Sorry, but... Hopkins is absolutely pathetic.

[Truth]

yeah he is soo pathetic
he has only defended his title
20 damn times, who cares if his
style bores you .
seriusly the guy knows how to
fight, so if you cal someone with
a supreme style of boxing
Pathetic, i guess
Ali is real pathetic.

I agree I think HBO focused way to much on the fact that the fight wasn't extremley exciting. Hopkins is the man.

[SonnyG8R]

That fight was boring as hell and it was Hopkins fault. But I guess we should expect him to run and play it safe. All the guy does is play it safe fight mediocre fighters and blown up Welters.

he did what he needed to win and I won't fault him for that but he is still a running little ***** who is afraid to step up and take a risk agianst a bigger/better fighter.

The guy may be an alltime middleweight, but he can't be considered an alltime p4p.

[SonnyG8R]

and now he has to leave, yo Rick i think this guy thats proud of his pride made a deal

http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6647&page=1&pp=10

BAN HIM!!! 3 strikes! hes out of here!

I thought he was already permanantly banned for the Shmelling thread?

[m00ks]

Oh man. That was one of the most intense psychological warfare I've seen in a loooong time. Anyone whos says it was a snooze fest is entitled to their opinion but I honestly found it nailbiting. Sooo tactitcal even with the psychology aspect. Eastman was super poised and I think he ven got B-Hop worried in the opening rounds. But I found that Eastman broke down by the mid rounds. B-Hop was playing him like a fiddle from then on. Faints we're also enough to fool anybody. Tooo dammn crafty this man. And quick! My goodness, he showed no signs of his 40 years.

I will never doubt the discipline and composure of Bernard Hopkins again. Economic and effective, this is why he is king.

Howard should have watched those tapes...

[m00ks]

That fight was boring as hell and it was Hopkins fault. But I guess we should expect him to run and play it safe. All the guy does is play it safe fight mediocre fighters and blown up Welters.

he did what he needed to win and I won't fault him for that but he is still a running little ***** who is afraid to step up and take a risk agianst a bigger/better fighter.

The guy may be an alltime middleweight, but he can't be considered an alltime p4p.

you had to watch it having both guys mentality. Eastman damn near convinced me that he was going to win, so calm, confident but in a humble way. It's like he knew something we didn't. And Hopkins going for his 20th and how important it is for him. Then you picture yourself in that same bout and see what would you do. The mind games we're back and forth and Bernard was SET on having Eastman come to him. He wasn't gonna be the agressor and I think that's what Eastman prepared for.

[Guest]

This whole is still bothering me. YES, there was a psychological aspect of the bout that we, as appreciators of the sport, would appreciate more than the always-unforgiving LA crowd.

But this wasn't Cassius Clay bobbing and weaving, using his perpetual motion and natural reflexes to place himself out of danger and into strategically advantageous positions. This was an old man using his movement to place himself completely out of the fight for almost two thirds of every round - then desperately pot shotting just to clock up a win on the judge's scorecards. If that's the way your man impresses you, then so be it. But it's not a crowd pleasing style, and in many senses, it isn't boxing, either, no matter how much you pretend that it is.

[Mike Tyson Jr.]

Anorak is it true what
your avatar and signature
says? Are you really gay?

[m00ks]

This whole is still bothering me. YES, there was a psychological aspect of the bout that we, as appreciators of the sport, would appreciate more than the always-unforgiving LA crowd.

But this wasn't Cassius Clay bobbing and weaving, using his perpetual motion and natural reflexes to place himself out of danger and into strategically advantageous positions. This was an old man using his movement to place himself completely out of the fight for almost two thirds of every round - then desperately pot shotting just to clock up a win on the judge's scorecards. If that's the way your man impresses you, then so be it. But it's not a crowd pleasing style, and in many senses, it isn't boxing, either, no matter how much you pretend that it is.

1) I didn't see an old man in that ring. If anything he made Eastman look old.

2) I think you know as much as mee Bernard could care less about pleasing the crowd. He grins when they boo. He-could-care-less.

3) Isn't boxing? "Hit and not get hit" that's the way it should be played. That's more of boxing than a Gatti-Ward fight.
I ain't "pretending" it's boxing. IT IS BOXING. The VERY DEFINITION of it.

If you couln't see the skills demonstrated in countering, flawless timing, controlled agression, economic distribution of punches, maximizing damage inflicted, maintaining composure, setting up traps and openings, overall veteran craftiness....

welll that's a damn shame.

[MetalVomit]

But this wasn't Cassius Clay bobbing and weaving, using his perpetual motion and natural reflexes to place himself out of danger and into strategically advantageous positions. This was an old man using his movement to place himself completely out of the fight for almost two thirds of every round - then desperately pot shotting just to clock up a win on the judge's scorecards. If that's the way your man impresses you, then so be it. But it's not a crowd pleasing style, and in many senses, it isn't boxing, either, no matter how much you pretend that it is.

If Hopkins stood around pot shotting, why didnt Eastman do something about it. All you have said is how Hopkins was "pathetic", so if Bernard was pathetic, what was your countryman? What's worse than pathetic? I mean he was outlanded more than 2 to 1. I guarantee that if Eastman wasn't from England, you would not be saying **** about Hopkins. He did what he had to do, and that was dominate a fighter that was much lesser than him in every aspect. I take back what I said about Eastman not deserving the shot, he was the number 1 contender to one of the belts, but he was dominated, quietly if you will. I say quietly because the fight wasnt spectacular.

[Guest]

MT Jr. - it's my punishment for losing a bet. I've got till March before this can come off...

1) I didn't see an old man in that ring. If anything he made Eastman look old.

I disagree.

2) I think you know as much as mee Bernard could care less about pleasing the crowd. He grins when they boo. He-could-care-less.

Whether he could care less or not is irrelevant. It's part of his job. If he doesn't deliver fights people enjoying watching, they won't keep watching them.

3) Isn't boxing? "Hit and not get hit" that's the way it should be played. That's more of boxing than a Gatti-Ward fight.
I ain't "pretending" it's boxing. IT IS BOXING. The VERY DEFINITION of it.

If you couln't see the skills demonstrated in countering, flawless timing, controlled agression, economic distribution of punches, maximizing damage inflicted, maintaining composure, setting up traps and openings, overall veteran craftiness....

welll that's a damn shame.

No, fair play, I could see that - in spurts. I'd say 60% of his work that night was skill... but there was a high level of just avoiding the job at hand at all. Frequently it wasn't a case of "hit and not be hit" it was "not be hit and don't hit back either." I'm not talking about the feints... I'm talking about his constant tours of duty over the other side of the ring.

Maybe it's just that his name is so unrelated to his style. If he WAS an executioner he'd just hand his axe to Howard and say "cut your own head off, I'm going to watch from over there but might give you a nudge from time to time."