Hopkins Is Being Underestimated, Pavlik Hyped

[-EX-]

Pavlik has power but he is no Tommy Hearns. The Taylor KO was nice but Miranda was never that good to begin with. Pavlik's a good fighter but he's hyped up a lil too much.

[daggum]

i think we all can agree a gift split decision is a lot more impressive than knocking someone out cold. you forget the finer details!

[S A M U R A I]

Taylor's punching power is not in Pavlik's league IMO. Of course the weight can make a difference. But so can the 3 years that has gone since the last Taylor fight.

My thoughts regarding power:

Taylor almost had Pavlik out. Bernard probably hits harder than Taylor, so he might have a better chance of finishing what Taylor almost did. Bernard also has a great chin. I don't see Pavlik making a major dent in it, even if he can catch him clean, which, as we all know, is extremely difficult because Hopkins is exceptional in terms of defense. Pavlik KO's by accumulation, he ain't prime Tyson. He would need to catch Hopkins clean many times to get even remotely close to a KO or stoppage. This will NOT happen. I guarantee it.

I agree that Taylor's power probably isn't in Kelly's league, but it is pretty good. Regardless, it will take more than a couple of right hands from Pavlik to upset Hopkins who hasn't been knocked down since 1994. Even then, I am certain that the knockdowns in his first meeting with Mercado were due to Hopkins not being used to the altitude (10,000 feet). No one since then has knocked Bernard down, and we saw what happened in the rematch when the playing field was a little more level (Hopkins TKO 7, if you forgot).

Kelly has a hell of a job on his hands if he expects a KO, even with a 43 year old Bernard Hopkins -- a guy who makes pretty much everyone he's fought look like garbage. Kelly won't be able to apply his usual pressure because all the time he tries anything like that he's very open to being countered, and this is where Hopkins excels. So... expect a rather amateur-looking Kelly Pavlik next week.

EDIT: Woo hoo!



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[roundingace]

i think we all can agree a gift split decision is a lot more impressive than knocking someone out cold. you forget the finer details!

I must have lol.

[KostyaTszyu44]

A lot of the talk surrounding this fight has been about "Pavlik being the first man to stop Hopkins" but I think this is a case of "falling in love with a puncher". Pavlik may win, but those expecting some kind of blowout are forgetting just what Hopkins brings to the table, and buying into the Pavlik "huge power" mythology a little too eagerly.

First of all, Pavlik is going to have to overcome fighting at the highest weight he has ever fought at in his life, and he's in against a guy who just one fight ago was recognised as the best LHW in the world. Pavlik should be OK at the weight, but will his power, great against guys 10 pounds lighter really carry up to LHW in the same way? I don't think so. Even Roy Jones found that fighting LHWs was harder than he expected, until he got used to it.

Second there is Hopkins himself. It appears that since his loss to Calzaghe he has been universally written off as an ancient relic, but is this really fair? In that fight he was up against maybe the hardest working SMW/ LHW there has ever been, one with great speed and a chin that allowed him to show no fear of Hopkins' power. And Hopkins still took the fight to a split decision. Can Pavlik's chin be relied on to let him pressure relentlessly a la Calzaghe? Maybe, but maybe not too, Calzaghe was the first and only fighter ever to be able to pressurise Hopkins like that, so Kelly Pavlik certainly has a tough task on his hands to be able to follow suit.

And Hopkins stamina? Well, no doubt it is not what it was in his younger days, but its not as bad as his critics make out. He looked pretty good still for the majority of the Calzaghe fight, and when he did get tired it was late in the fight, which is hardly unusual, especially against someone like Calzaghe. No doubt if Pavlik is able to fight at the pace he wants then the advantage goes to him, but if he can't, which is not unlikely, and Hopkins manages to slow him down then suddenly we are looking at a fight between an inexperienced MW still learning the game and the most experienced LHW there is, one with every trick in the book to turn a fight his way. Oh yeah, one thats never been stopped too.

This fight is going to be a much closer affair than many imagine, and is a much greater test for Pavlik than is being made out. Hopkins is not the force he once was but still has the tools to spring a surprise, as he has before in his career, and if Pavlik can beat him it should go down as a tremendous win, perhaps even Pavlik's best given all the circumstances. If Pavlik can beat him.

we all know you are trying to make bernard look good because he is joes best win

[Sonic Flood]

Calzaghe lost to Hopkins IMO..

Pavlik beating Bernard in an UD or KO will make Calzaghe look like an idiot.

[Hitman932]

First of all, Pavlik is going to have to overcome fighting at the highest weight he has ever fought at in his life, and he's in against a guy who just one fight ago was recognised as the best LHW in the world. Pavlik should be OK at the weight, but will his power, great against guys 10 pounds lighter really carry up to LHW in the same way? I don't think so. Even Roy Jones found that fighting LHWs was harder than he expected, until he got used to it.

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First of all Mr. abadger let me say that i know you are one of the best posters around here as you recognize what very few do. Andre Dirrell is better than crusty old Joe Calzaghe.

As far as your post goes we've had our fair share of back and forth about this and I would say that my opinion of Pavlik is just slightly biased much like your opinion of Dirrell {*cough*}

You raise valid points and make good arguments for the most part, but I take exception to the one I quoted above.


It doesen't matter if this fight is at 160, 168 or 175 pounds, Pavlik will be the bigger, stronger man in the ring. Physiological tests have proven time and time again that the stress guys put their body through to make weight has a lasting impact and this will probably be the first time in years that Pavlik steps on a scale having eaten something in the past 12-24 hours. BHop looked rejuevnated with the move up in weight against Tarver, I expect an even more drastic improvement for Pavlik. Listen to his interviews "I finally get to eat." Doesen't sound like a guy who makes weight with ease.

You talk about RJJ's power being diminished against LHWs, that may be so but is a guy who fought almost 50 times at middleweight and 1.5 times at LHW really a LHW?

I firmly believe that Pavlik will have a hard time motivating himself to move down to middleweight after he feels how strong he is at 170.


He is going to end up fighting Abraham in a one off or make an abrupt jump to super middleweight.

[roundingace]

Pavlik beating Bernard in an UD or KO will make Calzaghe look like an idiot.

I concede the exact same thing but will tame it down to abadgers wording, it will for sure make, in JC's eyes along with most of his fans, Pavlik a credible opponent should he not retire. Lol, I just still laugh at him fighting Hop and winning, like he is predicted to do amongst the non seeing impaired, to all of a sudden have JC back on the other side of his face saying KP is a great champion and it's a great honor and blah blah blah.

[xxjace]

Yes Hopkins power is being underestimated....

[roundingace]

Yes Hopkins power is being underestimated....

Not underestimated just irrelevant. In my humble opion of course.