ESPN: Bernard Hopkins Beats Manny Pacquiao

[RL_GMA]

Matching Pacquiao against Leonard, Hearns, Duran (which they did) to me seems a little more realistic than BHop.

[RichCCFC]

WTF is this ****? Why not put Mike Tyson vs Pacquiao while you're at it.

[[ DUBBZZ ]]

Manny Pacquiao versus Bernard Hopkins

Rafael

Rafael: Obviously the size difference between Manny Pacquiao and Bernard Hopkins, a career middleweight and light heavyweigh, is vast. But if you can imagine Hopkins as a welterweight against pound-for-pound king Pacquiao, it's a fascinating fight.

Pacquiao has the speed and power. Hopkins would be the more polished, technical fighter and a guy with perhaps just a tad more ring smarts. Hopkins is at his best when he controls the pace of the fight. For years, Hopkins has fought only in spurts, just long enough to steal rounds away in many cases. His lack of punch output, however, is what cost him the middleweight title against Jermain Taylor and was a big part of his losing the light heavyweight crown to Joe Calzaghe.

Pacquiao, however, is all about pressure, relentlessness and volume punching. If they ever fought, I could see Hopkins boxing and moving and trying to slow down the pace of the fight in the early going and perhaps putting some rounds in the bank. But Pacquiao never slows down. His punch output is ridiculous, as is his speed. I think Pacquiao would simply be busier and flashier with his punches -- and that would resonate with the judges. Hopkins has an all-time great chin, so I don't see Pacquiao taking him out. I'll call it Pacquiao by decision in a fight that Hopkins would try to make tactical while Pacquiao kept the pressure on.

Mulvaney

Mulvaney: Hopkins is tall for a middleweight; Pacquiao is small for a welterweight. Pacquiao loves to fight coming forward; Hopkins loves opponents who fight coming forward. Hopkins also has an uncanny ability to hypnotize opponents, slowing them down to his pace and steering them into positions that suit him. Let's be generous and assume this is the older, slower Hopkins who fights for, at most, one minute of every round; even so, Hopkins is just too big and multi-faceted. After starting slowly while he sizes up his opponent and falling behind to Pacquiao's early energy, the canny veteran draws the sting from the Filipino's tail, smothering and neutralizing him and ultimately beating him up over the final two-thirds of the contest to coast to a unanimous decision.

Tessitore

Tessitore: I agree that PacMan would end up on the canvas at some point against Hopkins. A prime Hopkins is too big and too physical for Manny. Pacquiao wouldn't find Hopkins to be as available as other elite fighters he has been in the ring with. Hopkins would really have a field day muscling Manny on the inside and against the ropes. He would win a comfortable, workmanlike decision and deny Manny's fiery rallies.

Kenny

Kenny: Pacquiao is too small to hurt B-Hop. He loses that fight.

What a complete waste of time?!

[RichCCFC]

Hopkins would have some difficulty pinning Pac down early but when he finds him he'll knock him out, probably like De La Hoya fight only Pacquiao does even better and gets knocked out earlier.

[hugh grant]

The only guy who did a lb for lb analysis. "If hopkins was 147" thought Pac would win. And i am sure most, including I know that hopkins is too big for Pac but if they were the same size, there would be no question who people think would win.

Pac would win anything up to 154lb with BH.

[Pullcounter]

when are people gonna learn, pac loses all fantasy fights.

[King Ghidorah]

these types of questions/matchups that ESPN pose are insulting to real fight fans that know the sport

its kind of irritating that ESPN thinks so lowly of the boxing demographic that they post these pathetic matchups for hits

exactlly....


This why I hate BSPN.......Insulting knowledge of real hardcore sports fans just watch this absolute idiotic video......

[Amazinger]

[B]Wait until after the Mosley fight and some genius will generate the idea of PAC vs.SHAQ[/B]......

[megas30]

Its the same ESPN you guys always quote as calling Floyd a coward. Don't care for the guy, but how can anyone be called a coward who fights for a living? Espn needs real boxing analysts.

[Khalid X]

Pac would beat BH. Is it any wonder RJJ beat BH, when RJJ was younger. Speed and athletism beats BHs tecnique. But when RJJs attributes went BH tecnique came into its own.

But RJJ in his prime would always beat BH types.

You pretty much took the words out of my mouth. For some reason it seems that B-hop has problems with speedy athletes. I just thought it was Roy but then I see Taylor give him problems in route to beating him.

FWIW my comments are in reference to if Manny and B-hop were the same size, how would the fight play out. IMHO Manny beats him decisively.