Hopkins-Golovkin at light-heavy - who wins?

[Jack Napier]

They said the same things about Cloud, Tarver and Pavlik and were any of those fights even close? The thing is, Cleverly was actually doing good work just before he was hurt and finished off. Kovalev being effective past mid-rounds is still an open question. Hopkins can very well take him into deep waters and drown him. If kovalev in his next fight takes an opponent that is a good boxer and looks average and you see Hopkins immediately agree to fight him, the fight is already in the bag for Hopkins. He's done that with all 3 fighters I've mentioned above. The mans a genius and knows that he can figure out any puncher that walks in straight lines.

Pavlik, yes
Hopkins looked like shit vs Calzaghe, time seemed to catch up to him
but what knowledgeable people picked Tarver or Cloud over him?
a few mighta picked Tarver, but in the vast minority
and NOBODY thought Cloud was gonna do jack shit to Hopkins
and none of those guys compare power wise or style wise to Kovalev
can't ever count Hopkins out completely, but wouldn't pick him there

[BennyST]

I like GGG. He has the *potential* for being a HOFer - he may even be an ATG. But we don't know. Let him get by Stevens (show he can take a punch) or better yet show that he can avoid a punch if he wants to.

Let him take out Martinez and Quillin and Sturm and Chavez and a couple more and then let's talk about GGG and Hopkins in the same breath.

Now - is it possible that next year (after beating Stevens and another good fighter) GGG may be able to beat a 49 year old Hopkins. Yes. Maybe. Youth will win out sooner or later.

I like GGG. I think that Hopkins is an ass (at least his public persona) but lets not forget that Hopkins is an ATG and GGG hasn't proved himself yet.

ATG? HOFer?

Golovkin hasn't shown anything that resembles the possibility that he could be a HOFer and especially not an ATG. We're talking about a guy that's 32 years old, held a 'title' for three years, made 7 defenses and his best win, his career defining win so far after an 8 year 30 fight career, is over a shot, overweight Kassim Ouma.

Until he proves anything against a fighter greater than a domestic level contender, which he hasnt, he does not deserve to be talked about in the same breath as Hopkins and mentioning HOFer and ATG next to his name deserves disdain and mockery. An ATG is Ali, Roberto Duran, Ray Robinson, Ezzard Charles, down to the next tier guys and current fighters such as Pac, Mayweather, Marquez, Hopkins.

Then you go to guys like Toney, Oscar, Tszyu, Canizalez, Lopez, Harada, Fenech, Mosley etc then down to guys like Casamayor, Castillo, Hernandez, Cotto then to guys like Corrales, Gatti, Judah, Spinks, Martinez, then down to guys like your regular champions that are all great fighters, some much better than others but also a dime a dozen, like your Nate Campbell, Sharmba Mitchell, Ledwaba, Khan, etc etc. Golovkin fits in that bracket and doesn't look like he'll ever get much further in the foreseeable future, when his 8th defense over three years are against low ranked contenders like Curtis Stevens, or when a big fight for him is against someone like Macklin. People today forget just how many great champions there have been. Guys that make Golovkin look not just utterly unaccomplished, but like nothing more than a decent champ of the times, which is all he is.

HOFers are guys that were beating top, world class champions not just once or twice, but usually over decades, and also fighting/beating other HOFers. Proving again and again that they are not just good, but can beat the best fighters/champions time and time again and that they would be a threat in any era. Golovkin hasn't proven he can even beat a current champion yet, because he hasn't even fought a current champion. Not once. He won his current 'world title' against a 14-2-2 Colombian journeyman called Nilson Julio Tapia.

This talk of ATGs over guys like Golovkin, Matthyse and various other largely unproven, unaccomplished fighters is absurd. They are good fighters, fun fighters, but enough with the HOF/ATG talk.

[FrankieClutch]

I don't know if GGG's power would carry over to LHW, but if it did he'd win. If it doesn't, B-Hop wins on the cards 8-4, 7-5 ish.

[bklynboy]

ATG? HOFer?

Golovkin hasn't shown anything that resembles the possibility that he could be a HOFer and especially not an ATG. We're talking about a guy that's 32 years old, held a 'title' for three years, made 7 defenses and his best win, his career defining win so far after an 8 year 30 fight career, is over a shot, overweight Kassim Ouma.

Until he proves anything against a fighter greater than a domestic level contender, which he hasnt, he does not deserve to be talked about in the same breath as Hopkins and mentioning HOFer and ATG next to his name deserves disdain and mockery. An ATG is Ali, Roberto Duran, Ray Robinson, Ezzard Charles, down to the next tier guys and current fighters such as Pac, Mayweather, Marquez, Hopkins.

Then you go to guys like Toney, Oscar, Tszyu, Canizalez, Lopez, Harada, Fenech, Mosley etc then down to guys like Casamayor, Castillo, Hernandez, Cotto then to guys like Corrales, Gatti, Judah, Spinks, Martinez, then down to guys like your regular champions that are all great fighters, some much better than others but also a dime a dozen, like your Nate Campbell, Sharmba Mitchell, Ledwaba, Khan, etc etc. Golovkin fits in that bracket and doesn't look like he'll ever get much further in the foreseeable future, when his 8th defense over three years are against low ranked contenders like Curtis Stevens, or when a big fight for him is against someone like Macklin. People today forget just how many great champions there have been. Guys that make Golovkin look not just utterly unaccomplished, but like nothing more than a decent champ of the times, which is all he is.

HOFers are guys that were beating top, world class champions not just once or twice, but usually over decades, and also fighting/beating other HOFers. Proving again and again that they are not just good, but can beat the best fighters/champions time and time again and that they would be a threat in any era. Golovkin hasn't proven he can even beat a current champion yet, because he hasn't even fought a current champion. Not once. He won his current 'world title' against a 14-2-2 Colombian journeyman called Nilson Julio Tapia.

This talk of ATGs over guys like Golovkin, Matthyse and various other largely unproven, unaccomplished fighters is absurd. They are good fighters, fun fighters, but enough with the HOF/ATG talk.

I couldn't agree with you more. GGG hasn't done anything nearly enough to be a HOFer (let alone an ATG) and I like the examples you gave.

However it looks as if GGG has real skills to go along with his power and, unlike some, (Wilder for laughs and giggles) I see someone who can make a real mark in the next 2-3 years. I don't think he's a hype job. (Although I can be wrong. I've been wrong before.)

Nonetheless GGG still has to make good on his potential. IF he clears out the division (Stevens, Martinez, Quillin, Sturm, Chavez). IF he wins convincingly. If. If. If. Then we can start talking about him being a HOFer.

I think he has a good shot of impressing us all. I was super-impressed by his KO of Macklin: keeping Macklin busy by shots on the gloves and then hooking the body. That fight took me from thinking that GGG was a decent fighter to ... "OMG - maybe the dude is for real."

GGG has paid his dues, has some top-rate coaching, has power and can easily make his mark in another 12-16 fights.

[Tay Roc]

I'd pick hopkins. jumping 2 weight classes would be big. I'd have to see GGG take a fight at least at 168 before I can give him a shot that isn't pure speculation.

[Rocky...]

R.I.P old man popkins

[mezoomozaa]

Prime or old Hopkins both LOSE to GGG

[T-97]

If Hopkins hasn't got old (Which is a question that needs to be asked before any of his fights these days) I think he could win this. Mainly based on GGG moving up while Hopkins is more comfortable at the weight. But then, we don't know how GGG would perform at the weight. There are too many question marks to really predict it with much certainty, imo, but I would pick Hopkins by decision.