"Alien" Hopkins vs "Krusher" Kovalev Post fight Discussion thread

[champion4ever]

I can see the built in excuses being made already. I get it. So when the Krusher loses to Bernard, it's going to be all the referee's fault for allowing Hopkins to bend the rules so that Kovalev wouldn't be able to fight his kind of fight. They are already preparing in spinning it to make it less about Hopkins' brilliance at the age 49 but more about the corruption and incompetence of the rigged officiating.

[TudorMiron]

I can see the built in excuses being made already. I get it. So when the Krusher loses to Bernard, it's going to be all the referee's fault for allowing Hopkins to bend the rules so that Kovalev wouldn't be able to fight his kind of fight. They are already preparing in spinning it to make it less about Hopkins' brilliance at the age 49 but more about the corruption and incompetence of the rigged officiating.

One can also say that there are build in excuses being made already. So when Bernard loses to Kovalev it's just because he's got old overnight.

I will say that if Bernard wins he's easily top 10 ATG.

[slipcatchroll]

I'm gonna say this now for future reference but beating a power puncher in Kovalev doesn't raise your ATG status when you still have losses to RJJ, Taylor and Dawson on your resume.
At the end of the day it's shown that he's vulnerable to a style and would fair badly against other fighters in history who are overlooked.
All it does is make him an opportunist.

[bojangles1987]

I can see the built in excuses being made already. I get it. So when the Krusher loses to Bernard, it's going to be all the referee's fault for allowing Hopkins to bend the rules so that Kovalev wouldn't be able to fight his kind of fight. They are already preparing in spinning it to make it less about Hopkins' brilliance at the age 49 but more about the corruption and incompetence of the rigged officiating.

It's a very real possibility that Hopkins will cheat his way to a win. It's not "brilliance" to fake fouls, headbutt, and excessively clinch enough to sneak decisions. It's cheating.

If Hopkins wins without fighting that way, he'll deserve all the praise in the world.

[BTL]

If he's out there acting a fool by charging in with his head and throwing 10 punches a round, how is that even a victory if he wins.. U would celebrate that?

[champion4ever]

I see that I have struck a nerve with my comments. The man is 49 years old for crying aloud. If the Krusher is as truly as good as advertised and given credit as the next big thing in the sport by both HBO and his fan boys then the fight should end very quickly. Then there should be no worries about dirty fighting, fouls and rough housing tactics. besides, Hopkins shouldn't last more than three rounds in there anyway before getting knocked out. The refereeing and the officiating would be the very least of my concern if I was so confident that Kovalev could handle his own business in the ring; In Despite of the head butts, elbows, excessive clinching and rabbit punching.

[Joe Beamish]

If Hopkins wins with clinching and dirty tricks, so be it. If Kovalev can't overwhelm him with power and youth and tons of activity, then screw him. He deserves to lose then.

[joseph5620]

It's a very real possibility that Hopkins will cheat his way to a win. It's not "brilliance" to fake fouls, headbutt, and excessively clinch enough to sneak decisions. It's cheating.

If Hopkins wins without fighting that way, he'll deserve all the praise in the world.

When has Hopkins ever won a fight with those tactics? And clinching is a part of boxing and always has been.

[Pigeons]

Bernard pulls the race card again, and it gets him on ESPN.com's top headlines.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/11815891/bernard-hopkins-says-race-reason-pursuit-history-transcended-boxing

Reading Bernard's words I am reminded why many white Americans (like myself) just cannot bring themselves to root for the guy regardless of what he is accomplishing. I respect what he is accomplishing, but I cannot root for him. He does not represent America, just Black America.

[Joe Beamish]

Bernard pulls the race card again, and it gets him on ESPN.com's top headlines.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/11815891/bernard-hopkins-says-race-reason-pursuit-history-transcended-boxing

Reading Bernard's words I am reminded why many white Americans (like myself) just cannot bring themselves to root for the guy regardless of what he is accomplishing. I respect what he is accomplishing, but I cannot root for him. He does not represent America, just Black America.

Pretty much agree. I admire Hopkins' for lots of achievement reasons, but I realize that I myself am not somebody he thinks very highly of because of my race. Whereas, as far as I'm aware, Kovalev doesn't seem to have an issue with me being white or American or whatever.