Pavlik/Hopkins ?

[MaYaN_SuN]

I think Hopkins won something like all rounds but one in the Tito fight, and started soon to put a serious hurting on Tito, so i dont know why you mention that fight for an example of Hopkins being afraid of a power puncher (and he said Tito hit hard, so i dont think he
"realized tito couldnt harm him").

On the other hand, starting with the Joppy fight, you can see Hop started losing his ability to turn on the heat, which is perfectly consistent with his aging. This got worse and worse. As of now, he can either fight slow or fight in spurts, he cannot pull a performance like against Echols or Johnson.

Hopkins use to always load that right hand up and set it up flawlessly. But in the Tito fight he moved alot, probably too much, but that's Hopkins. He's more carefull and smart then anything. I mean Tito has a glass jaw, if Hopkins wanted to, he could of ended it earlier I think. But instead he stayed moving and out pointed Tito for most of the night. Then when he ate Tito's left hook and smiled, thats when he started letting his right go, he knew Tito couldn't hurt em.

That's why I bring up that fight as an example of Hopkins playin it safe when he's in there with a power puncher. Now I'm not sayin Kelly is a soft puncher, but I think Hopkins would easily see that right hand coming all night. And unlike Taylor, who keeps his hands down and just sits there and occasionally moves and jab's, Hopkins will be moving all night. Styles make fights, I had a feeling Kelly was gonna get past Taylor because of that, and he did. And somthin tells me that Hopkins can get past Pavlik.

[MaYaN_SuN]

Pavlik would easily KO Hopkins or Wright, the only fighter that stands a chance against Pavlik is Joe Calzaghe.

lol Let's try to keep this thread somewhat serious..


As for Calzaghe vs Pavlik, Pavlik would dispose of him. Those Calzaghe slap punches aren't enough to keep Pavlik at bay. One counter right from Pavlik and Calzaghe will either switch his whole gameplan, or get knocked out.

[Xyei]

Hopkins is one of my favorite fighters. I don't think he could handle Pavlik at this stage in his career. I would like to see Hopkins retire with a win and a win over WW is perfect to seal his legacy.

I'd like to hear what Hopkins has to say about Pavlik after this fight. I wonder what he thinks about Pavlik who knocked out the guy who stole his middleweight belts.

[wmute]

Hopkins use to always load that right hand up and set it up flawlessly. But in the Tito fight he moved alot, probably too much, but that's Hopkins. He's more carefull and smart then anything. I mean Tito has a glass jaw, if Hopkins wanted to, he could of ended it earlier I think. But instead he stayed moving and out pointed Tito for most of the night. Then when he ate Tito's left hook and smiled, thats when he started letting his right go, he knew Tito couldn't hurt em.

That's why I bring up that fight as an example of Hopkins playin it safe when he's in there with a power puncher. Now I'm not sayin Kelly is a soft puncher, but I think Hopkins would easily see that right hand coming all night. And unlike Taylor, who keeps his hands down and just sits there and occasionally moves and jab's, Hopkins will be moving all night. Styles make fights, I had a feeling Kelly was gonna get past Taylor because of that, and he did. And somthin tells me that Hopkins can get past Pavlik.

I disagree. Tito never stayed on the canvas, he was knocked down a number of times but he always got up, he does not have a glass jaw. Hopkins put a terrible hurting on him, he did not just outpoint him.
In the late rounds I started worrying for Tito, because he was eating so many clean hard punches. Hopkins fought a great fight against Tito, pretty much close to perfect, he was in with a murderous puncher, he barely was hurt, and he finally stopped him.

Hopkins fought slow in his last 5 fights (Taylor x2, Winky, Tarver, Eastman), Previously he stopped a welterweight, failed to stop Joppy, and finally failed to stop Allen who he had already destroyed in the past. Hopkins cannot fight at the same pace he used to. His power is still there, his ring IQ is still there (moreso than ever), his defence is so good that even with reflexes leaving him, he can still survive in any fight. However, bring him someone who is able to eat a lot of punches while throwing a lot of punches and he will lose so many rounds on activity alone, that it is goign to be hard for him to win a D.

Make no mistake, prime Hopkins would have made easy (and brutal) work of both Taylor and Pavlik.

[The Troll]

I .

Make no mistake, prime Hopkins would have made easy (and brutal) work of both Taylor and Pavlik.

Who's a comparable opponent that Hopkins beat like that to make such an assertion?

[jpeck]

I must say that I disagree with everyone saying Pavlik would make easy work of Bernard! I have only seen Pavlik's last two fights, but it doesn't look like he has the style to fight going backwards. I think Bernard could back Pavlik up and frustrate him all night because he employs such a physical style. Also - Pavlik threw a lot of really sloppy right hands against Jermain. He can get away with that against Taylor, but I think Bernard would make him pay!

Having said that - I would love to see this fight! I'm not saying it's a fight Pavlik can't win, but I definitely think it will be harder than most think.

[MaYaN_SuN]

I disagree. Tito never stayed on the canvas, he was knocked down a number of times but he always got up, he does not have a glass jaw. Hopkins put a terrible hurting on him, he did not just outpoint him.
In the late rounds I started worrying for Tito, because he was eating so many clean hard punches. Hopkins fought a great fight against Tito, pretty much close to perfect, he was in with a murderous puncher, he barely was hurt, and he finally stopped him.

Hopkins fought slow in his last 5 fights (Taylor x2, Winky, Tarver, Eastman), Previously he stopped a welterweight, failed to stop Joppy, and finally failed to stop Allen who he had already destroyed in the past. Hopkins cannot fight at the same pace he used to. His power is still there, his ring IQ is still there (moreso than ever), his defence is so good that even with reflexes leaving him, he can still survive in any fight. However, bring him someone who is able to eat a lot of punches while throwing a lot of punches and he will lose so many rounds on activity alone, that it is goign to be hard for him to win a D.

Make no mistake, prime Hopkins would have made easy (and brutal) work of both Taylor and Pavlik.

Tito never stayed on the canvas cause he frequently went down from flash knock downs, sign of a suspect jaw. Just when he got up all his opponents thought they could hook with Tito thinkin he was hurt, in the end Tito's power on those whipping hooks would prevail. You get any leverage on Trinidad, chances are he'll go down. It's not like Hopkins was loading up and smashin Tito all night, he was just out pointing him and moving and boxing. All they talked about that night up untill the last 2 or 3 rounds was Hopkins boxing and stayin away from Trinidad's power. Not only that but Trinidad was at 160 wich made him more durable then before. In one of those later rounds is when they really started exchange and Trinidad just kept missin and Hopkins landed just about everything he threw, then landed an uppercut and Trinidad would have went down if there was more time. He was on wobbley legs and everything. If that kind of fight broke out earlier, the fight would have ended earlier.

And he almost KO'ed allen in that second fight, everyone can remember that right hand. That **** was brutal, but he did remain active that night. Allen put that extra effort into stayin off the canvas by D'n up and he succeeded. In the Taylor fights, he fought tentitive, that reach, power, and speed of Taylor kept Hopkins on his toes. In the Wright bout he was active, just couldnt find his openings. And in the Tarver fight he was able to pick up those slow long arms of Antonio's and out point him all night. I think that's similiar to how a fight with Pavlik would go. Kelly doesnt have blinding speed, and he doesn't have phenomenal defense. I don't care how good his chin is, too many from Bernard and Pavlik will fold. Not only that, but Pavlik would still have to get past Bernard's defense. A fight at 165 or higher, I have a feeling Hopkins would just pick Pavlik apart. Hopkins has the stamina and he's a intelligent puncher, I don't see Pavlik gettin passed that.

[MaYaN_SuN]

Who's a comparable opponent that Hopkins beat like that to make such an assertion?

It doesn't matter who he fought, but how he fights. Hopkins cleaned out his division for a reason, he's that good. Pavlik almost lost his chance in two rounds. Hopkins was hardly ever in trouble with Taylor in 2 fights with him, cause Bernard can pick up those wide sloppy punches. Pavlik almost fell victim to those punches. When Taylor was jabbing and moving, Pavlik had nothin for him, that right hand would just sail right past Taylors head and his jab would either hit air or glove.

Now imagine a fighter with defense more emaculate then Taylor's, and a fighter who is a far smarter puncher then Taylor. And if Hopkins can see Taylor's punches coming, imagine how Kelly's slower hands are gonna look through Hopkins' eyes. I'm pretty positive prime Hopkins and current Hopkins can get past Pavlik. I don't pay for middleweight bouts that often, but I'd pay to see a fight between these two.

[The Troll]

I just dont think old Hopkins can deal with Pavlik's offense and tenacity. Simple as.

[New Life 79]

If Hopkins cant mange to get a fight with the winner in the Calzaghe vs Kessler fight, a fight with Pavelik sure would be the most logic opponent. Well with Bernards age, its never easy to predict what might happen. On the other hand with his ring smart, chin, and experince i would for sure not count him out. Anyway, look forward to see what Pavlik do next.