Comments Thread For: Not making that mistake again: Hopkins beats Kovalev

[kafkod]

Pavlik wasn't a brawler. He is arguably more skilled than Kovalev, even though he didn't have the same amateur pedigree. Kovalev has some skill. But he's basically a crude stalker, with a lil skill, and power. He knows how to cut off the ring, but doesn't always do it. His footwork is awful and he's often off balanced, which is why he was dropped in his last fight. And to me, he appeared rattled and uncomfortable with the roughhouse tactics by Agnew in their fight. And that was child's play compared to what he's gonna see in a few weeks.

he got dropped in his last fight cuz the dude stepped on his foot.

Yeah, that was very obvious and I'm surprised the ref missed it and gave Krusher a count.
Kovalev is no dancing queen but has excellent balance. That's why he is able to generate huge power with either hand from all kinds of odd angles.
BHop has never faced anybody like Krusher before. Roy Jones had the angles, sure, but he didn't hit as hard as Kovalev.

[hitking]

ok thank you for acknowledging that he fell cuz his foot was stepped on, not cuz of a punch.

I see reading comprehension isn't your friend. He was dropped due to having ****'i footwork and putting himself in a position where he was off balanced.

[big_james10]

By Lyle Fitzsimmons - Bernard Hopkins and I go way back.

It’s not as if we’re Facebook friends or anything – and I notice that I have yet to be invited to swim laps with him as he goes through his pool-centric fight-prep routine in Philadelphia – but I’ve ****** enough keys about the guy over the years to at least feel like we ought to exchange Christmas cards.

When I was a sports reporter at a newspaper in suburban Philly, Hopkins was a (supposedly) aging middleweight champion set up to be the sacrificial lamb for Don King and Felix Trinidad in the finale of a tournament whose climax was set for Sept. 15, 2001 at Madison Square Garden.

The fight was pushed back for obvious reasons, but I still recall arriving in midtown Manhattan that night sure I was going to witness a torch-passing. I settled into my seat alongside, of all people, former New York Jets defensive back Johnny Sample, and waited for my mid-rounds TKO forecast to unfold.

Instead, I got a lesson from a 64-year-old ex-Super Bowl champion.

“Don't forget, he's in there with a man tonight,” Sample said vociferously, contrasting Hopkins’ trademark sturdiness with the relative ease in which Trinidad's previous foes had fallen. “Bernard's been through the wars. Bernard's had a hard life. That's going to matter in there. Wait and see.” [Click Here To Read More]

I agree. Anyone who is capable of being objective, and who looks at his skill level and his opposition, will recognize that Kovalev is not as good as the people on this site are giving him credit for. I believe Hopkins last opponent was more skilled than Kovalev and Hopkins beat him easily.

Hopkins will win in rounds 8-4 and will win a unanimous decision. Afterwards, all the haters will make snarky comments about how boring Hopkins style is and claim that GGG would knock him out. Incidentally, Hopkins will challenge GGG to a fight at 160 after the fight but GGG's management team will refuse the fight because they will claim that it doesn't make financial sense.

[hitking]

The problem is he gets caught, everyone knows he is fouling and faking, but the refs don't care because he's old. That's not fair, and fans shouldn't support it.

It's not tricks. It's cheating. And I really hope Hopkins doesn't resort to cheating to win.

I'm pretty sure this guy complained about Maidana not being allowed to cheat in the Floyd rematch. And I'm pretty sure he applauded Maidana's cheating in the first fight.

[skinnystev]

did the writer pick popkins to beat bad chad too

[////]

It could go either way. Hopkins has the perfect style to disrupt a guy like Kovalev who commits to every punch he throws. One single flush Kovalev punch could pretty much knock Hopkins into retirement.

Unfortunately while that's the reality, whatever the result may be, most people here will concentrate on dismissing the loser rather than congratulating the winner. Kovalev will be a predictable bum brawler, Hopkins will be a rickety old man, people will say both of them "haven't proved anything", etc.

[Build That Wall]

Good Article. Hopkins wins. Never bet against B-hop.

[robbyheartbaby]

Haha great article! I'll be going for Bernard all the way! He proves the doubters wrong he is an alien!

[Y0@NN]

For the Hopkins inconditionals, if he wins that's another chapter in the history book ok. But that also means Kovalev can't manage a 50 year old, therefore the hype currently surrounding the 175 division is partially gone and matchups like Kovalev-Stevenson wouldn't appeal much.

[Tom Cruise]

I believe Hopkins last opponent was more skilled than Kovalev and Hopkins beat him easily..

Even Hopkins fans don't think that. Shumenov is terrible