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On Saturday night, Bernard Hopkins limited Jermain Taylor’s offense, controlling the pace of the fight, using exemplary footwork, counterpunching, an inside game and just the right amount of dirty tactics to provide the strictest test yet (and perhaps ever) for the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist and new middleweight champion.
He forgot to win enough rounds.
In this week’s edition of Fighting Words, I will analyze nearly every facet of Hopkins’s split decision defeat, from the performances of both pugilists to the scoring of the twelfth round by one of the judges, breaking down the facts and opining along the way. This week’s segment of The 10 Count includes thoughts on the undercard of the Hopkins/Taylor pay-per-view, as well as items concerning Kassim Ouma, Juan Diaz, Danny Williams, and Shane Mosley’s new partnership with Golden Boy Promotions.
The Master Strategist Fails Himself
Despite jumping the gun and running across the ring just prior to the opening bell, Bernard Hopkins did little to press the action for the majority of the fight. Whereas against Howard Eastman, Hopkins had slowed down the pace of the fight and won nearly every round on the scorecard, with Jermain Taylor he seemed content to let the young challenger build what would become an insurmountable lead.
After three rounds had been completed, Hopkins was only averaging four landed punches per round, with Taylor just slightly better at six. Yet it was Taylor’s throwing of 36 shots a stanza, compared to Hopkins’s 15, that gave the Little Rock native an early advantage.
It wasn’t until the fifth that a round clearly went to Hopkins, a small victory that came as a result of an accidental head butt that opened up a gash on Taylor’s scalp, followed by a few hard right hand leads. [details]
He forgot to win enough rounds.
In this week’s edition of Fighting Words, I will analyze nearly every facet of Hopkins’s split decision defeat, from the performances of both pugilists to the scoring of the twelfth round by one of the judges, breaking down the facts and opining along the way. This week’s segment of The 10 Count includes thoughts on the undercard of the Hopkins/Taylor pay-per-view, as well as items concerning Kassim Ouma, Juan Diaz, Danny Williams, and Shane Mosley’s new partnership with Golden Boy Promotions.
The Master Strategist Fails Himself
Despite jumping the gun and running across the ring just prior to the opening bell, Bernard Hopkins did little to press the action for the majority of the fight. Whereas against Howard Eastman, Hopkins had slowed down the pace of the fight and won nearly every round on the scorecard, with Jermain Taylor he seemed content to let the young challenger build what would become an insurmountable lead.
After three rounds had been completed, Hopkins was only averaging four landed punches per round, with Taylor just slightly better at six. Yet it was Taylor’s throwing of 36 shots a stanza, compared to Hopkins’s 15, that gave the Little Rock native an early advantage.
It wasn’t until the fifth that a round clearly went to Hopkins, a small victory that came as a result of an accidental head butt that opened up a gash on Taylor’s scalp, followed by a few hard right hand leads. [details]
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