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When it comes to Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright, Jermain Taylor has been there and done that. Taylor takes us inside the ring, where he got up close and personal in two dramatic fights with Hopkins, both of which he won, then an exciting 12 rounds with Wright in his next fight, which ended in a draw. Wonder how good Wright's jab is? Taylor's chin knows. Is Hopkins as elusive and slippery on defense as people think? Taylor spent 24 exhausting rounds trying to trap Hopkins. He knows the score on that -- and much more.
July 12, 2007 - by Nat Gottlieb
What problems will Bernard pose for Winky, and visa versa?
JT: Bernard's size and height (6'1) could be a problem for Winky (5'10 1/2). Bernard is a very crafty fighter who will try and not let Winky get off. If Winky fights Bernard the way he fought me, which would be to take the fight to Bernard and be aggressive, and dictate the fight, it could cause problems for Bernard.
Which fighter was tougher to deal with in the ring?
JT: I would have to say Winky. As I mention before, Winky brought the fight to me and was very aggressive, and used his jab more than I thought he would. Bernard was very careful and did not take a lot of chances with me.
How big a role will Winky's jab play in this fight. Do you think Bernard will be able to take that away from Winky?
JT: Winky's jab is the key. I think Winky will be very busy with his jab. Bernard has the the skills to take the jab away, but I don't know how much Bernard is willing to mix things up with Winky. He could fight a very safe fight, you never know.
Bernard's last fight was at 175 pounds after a long career as a middleweight. Winky fought his first 51 fights as a junior middleweight, and has only been a middleweight for four bouts. Will that play a role?
JT: It could if Bernard uses size to his advantage. But sometimes size does not make a difference. Look at Oscar and Floyd. Oscar was the bigger fighter, but it did not make any difference.
When Bernard took Tarver's title while going up in weight class, it made your two victories over him look even better. Were you surprised at what he accomplished?
JT: I was not really surprised with Bernard's victory. I knew Bernard would not have a problem moving up. He started boxing as a light heavyweight, and he's always had the size and body frame to have moved up a long time ago.
Both fighters have great defensive skills. What are the differences in their defensive styles?
JT: Well, with Winky you know you are going to get both gloves held high covering his face, and he's very good at that. It's very hard to get through Winky's defense with those hands up high. Bernard's defense is his offense, and he protects himself very well. Both fighters are very good at not wasting a lot of punches, and both place their punches very precisely.
Who do you think has the superior offensive skills?
JT: If Winky is aggressive and brings the fight to Bernard, I would have to give the edge to Winky. I don't think Bernard wants to get into a slugfest with Winky. Bernard is going to fight smart and probably tie Winky up a lot and use as little energy as possible.
So what's your prediction?
JT: Toss up. The fight could go either way.
Source:HBO
July 12, 2007 - by Nat Gottlieb
What problems will Bernard pose for Winky, and visa versa?
JT: Bernard's size and height (6'1) could be a problem for Winky (5'10 1/2). Bernard is a very crafty fighter who will try and not let Winky get off. If Winky fights Bernard the way he fought me, which would be to take the fight to Bernard and be aggressive, and dictate the fight, it could cause problems for Bernard.
Which fighter was tougher to deal with in the ring?
JT: I would have to say Winky. As I mention before, Winky brought the fight to me and was very aggressive, and used his jab more than I thought he would. Bernard was very careful and did not take a lot of chances with me.
How big a role will Winky's jab play in this fight. Do you think Bernard will be able to take that away from Winky?
JT: Winky's jab is the key. I think Winky will be very busy with his jab. Bernard has the the skills to take the jab away, but I don't know how much Bernard is willing to mix things up with Winky. He could fight a very safe fight, you never know.
Bernard's last fight was at 175 pounds after a long career as a middleweight. Winky fought his first 51 fights as a junior middleweight, and has only been a middleweight for four bouts. Will that play a role?
JT: It could if Bernard uses size to his advantage. But sometimes size does not make a difference. Look at Oscar and Floyd. Oscar was the bigger fighter, but it did not make any difference.
When Bernard took Tarver's title while going up in weight class, it made your two victories over him look even better. Were you surprised at what he accomplished?
JT: I was not really surprised with Bernard's victory. I knew Bernard would not have a problem moving up. He started boxing as a light heavyweight, and he's always had the size and body frame to have moved up a long time ago.
Both fighters have great defensive skills. What are the differences in their defensive styles?
JT: Well, with Winky you know you are going to get both gloves held high covering his face, and he's very good at that. It's very hard to get through Winky's defense with those hands up high. Bernard's defense is his offense, and he protects himself very well. Both fighters are very good at not wasting a lot of punches, and both place their punches very precisely.
Who do you think has the superior offensive skills?
JT: If Winky is aggressive and brings the fight to Bernard, I would have to give the edge to Winky. I don't think Bernard wants to get into a slugfest with Winky. Bernard is going to fight smart and probably tie Winky up a lot and use as little energy as possible.
So what's your prediction?
JT: Toss up. The fight could go either way.
Source:HBO
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