Whats with all the Hopkins haters?

[ИATAS]

In fairness, the only time I've ever really seen Bernard clinch a lot was against Wright and yes, he can be a dirty fighter at times but most often his dirtyness was brought out by his opponents, such as against Antwun Echols. More often than not his fights are pretty clean.

[Burning Desire]

I don't quite understand why people hate on hopkins. He has proved himself time and time again. What more does he even have to prove? what beat you guys paper champs like calzaghe or haye? Even in his 40's he is still more crafty then both of these guys. There decent fighters but a B-hop they will never be!

Im not Hopkins hater i just didn't really like his style in his later years i just didn't find it exciting to watch but i admire him for fighting on with injuries while in a fight but i tell you what the younger version of Hopkins i used to love watching because he was KO guys right, left, and center Hopkins was very exciting fighter in his younger days but in his later years didn't find him exciting at all but his fight with Tito i did enjoy because he gave Tito a masterclass on the inside and outside that was one of the best boxing exhibitions i've ever seen and imo Hopkins is the 3rd best Middleweight of alltime.

[2501]

i dont hate hopkins, i hate his fans who are trying to push this fantasy world where hopkins is still a toe to toe fighter which he's not. to me he's an all time great though, just no longer in his prime.

[eric maldonado]

Let's put Hopkins' career in perspective. He started at light-heavy, lost his first fight. So he starves himself down to middleweight where he has success against poor and then decent competition. He earns a shot at the title against the only great middleweight he ever faced (RJJ) and loses. He then fights an 18-2 Segundo Mercado, gets knocked down twice (so much for the granite chin stories) but is lucky enough to escape with a draw. Fights Mercado again in his next fight for the vacant IBF title, which he wins. He then enjoys a long reign of successful title defences against mediocre opposition EXCEPT Trinidad and De La Hoya, not true middleweights. When he finally meets a good, full fledged middleweight in Jermaine Taylor, he loses, TWICE. So, he decides to skip the super middleweight division (gee, I wonder why) and moves up to light heavy to fight a washed up Tarver (lost 2 of his last 5) and after that a puffed up junior middleweight in Wright. A very good career, but ATG, I think not.

i agree all the big name wins on his resume were smaller men than bernard he has never fought anyone as good and as big as he is except for jones and he lost. tarver was as big as him but he is not on the level of a delahoya bernard or wright.

[eric maldonado]

i don't hate bernard i just don't think he's the atg people make him out to b

[Mishra100]

Cheating boxer with no consequence ever. I don't care if "he has been doing it forever" it is still bull and I don't ever rate him in any level of boxer.

But he has done what he can get away with and if it works then he is a winner. Can't deny that.

[Boxingwizard]

Whether your a fan of Hopkins or not, there is no denying his skills have dramatically declined. You compare his past fights and now, he is not as sharp as he used to be, I don't even think he's the best in his division anymore. Yeah it's amazing he's 42 and still fighting at a high level, but I think with his age we will see less fights of him and since he's such a hard ass when it comes to negotiating fights, it makes people hate him. I don't even think he will fight Calzaghe.

[warp1432]

I love Bhop, my favorite fighter to date.

I don't think that his Opposition was that bad actually. I mean you had people like John David Jackson who was known as a great outboxer, he ruined Antwon in their second bout and was injured, beat 32-0 Glen Johnson, beat Trinidad* AND De La hoya*, Howard eastman was good, etc. The middleweight divison was never really full of GREAT fighters in his era, but he's a tactical genius and in my mind an ATG.

* = You could argue that they were blown up welters, but that arguement is absurd. No one gives Hagler any crap for beating Duran (a "blown up" lightweight) or Hearns.


That and I've determined I really like watching Tactical Bernard (Trinidad, Antwon Echols, Tarver, etc. Fights like those) a lot more then agressive Bernard. Agressive Bernard was also very fun to watch, but I just admire how he can dictate the ring the way he does with his tactical style.

My favorite fighter to date no doubt.

edit: And even when he lost to Taylor they were close fights too. I would say he even won them, but yeah. That and then he came back at lightheavy and destroyed Tarver (A 3-1 favorite).

[sparked_85]

what beat you guys paper champs like calzaghe or haye?

Their THE champions in their divisions. He doesn't have to fight either of them, I mean he must be half serious about Haye. For all the skill gulf between the two Haye is too big by ****ing miles.

[-EX-]

Hopkins is a Hall of Famer. Who gives a **** what the haters say. Best Middleweight of his Time.