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better inform the blood bank then that bernard will be needing some major blood transfusion after the fight
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Here goes Hopkins bull****ting the world again.Comment
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I had Taylor by a point in the Pavlik rematch....at worst a draw. Pavlik is currently one of my favorite fighters, so I was happy he got the "W" after Taylor was handed two victories against Hopkins that I don't think he deserved.
Taylor was pretty much able to box Kelly effectively in their rematch, and I say that to say this - If Jermain Taylor can "outbox" Pavlik, then Bernard Hopkins sure as hell will be able to.
I don't give a **** about Hopkins age. I think Team Pavlik is seriously overlooking the task they have at hand, and Jack Loew seems eerily Trinidad Sr-esque in his outlook leading up to this fight.
Hopkins has been up against big punchers before (a prime Antwun Echols, a prime TitoTrinidad, a prime Joe Lipsey, Charles Brewer, etc.). Pavlik's style is so ****ing basic, that I really don't see him as much of a threat.
Keep in mind that al of Bernard's recent outings were against Southpaws (Wright, Tarver, Calzaghe etc.). He's a different fighter against righties.
I am not here denying that he is not the same guy as he was in his mid-late thirties, but his competition over the past few years has been against all top P4P guys, and he's beat them all, and taken VERY FEW shots in doing so. Nobody can claim dishing out as much while taking very little.
Yeah, the punches thrown may be anemic compared to some guys, but look at the punch connects. The connect percentage. He out landed Taylor in BOTH fights...Wright and Tarver too. He landed ALL the meaningful blows against Calzaghe...and most of the punches the aforementioned three opponents were credited with were nothing clean, and in the case of Calzaghe, damn near phantom-ish.
Joe Calzaghe was awarded some RIDICULOUS number of connects (something like 234 punches). Let me tell you something - DLH hit Forbes over 200 times, and Forbes face was a mess. Margarito landed on Cotto over 200 times, and Cotto was broken. Joe Calzaghe did NOT land 200 punches on Bernard Hopkins. I'd go as far to say he probably landed less than Hopkins, although I was not counting....but there was no need to anyway. I know what I saw. There is no way you get hit over 230 times and come out without a scratch. Sorry. Just no way.
That said, Joe Calzaghe is very well conditioned, and has busy hands (albeit an amateurish style, which was the way the last fight seemed to be scored). I mention this because Kelly Pavlik, while busy, is not as busy as Joe Cal. He's not throwing those loosey goosey slaps non stop. Kelly Pavlik has a very basic 1-2 style. He's heavy footed. Jack Loew (and Kelly, for that matter), act as if this is going to be an easy task, and all this talk of KO? How the **** can they even think KO? They need to be thinking connect, first. I just don't see it. Hopkins defense is way too complex for these guys.
Jack Loew is throwing around comparison's of this proposed bout to that of Margarito/Cotto, with Kelly being Margarito and Hopkins being Cotto. Couldn't DISAGREE more here. First of all, Hopkins and Pavlik are roughly the same size. There's no 5-6 inch height/reach advantage, and both guys can carry 160-175 easily. Secondly, Bernard Hopkins is a more complete fighter than Cotto. His defense is SURE a HELLUVA LOT BETTER than that of Miguel Cotto's, and Hopkins counters much more effectively when he makes you miss. His footwork is much more efficient too. As for comparing Kelly to Margarito, I would say Kelly probably is a bit heavier handed, but Margarito applies way more pressure, takes a better shot, and throws a helluva lot more.
Gentlemen, Hopkins vs. Pavlik is NOT Cotto vs. Margarito.
Boxing is a pure styles game. Hopkins has the style to beat Kelly Pavlik with relative ease, and in the process take little to no punishment. Whether he is penalized yet again for this proficient style is another story. I really just don't see Pavlik out boxing Hopkins OR stopping him.
I can see this being another Hopkins/Eastman type of outing, where Hopkins lands at will, and doesn't get hit. It could wind up like Hopkins/Trinidad depending if Kelly can withstand the punishment. Kelly has been in some fights (Taylor 2x's, Miranda). The saving grace for Pavlik in those fights where he was taking a helluva lot of fire is that he was also landing a helluva lot on his opponents, and they eventually succumbed to that. With Hopkins, Pavlik is going to be n the receiving end of a lot of clean punching, and landing very little.
I think Bernard takes him rather easily on points.
That's just my opinion.
We shall see.Comment
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@Method:
I almost agree with you, except for a few minor points. For one, Hopkins faded poorly in the fight with Calzaghe, partly because of Joe's workrate, and partly because of his own age. In the 10th round, Joe did land meaningful punches; enough that B-Hop's sweat started to fly, and he feigned that ridiculous low blow claim to catch a breather, else he may have been downed. He was not stable at that moment, and Joe wasn't exactly cracking him hard. If Hopkins fades at all against Pavlik, which he may given Kelly's own work rate and power, he won't be able to "act" his way out.
Kelly had graduated beyond the 1-2. In the last rounds of Taylor II, and all through the Lockett fight, Kelly discovered that punches to the body, and combinations from different angles make him far more dangerous than he has been in the past. He was mixing up in those moments, his most recent, and I only expect that to improve. Pavlik has also never showed signs of tiring, which could help him tremendously when B-Hop almost assuredly begins to fade.
As to the Cotto-Margarito analysis: true, this fight won't be the same. Cotto did display brilliant defensive and countering work against Margarito, however, very much in Hopkins fashion. Cotto failing to step in after the counter to work Tony's body prevented him from winding Tony, and thus cost him when he began to fade late, while Margarito continued his high work rate.
It could be similar to this scenario, but I just can't see Hopkins wearing Pavlik down before the opposite happens in return. I don't see a KO from either fighter. Maybe a decision victory for KP, and then a lot of whining by Hopkins after. I would love to see Hop carry this classy, respectful attitude through the fight and after, though he's never been a gracious loser.Comment
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yeah yea yeah... i just hope he gets koed!Comment
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I don't think Hopkins has been cut in his entire career.Comment
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I don't think that taylor won the second fight with kelly at all. it had a lot of swing rounds which made it seem closer than it was but when the scores were announced and you saw the wide margins everybody knew pavlik won before they said his name. I hate when this happens everytime theres a decision on a fight. hopefully theres a decisive winner so we don't have to hear any whining especially from b hopComment
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