Pavlik version of Hopkins vs Taylor?

[Rosseboi]

I'm just curious to your thoughts guys - imagine the Hopkins that fought Pavlik fought Taylor and was 39/40 as opposed to 43/44 years old - would he have beaten Taylor?

Remember that Hopkins was very defensive versus Taylor and quiet lethargic just like he was Calzaghe where he defensive/counter strategy wasn't successful but he was far more aggressive in the Pavlik fight.

Should he have fought more aggressively in the Taylor fight? Perhaps tried a little more infighting rather than allowing Taylor room to box on the outside?

Thoughts?

[Motofan]

He would win now. IMO he won both fights before, but HBO didnt care for Hopkins and wanted Taylor to be a big star (with Hopkins on his way out and Taylor on the way up they assumed). They had alot invested in Taylor, so if the fight was close they would give it to him. But I think any version of Hopkins beats Taylor.

[BattlingNelson]

Classic example of styles make fights and why triangular thery doesn't work. A slow one-dimensional comeforward fighter like Pavlik will always be in difficulty against Hopkins. Taylor has an entirely different style than Pavlik. A style that will always give Hopkins trouble IMO.

[ИATAS]

Classic example of styles make fights and why triangular thery doesn't work. A slow one-dimensional comeforward fighter like Pavlik will always be in difficulty against Hopkins. Taylor has an entirely different style than Pavlik. A style that will always give Hopkins trouble IMO.

co-sign.

But at the same time, I feel if hopkins pushed it a little more against Taylor, he could have got a clear UD. But that's just hopkins though, he fights cautious and defensive, he waits to counter and makes his limited shots count. Same thing against Cazlaghe. Even though hopkins doesn't get beat by any fighter, he "loses" rounds on judges scorecards based on activity alone.