Having said all that^^^
God-forbid we might have to come to the conclusion those fighters just weren't as good as some people perceive them to be. This is why its easier for those fans to run with what they would rather believe.
Hamed was never illusive to begin with. He just looked that way fighting British domestic level fighters. Particularly aggressive fighters who held their hands high so he could punch and step around them. He was able to use angles to disorganize those kind of fighters. However when he started stepping up he started getting hit more. Boxers have always given him more problems.
I defy anyone to watch these fights consecutively and still claim he was illusive.....Medina, Alicea, Tom Johnson, Kelly, Ingle, Sanchez, Barrera.
Yeah, he was more awkward than he was elusive.
Exactly.
If you dont play ball with fighters like Witter, Hamed and stay patient and composed you will see a lot of openings to take advantage of. They are strictly counter punchers. They struggle when they have to come foward being more aggressive. That's when they leave themselves open.
Augie Sanchez had Hamed down. Kevin Kelly made him touch down. Daniel Alicea put him down. Tom Johnson managed to catch him flush quite a few times. Paul Ingle managed to catch him toward the end of their fight. Barrera comprehensively outboxed him the point deduction aside. He was too easy to hit at the top level. Mayweather would of let him make his own mistakes jumping in and made him pay with counters.
Hamed was only small. One of the reasons Hamed had trouble with Kelly was because of his reach advantage. Mayweather has a huge reach.
Hamed fans suffer from Mike Tyson fan syndrome. Make history up as you go along to excuse the fighters inadequacy's as a fighter. Bring everything back to when he looked at his best and claim it to be his prime irrespective of whether he looked better because of who he was fighting. Is it any coincidence that both were exciting big punchers though, and both didn't for-fill their perceived potential?
His decline was certainly more swift after he left Ingle. Medina was the only fight out of those where he consistently got caught and he was fighting with a bad cold.
He still got hit with flush punches against Tom Johnson. He was actually down against Alicea so dont know how you can dismiss that also.
You should watch that fights I suggested back even if you've seen em. You will then get a real idea of what I'm talking about. He had major holes in his game defensively, pre and post Steward.
Like I said, he was only 21, 22 when those fights were occurring but he was already an unbelievable talent, if he'd have been able to keep improving under Ingle, who knows how good he could've been? Thats the sad part.
So if he was getting nailed like that then, and was continually nailed against Kelly, Sanchez, Ingle, then when was his prime, and how is he considered illusive?
Hamed was an unorthodox big puncher who if not for his power would of got found out long before he did. His power bailed him out numerous times......Ingle, Kelly, Sanchez, Alicea. His technical ability wasn't up to standard. Now that wasn't such an issue when he campaigned at domestic level, but when he moved up and started competing against different styles that started to get exploited more and more, and he had to rely more on the power.
Hamed looked great against certain styles. Fighters who came at him creating his offense, because he was a counter puncher. When he had to go foward and be more aggressive he often left himself open and his lack of fundamentals started to show up.
He couldn't of been anymore than he was because of his lack of fundamentals and dedication. That's WHY his career unfolded the way it did. Bernard Hopkins is not just great because of what he's done in the ring. He's great because of how he's lived his life outside the ring and the dedication he has to his sport. Hamed lacked that and that's why his career is a true reflection of the talent he had. If you think he gets underrated because he could of done so much more than you're wrong. Hamed is rated accordingly for the direction HE took his career.
If you get in the shower you are going to get wet.
If you get in the ring you are going to get hit.
Hamed put his chin out there to be hit, to open his opponents defence.
Hamed concentrated too much on power, his footwork got poorer and his reflexes were not as sharp.
All this was talked about at the time.
With that said you still consider him illusive though. You expect people to concede that his dedication & footwork deteriorated but dont you think some of that was down to the quality of opposition? The problem with you Hamed fans is you wanna lay everything at the blame of him changing trainer, losing his passion for Boxing.
Kel Brook still has a lot to prove to me to warrant the hype around him. I see an athletic guy but a very raw fighter. Defensively he's an accident waiting to happen. His new found patience might negate his defensive flaws but we will have to wait and see.
Exactly. Its no coincidence he started getting put down when he became champion and had to face a higher quality of opposition.
Its true he neglected his boxing skills and just wanted the KO, but also that his style was figured out. He was always open for counter punches. His flaws were always there, but his opponents werent good enough to take advantage of them.
Floyd wouldnt of had much trouble against a guy who carried his hands so low and took so many chances. Barrera beat him by countering.
...............Agreed.
No his decline was clear and people were talking about it well before he lost to MAB.
His decline didn't happen when he was looking terrible against Medina though. When he was getting nailed by Tom Johnson and put down by Alicea.
No, in his prime he was elusive.
He would avoid many punches and even the ones that landed were glancing.
He went for KOs an big punches that left him open at times but his reflexes, footspeed and body movement were up there with the best.
Too bad he got distracted by the bright lights.
So he was illusive in his prime except when he was getting nailed earlier on his career by Medina, Johnson, Alicea. That was just a case of.... if you step under a shower you gonna get wet. The fact he continued getting nailed can be put down to the fact he'd lost his desire of coarse, that he'd changed trainer. Just when was his prime in your opinion?
The most positive thing is that he's fighting more on the balls of his feet. Too often he was flat footed which made him look to methodical and slow of foot. He's also trying to utilize his hand speed a lot more by the looks of things. I think we will be pleasantly surprised at what a good fight he will put it up.
Patience and speed are the keys to beating Hopkins. Being too assertive will just give him an avenue into the fight. He needs someone to create his offense with their aggression cause he's too old to be leading off and dictating the fight himself.