats middleweight version of Hopkins
And he said "that was Bernard's territory", suggesting his answer is no
Or that Kovalev couldn't go back in time and drain down to MW..
Naazim said Kovalev knocks people dead and they awaken with cerebral palsy. That doesn't bode well for any smaller weight class of a fighter.
Kova's own trainer was asked after the fight whether kova beats middleweight version of Hopkins
And he said "that was Bernard's territory", suggesting his answer is no
Hopkins said he felt like a middlweight fighting a cruiserweight. Bear in mind Kovalev struggles to make the weight.
Kova always too big and strong for him.
Fair enough. I like both guys but I atm Beterbiev is my guy. The wolf is coming!
Hopkins skipped 168 and 175 if I remember quickly and he is already quite a big guy so I think that with the right strength and conditioning he would have been able to adapt to 175, if he can control his shape at 50 I'm sure he'd be able to in his prime.
Hopkins said he felt like a middlweight fighting a cruiserweight. Bear in mind Kovalev struggles to make the weight.
Kova always too big and strong for him.
Hmm..i don't know. It's a good question IMO.
Prime Hopkins is the better fighter P4P, but prime Hopkins fought at a lower weight...Kovalev may have always been just too big for Hopkins.
Pavlik was a huge middleweight; as Hopkins was a big Middleweight as well. Pavliks 30 of his 34 wins before Hopkins was knockouts. So saying Pavlik didn't have big power is ridiculous. Also in hieght Pavlik is the bigger fighter being 2" taller than Kovalev. Yes height doesn't dictate to much in a fight unless you fight tall which Pavlik did quite successfully for most his career.
Fact is a young Hopkins had the skill, athletism, and ring iq to be dangerous for almost all past greats and current. He also would put a whooping on Kovalev.
pavlick n kovalev are two completely different fighters. not only is kovalev much stronger but hes also much more a complete fighter than pavlick ever was
BHOP all the way. To say otherwise tells me you are at odds with what a prime BHOP was able to do to these over hyped power punchers.
when the hell did a young bhop ever face a huge punching 175 pounder in his prime? there's a hell of a huge difference in a big punching middleweight when compared to light heavyweight.kovalev would have knocked him around the ring. the size and strength difference would have been too much for hops
Hopkins skipped 168 and 175 if I remember quickly and he is already quite a big guy so I think that with the right strength and conditioning he would have been able to adapt to 175, if he can control his shape at 50 I'm sure he'd be able to in his prime.
Exactly
When bhop lost to fighters like Dawson, tAylor, Mitchell, calzaghe, he wasn't in his prime
He was in his 40s . In some cases over a decade removed from his prime
I think he had a couple losses in his prime didnt he? hops was obviously quicker when he was young but he wasnt nearly as smart in the ring and made more mistakes back then. I think hed have traded more with kovalev and that would be a big mistake as kovalev is just much bigger and stronger. hed have beat hops imo
I've been watchin a lot of Bernard Hopkins lately and although I rate Kovalev highly; I believe a prime Hopkins would have beat him. What do you guys think?
kovalev would always be too big n strong for hops. it would have been a closer fight of course but kov by ud
Prime Hopkins was when he fought glen Johnson
That was 19 years ago
And kova had a controversial draw with "lesser fighters" like Darnell Boone
He didn't, he won.
The technical draw he had was with Grover Young who faked an injury to escape the wrath of the Krusher.
that's a 50 yr old BHop...would a prime Tyson beat a prime Holmes?
Don't even care about this sad life racist who spends his free time with fight a race war on a boxing site and even proud of his racism. I don't even know why is this guy still around. As I read in the boxingscebe rules for racism the punishment is a lifetime IP ban...? So I don't even know why this guy still comment here.
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that's a 50 yr old BHop...would a prime Tyson beat a prime Holmes?
Lol... No version of Hopkins beats Kovalev. Sergery has the jab/skill/speed/athleticism/size/power to give Bernard hell. And oh, also the mean streak if Hopkins ever felt like getting dirty, or taunting, like in that 12th round where he nearly got his head taken off.
Kovalev would probably stop Hopkins in his prime. A prime Hopkins wouldn't let Kovalev beat on him like that but that'll be his down fall. He would open up more and be TKO'd for his troubles.
Hopkins was never some master boxer. He feasted on pretty decent comp but usually lost when he stepped up. I see nothing is a prime Hopkins that would prevent him from being dropped several times by Kovalev.
man you trippin!!!!! kovalev aint stopping shit!!!!! hopkins chin is like mah dick when i watch mexican weather reports, hard as fuck!!!!! i said it before and ill say it again, prime hopkins kos kovalev in 1 round!!!! real ****ing talk!!!
Kovalev would probably stop Hopkins in his prime. A prime Hopkins wouldn't let Kovalev beat on him like that but that'll be his down fall. He would open up more and be TKO'd for his troubles.
Hopkins was never some master boxer. He feasted on pretty decent comp but usually lost when he stepped up. I see nothing is a prime Hopkins that would prevent him from being dropped several times by Kovalev.
Exactly
When bhop lost to fighters like Dawson, tAylor, Mitchell, calzaghe, he wasn't in his prime
He was in his 40s . In some cases over a decade removed from his prime
Any in hopkins "prime" he never beat anyone of note...
Hopkins was a nobody until he beat tito, a blown up welter...
Dude was getting draws vs mercado, and looking for an out vs allen...