Bernard Hopkins is the greatest middleweight in history

[Bozo_no no]

Look, I think you missed the point of my post... The reason I was comparing Calzaghe's career to Hopkins is to try and make you see where meaningless defences of a single belt will get you,I was using Calzaghe's career as an example.

And I pointed out that it's a poor example because Hopkins dominated the Niddleweight division without avoiding a list of credible challengers.

Calzaghe has struggled with some mediocre fighters, and didn't fight the other top fighters around him. He hasn't unified any titles.

Hopkins dominated middleweight, and unified the WBA WBC IBF WBO titles.

He was also considered the # 4 # best fighter on the planet for a few years.

Calzaghe doesn't come anywhere near that class.

[Guest]

In circles we go:

A good but not exceptional fighter doesn't dominate the middleweight division for 10 years never losing more than 4 rounds in a fight, breaking the all time record for middleweight defesnes.

A good fighter but not exceptional is a Joe Calzaghe, who managed to go undefeated, but for whatever reason, did not fight a series of credible challenges in the division he was in.

We're clear it wasn't me who brought Calzaghe into the thread, right?

Again, if your idea of being exceptional is not losing rounds to Antwun Echols then it's an "agree to disagree" situation.

Have you seen my Megamix yet? that's how I see the Hop when I watch him.

[theironone]

i dont get drawn in with all the media bull**** anyway, **** me just watch them fight, thats all you need not some old ****a saying hed hang wit the old timer champeens

[Bozo_no no]

It seemed that way to me

The Brits in this thread (notice how I used the disclaimer this time) seem to be easilly offended.

Even the thought that one could imply an entire nation of people all think one way is pretty narrow sited.

I apologised once. Want another?

Perhaps Anorak shed some light on it when he said the casual fan in the UK doesn't have a lot of exposure to Hopkins.

Either way, for the 3rd time: the only posters on this site I've seen with such a great disdane for Hopkins are Martin, Anorak and JuyJuy. All Brits.

That's not meant to be a slight to Brits, it's just an observation.

[Guest]

i dont get drawn in with all the media bull**** anyway, **** me just watch them fight, thats all you need not some old ****a saying hed hang wit the old timer champeens

I just couldn't get over them all sucking him off on The Best Damn Sports Show... Chris Byrd (okay, okay, bad example, but he was) was sitting next to him saying Hop's better.

Okay, Hop IS better than Byrd, but here's some boxers I think are better p4p than the Hop, this is just off the top of my head:


Toney
Morales
Mayweather
Barrera


Okay, PBF is a gift as he ain't fought anyone yet (so he must have fought someone - right, double negative fans?) but even so...

[Bozo_no no]

We're clear it wasn't me who brought Calzaghe into the thread, right?

Again, if your idea of being exceptional is not losing rounds to Antwun Echols then it's an "agree to disagree" situation.

Have you seen my Megamix yet? that's how I see the Hop when I watch him.

Dominating Echols, Lipsey (yes he was a solid and durable fighter), Allan, Glenn Johnson, Joppy, Trinidad, Delahoya

when added to the fact he dominated the middleweight division for 10 years breaking the record for Middleweight defenses

that's exceptional. Flat out.

It's an exceptional acheivment that makes an exceptional career.

A Hall of Fame Career, for a top ten middleweight in boxing history.

[Guest]

The Brits in this thread (notice how I used the disclaimer this time) seem to be easilly offended.

Even the thought that one could imply an entire nation of people all think one way is pretty narrow sited.

I apologised once. Want another?

Perhaps Anorak shed some light on it when he said the casual fan in the UK doesn't have a lot of exposure to Hopkins.

Either way, for the 3rd time: the only posters on this site I've seen with such a great disdane for Hopkins are Martin, Anorak and JuyJuy. All Brits.

That's not meant to be a slight to Brits, it's just an observation.

I've actually had this said to me about RJJ - and I LIKE RJJ. I just don't think he's all that, but I do LIKE him. But it's still a silly observation, it's like me saying the only people on the site who like him are Yankee Doodles. And here's Iron One... what's he going to do, apply for US Citizenship? (I mean... JuyJuy! ****in' 'ell!)

When I say we don't have "exposure" to him, what I mean is, we get the fights and the fights only. We don't get to see him on chatshows, in magazine interviews, etc.

[theironone]

i wasnt fishing for one in the first place just saying what i thought, **** me the casual fan over here wont know who calzaghes beat never mind hopkins , i thik im a very dedicated follower of the sport so get to see alot of fights others wont or arent bothered about, but thanks for clearing that up yank

[Bozo_no no]

I'm Canadian blokes, stop calling me a Yank.

I don't know what to tell you Anorak, but I'm hoping boxing fans in the UK that HAVE seen the majority of Hopkins fights fall more to the side of theironone and not you and Martin, otherwise I'm going to start asking questions about contamination to your water supply.

[Guest]

Dominating Echols, Lipsey (yes he was a solid and durable fighter), Allan, Glenn Johnson, Joppy, Trinidad, Delahoya

when added to the fact he dominated the middleweight division for 10 years breaking the record for Middleweight defenses

that's exceptional. Flat out.

It's an exceptional acheivment that makes an exceptional career.

A Hall of Fame Career, for a top ten middleweight in boxing history.

You see, I'm still not sure I should be playing as you said you had no interest in my opinion.

But as you're keeping on, then I agree - in terms of paper achievements, alphabet soup, the quality of opposition within the time frame, etc. then he has achieved, and can possibly be considered top 10.

But it's the way you want to win, isn't it? His mighty 20th defence (or his 19th, as one was a NC) was against Howard Eastman. A guy he'd put on hold for around two years even though he was in mandatory position (correct me if I'm wrong there, I'm prepared to be wrong on that point) and a guy he spent the entire night running from.

Now I don't give a **** if Eastman is a Brit (though he originally comes from Nuff Tumper country anyway) so let's not go there. All I'm saying is that there's a lot of people on this site who talk about him "schooling" or (horror!) "pwning" Eastman. If your idea of greatness and success and "pwning" is running like a twat and pot-shotting to win rounds then that's fine, but it ain't enough for me. Watch my megamix. That's how I saw the fight.