I wish Joe Blow had done more in his career...

[Duke McKenzie_]

You have to have the resume, it's a prerequisite. It doesn't matter how skilled you may be. That's why BHop gets ATG praise.

This is it, I don't get that Hop's IS that great. I really don't.

[Oasis_Lad]

I don't mind debating that Oasis but let's be honest with each other so we both know where we stand...when did you begin watching Hopkins? Then boxing, if you don't mind.

I first started watching boxing in the early to mid-nineties ( although I was young and not completely in love with the game then ) and The first Hopkins fight I witnessed was The Trinidad fight when I was 15.

I've watched a lot of Bernard since then and I respect the Hell out of him ( My earlier posts were just me ****in' around to get a rise ) but I just can't fathom why people heap the praise that they do on him.

Does he rank higher than Calzaghe all-time? Yes. But when I see people put Bernard in their top 40 and Calzaghe doesn't even make the top 100 I have to wonder why?

[Testdead]

So he managed to make weight for that long, huh? Wow...what a miracle worker he was!

Dude Hopkins is a big LH and bigger than Calzaghe who spent his career fighting 8lbs higher.

Hopkins is one of the biggest MW ive seen.

[IMDAZED]

I first started watching boxing in the early to mid-nineties ( although I was young and not completely in love with the game then ) and The first Hopkins fight I witnessed was The Trinidad fight when I was 15.

I've watched a lot of Bernard since then and I respect the Hell out of him ( My earlier posts were just me ****in' around to get a rise ) but I just can't fathom why people heap the praise that they do on him.

Does he rank higher than Calzaghe all-time? Yes. But when I see people put Bernard in their top 40 and Calzaghe doesn't even make the top 100 I have to wonder why?

Thanks for your honesty.

Aside from their sharing similar title reigns - a slight edge to Hops perhaps - there are also other factors.

Hopkins has beat a number of fighters who were highly ranked pound for pound at the time he fought them. Felix Trinidad was considered the best fighter in the world. That win - though not quite as huge - isn't unlike Marvin Hagler's destruction of Thomas Hearns. Him breaking the middleweight record with that kind of performance over that caliber opponent trumps any on Calzaghe's resume. And before you claim "weight" please note that Tito weighed more than Hopkins (157) and was coming off a 5 round KO of a fighter who neither Bernard nor Jermain Taylor (years later) could come close to stopping.

Does Calzaghe have anything close to this? And that's just one win we're talking about here. I'm barely scratching the surface.

[Haglerwins]

This is it, I don't get that Hop's IS that great. I really don't.

He shut out the undisputed middleweight champion at 43 in arguably the greatest physical performance of a post 40 fighter. Has wins over the lineal Lightheavy champ and p4p#2/3 best post 40. That's without going near his work as the middleweight champion.

If Hopkins can't get on an ATG list with his accolades, then can Joe? There isn't even a fight for him left outside of Dawson. He's covered all the ground there is to cover outside of moving up in weight again for a legacy fight.

[IMDAZED]

Dude Hopkins is a big LH and bigger than Calzaghe who spent his career fighting 8lbs higher.

Hopkins is one of the biggest MW ive seen.

What makes him a natural LHW?

[AKATheMack]

Hey there Duke, Im a fat Yank and I was curious what doesn pwn mean?

[Testdead]

What makes him a natural LHW?

He is more a natural LH than MW thats for sure. Hopkins complained for years he struggled making weight. he only stuck around to get 20 defences.

[IMDAZED]

He is more a natural LH than MW thats for sure. Hopkins complained for years he struggled making weight. he only stuck around to get 20 defences.

Hopkins never complained that he was struggling to make weight. Maybe at the tail end but that is doubtful. Do you have any proof of this? Because prior to the Trinidad fight (14 defenses in), he specifically told the reporter in his lockerroom the exact opposite (HBO PPV Telecast).

And once again, what makes him a natural LHW? Or, more LHW than MW?

[hookoutofhell]

people talk about zagh as though his fights between eubank and lacy were all nobodies or tomato cans.

he faced alot of ex-champs and alot of good contenders the likes of charles brewer, richie woodhall, robin reid (ffs even reid admitted he lost), byron mitchell are not HOF worthy fighters but they are respectable and solid wins.

in terms of defenses id say that calzaghes defenses are alot better than hopkins.

hopkins hs faced the better comp at LHW though.

agree with altot of what duke mckenzie has said

calzaghe>hopkins