Would Bernard Hopkins have had a successful career without illegal tactics?

[BigZigga]

99% of fighters have used illegal tactics at some point

Does that make boxing irrelevant?

[The Hammer]

His record wouldn't be as good? So who would have beaten him if not for his dirty tactics?

For example, Winky Wright was doing well before the obviously deliberate headbutt that opened the cut that blinded him in one eye.

Dawson would have easily won the first fight if not for Bernard's dishonest act.

Even Murat, Cloud and Shumenov might have won decisions if not for all those nasty head butts and resulting cuts that impaired their vision.

Calzaghe, Taylor and Dawson (in the second fight) would have beaten him by a wider margin.

"I took a lot of headbutts. Like I said though, he's a dirty fighter. It's what we worked for, we knew he was going to headbutt. He hit me with like eight headbutts. I kept my composure, but it was obvious that he was doing it on purpose."

- Chad Dawson in the post-fight interview

[Weltschmerz]

Nope, and Roy Jones Jr was the superior fighter, as we saw in their first meeting.

[yoz]

You forgot to mention illegal [withdraws comment for fear of ban]

[bojangles1987]

Over the last 10 years or so? Not as successful. He hasn't needed dirty fighting to win all his fights, but he's needed them against the better fighters.

[IMDAZED]

Over the last 10 years or so? Not as successful. He hasn't needed dirty fighting to win all his fights, but he's needed them against the better fighters.

I don't think so. Didn't need it against Tito, Tarver or Pavlik and those are probably his three biggest wins.

[The Big Dunn]

If Bernard Hopkins was Bernhard Hopkinochenko and had the same career, Tunney would be his #1 fan.

[////]

I think it's safe to say we would have a completely different set of champions in every weight division of clinching were strictly prohibited. In fact we would have a different sport.

Floyd, Hopkins, Wlad would all have to abandon their current defensive styles and rewind to their offensive days, and probably all get counter-KO'd in the process.

[boliodogs]

He is a great fighter. Every fight I ever saw him in had a referee to enforce the rules. If these referees had special instructions to let Hopkins fight dirty it is news to me. I have seen Hopkins loss points for illegal tactics before and I don't think he gets special treatment. Yes he is a dirty fighter and does what he can get away with. He could be a completely clean fighter and he would still be a great fighter because of his skills and smarts.

[lefthook2daliva]

Thought you weren't defending the bros anymore cause their politics were bad or something.

Didn't you accuse them of facism or something?