Comments Thread For: B. Hopkins: Kovalev Will Leave Beltless Like The Rest

[Larry the boss]

YAAWWNN... For some reason I still don't think this fight will happen. I just don't think BHop is about dat life. I won't believe this until I see them both inside a ring. Until then, hush clown.

What a ****** ass post..the man has fought everyone..but he aint bout that life???

[BoxingFan82]

That said, it's hard to see how he's going to neutralise the Russian for a full 12 unless he can hurt him early, get his respect, and maybe make Krusher hesitant before launching attacks - which would be a career first and would also give Hopkins vital extra time to effect his own plan.

I think you sort of have it backwards. The dynamic in this fight is similar to Mayweather-Canelo.

Kovalev needs to hurt Hopkins early and force Bernard out of his comfort zone. If he doesn't do that by the fourth or fifth round, it's likely that Bernard will be able to control the action quite easily. Bernard is not a huge puncher, but he has enough pop to keep opponents honest and he's efficient and accurate with his punch output.

I think Kovalev's lack of experience going rounds could prove particularly problematic in this fight should he fail to hurt Hopkins early. Kovalev has never been beyond the eighth round and most of his fights haven't gone more than four rounds. Even if Kovalev doesn't have poor conditioning like Canelo, I think a lot of posters here are ignoring just how undesirable it is for a fighter to go 12 rounds for the first time with an elite fighter like The Alien. In this sense, Kovalev might be a victim of his own success.

[skinnystev]

"bad" chad dawson did'ent leave the ring beltless popkins did

[One_Tycoon]

Horse manure.
After he got up from that flash knockdown in the first round, Calzaghe practically chased Hopkins out of the ring. All Bhop did for the rest of the fight was run, hold, and lie down on the canvas pretending he'd been fouled.
All round, it was a shameful display from a guy who wants to be remembered as an ATG.
I'm surprised Hopkins fans keep bringing this fight up. You'd think it would be something they'd want to try and forget about.

Landed the cleaner punches, while Calzaghe slap-landed half-assed punches that only the compu box could see.

[royjonesjrKTFO]

Landed the cleaner punches, while Calzaghe slap-landed half-assed punches that only the compu box could see.

One or two clean punches doesn't beat 10 clean slaps whilst chasing your opponent down and faking an injury to buy time. Also, how many old school boxers you've seen fake injuries and HOLD? Calzaghe CLEARLY beat BHop. The only GREAT fighter he's faced besides Roy Jones Jr, he lost to both. It seems like every time BHop fights anyone with decent talent, he struggles. But against one-dimensional fighters or smaller ones, he's an alien.

[DoubleMM]

the alien got outworked by a lazy ass fighter like chad dawson....nuff said