Why's there always a "catch" to Hopkins' best wins?

[Shanus]

Oscar = too small
Tito = too small
Tarver = weight drained and unfocused
Winky = blown up Jr. Middleweight

Don't get me wrong, these are good fighters and solid victories, but are they enough to make him the legend he claims to be?

I'm not hating on Hopkins, he's a borderline great fighter, but when I see people talking about this "great resume" which he apparently has, I'm left scratching my head.

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that he fought these guys with an obvious advantage going into each fight?

[kayjay]

Oscar = too small
Tito = too small
Tarver = weigh drained and unfocused
Winky = blown up Jr. Middleweight

Don't get me wrong, these are good fighters and solid victories, but are they enough to make him the legend he claims to be?

I'm not hating on Hopkins, he's a borderline great fighter, but when I see people talking about this "great resume" which he apparently has, I'm left scratching my head.

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that he fought these guys with an obvious advantage going into each fight?

The bolded is the key.

Of course you can pick apart anyone's record, but Hop's resume is questionable. The Tarver and Trinidad wins are clearly the really good ones. Forget Oscar, and the Winky fight was unimpressive all around.

He takes a back seat to:

1. Jones
2. Calzaghe
3. Toney

Those are the real greats in his weight range and generation. Hop does not belong among them.

[kayjay]

I feel dirty when I make posts like the above; it's as if I really am trying to follow the tradition of:

Bozo_No_No
$1N
DIOS

[Allucard]

What have you got to say about Calzaghe's record? Who's or was the faker champion?

[TheGreatA]

There's always a catch about every win/loss really. Those are valid criticisms about Hopkins' wins but it's not just that.

People thought Trinidad would blow Hopkins away but he was completely outboxed and stopped.

De La Hoya was a bit too small and was coming off a bad performance but no one has ever KO'd him like that.

Tarver IMO got out-boxed and would even at his best because he doesn't throw many punches and he waits for an opportunity and a mistake, something you can't do against a boxer like Hopkins.

Winky was blown up and lacked stamina but Hopkins showed that his rough-house tactics work against Winky and they would at any weight.

You also forget the solid opposition Hopkins has beat over the years, one particularly impressive win IMO was over Glen Johnson who Hopkins completely destroyed. No one has repeated that.

[Shanus]

The bolded is the key.

Of course you can pick apart anyone's record, but Hop's resume is questionable. The Tarver and Trinidad wins are clearly the really good ones. Forget Oscar, and the Winky fight was unimpressive all around.

He takes a back seat to:

1. Jones
2. Calzaghe
3. Toney

Those are the real greats in his weight range and generation. Hop does not belong among them.

I'm not so sure about James Toney, but the other 2 I definitely agree with, especially Roy Jones Jr, that comparison isn't even close.

Tarver and Trinidad were exceptional fights in terms of performance, but anybody with two brain cells would know (although possibly not at the time) that Trinidad wasn't big enough to bother Hopkins, and Tarver wasn't all that to begin with, but even in their fight he looked drained and has looked like **** ever since.

[2501]

What have you got to say about Calzaghe's record? Who's or was the faker champion?

who the **** is talking about calzaghe? debate the issue at hand.

[kayjay]

I'm not so sure about James Toney, but the other 2 I definitely agree with, especially Roy Jones Jr, that comparison isn't even close.

Tarver and Trinidad were exceptional fights in terms of performance, but anybody with two brain cells would know (although possibly not at the time) that Trinidad wasn't big enough to bother Hopkins, and Tarver wasn't all that to begin with, but even in their fight he looked drained and has looked like **** ever since.

Toney was great at MW, SMW, CW, and even decent at HW. Imagine Hopkins, Jones, or Calzaghe fighting 24 rounds with Sam Peter. Toney's career is flat out impressive.

[Shanus]

What have you got to say about Calzaghe's record? Who's or was the faker champion?

Calzaghe was a late bloomer who's greatest wins were against legitimate threats with fighters who were sometimes bigger, more physically imposing and genuinely a much bigger threat.

But this thread isn't about Calzaghe, so don't turn it into one.

[Shanus]

Toney was great at MW, SMW, CW, and even decent at HW. Imagine Hopkins, Jones, or Calzaghe fighting 24 rounds with Sam Peter. Toney's career is flat out impressive.

James Toney never really peaked as a fighter, he'd win some and lose some, that's his biggest problem, he lacked any sort of a decent reign.