I give Taylor props for winning but he didn't exactly look devastating against an older opponent who some people feel shouldn't be ranked among the top 20 middleweights (which is plain silly)...Eubank and Benn were both great fighters and they both fought some tough fights against tough oppostion...it is not BHop's fault that the division is empty and I actually think Hopkins would be a greater fighter if he faced greater oppossition...I don't think the level of competition tarnishes his legacy but I think it diod contribute to what we saw tonight..Taylor did not dominate the fight and Hopkins lost the belts all on his own...When he applied the pressure Taylor began looking bad...he gave Taylor too much respect early and took too many rounds off and Bouie Fisher should have lit a fire under his ass after he lost the first 4 rounds...but he didn't and Hopkins figured he could get the KO late like he did with De La Hoya and Trinidad but Taylor is a natural middleweight and if Hopkins wanted the KO he needed to start working on it earlier than round 8 or 9....I lok forward to the inevitable rematch and I think Hopkins will reclaim the belts...I also think it will be a much more exciting fight and there is a good chance that the winner will win by KO....Hopkins will work more early but this will open him up to shots from Taylor...Taylor is flawed and won tonight but sure didn't look great in doing so
Steward Sees Big Trouble for Hopkins in Taylor
When asked if he thought the powerful jab of Jermain Taylor - not to mention the youth, hunger, strength and determination - would be severe trouble for undisputed Middleweight king Bernard Hopkins, Emanuel Steward quickly concurred.
"Yes, yep, yep, yeah, that's one of the fights that's a real, tough pick 'em and the slight edge I'm going with Jermain," said the Hall of Famer, before elaborating into a fascinating analysis. "I think that the one thing that all elder fighters have problems with when they get in their 30s is the jab - a young fighter with a fast left jab. Because the jab is the punch that is the shortest distance and you have very little time to see that because the reflexes are slowing. Guys who have jabs, they give all the fighters problems. And that's been just no exception. And I think that Jermain has a good jab, physically measures up to Bernard for one of the few times. And he also has a tough attitude. I mean, for all Bernard is, he's still like a bully, an intimidator, he's a bully-type guy. And Jermain - forget all that country baby boy talk - there's a look in Jermain - I know when I see too - and I think this will be - to me - the fight that will prove to me if Hopkins is as good as people who are listing him in the history books. I don't feel that way. I feel that he's a good middleweight that just happens to be along at the right time, when the middleweight division is the worst that it's ever been in history. And I think that's why he's been able to win all those fights. But when you look at the credible big names that he's ever beat - Trinidad, a welter/junior middleweight - Oscar de la hoya - a welterweight that brought himself up to middleweight - that's all. But he hasn't had to fight too much. Closest fight roughly he had was with Antwun Echols which was still no world class big fight. He's been very fortunate. His record puts him in a position in history that I don't think he's, you know, really that (inaudible on audio tape replay). You can't fault him because all he can do is beat what's up there. And he's beaten everybody that was up there. But unfortunately he hasn't been in any great fights, but he did all he can do. To me, Jermain Taylor will be the first fighter he fights that, to me, that he will be tested, where I think he will fall.. All the other fights, I don't give him much credit, believe it or not. This is the fight that I'm looking at who I will determine the way I feel how he would have held up. And I think Jermain Taylor - even though he's young - presents that challenge."
http://www.*************.com/columns/stories/122296571.php