Comments Thread For: Bernard Hopkins Felt Undersized Against Sergey Kovalev

[IronDanHamza]

none said so. Plus it's not like Hopkins was some physical KO machine. He beat guys without much power, more so on technique and boxing ability.

They're all smaller guys and you don't need to be a KO artist to felt undersized.

The skill level combined with the size would contribute that that aswell.

Doesn't matter that's it's not been said it's obvious.

[Mr.Daddy]

No, he's saying that's how he felt compared to Kovalev because of his power, because of skills and game plan. He's saying Kovalev made him FEEL like a middleweight. Read the whole thing not just the headline he's ggiving Kovalev nothing but props:
“I really couldn’t get inside to do the work that I wanted to do,” Hopkins said. “I had some success, but not a lot. I had some success here and there, but it wasn’t enough to get some early rounds in the bank and get his respect to the point where he got off his game. He never got off his game. There was some excitement at the end, but he controlled it earlier more than I did.”

“He had a really good game plan,” Hopkins had said earlier in the evening, immediately after the bout. “When he got hit with some of my shots, he would sit back and wait, but he used his reach and his distance and that was his key. He has very good mechanics and patience, and because after I hit him he sat back, that would cause me to have to reset. It was hard that he stayed patient. He had a really good game plan. … He also countered his right hand over my jab. I give him a lot of respect.”

Yes, I too understand that to be what Hopkins meant.

[MDPopescu]

According to HBO, Hopkins has longer arms and is the same height.

At the weigh in, Hopkins appeared to be a slightly bigger man, as we can see in most of the photos (except the top one) shown on boxingscene.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-hopkins-vs-kovalev-monster-weighin-gallery--83995

They both weighed in slightly under the limit of 175.

But I was expecting to see the "Kovalev is a cruiserweight doe" excuse if he won.

Hopkins and Kovalev have the same height...
Kovalev has bigger bones (Boxrec sais he has a longer reach)...

Kovalev has stronger legs also (look at the image below):

[ИATAS]

They're all smaller guys and you don't need to be a KO artist to felt undersized.

The skill level combined with the size would contribute that that aswell.

Doesn't matter that's it's not been said it's obvious.

you're missing the point of what Hopkins is saying in that Kovalev’s made him FEEL small because of his power, smart game plan and skills.

[IronDanHamza]

you're missing the point of what Hopkins is saying in that Kovalev’s made him FEEL small because of his power, smart game plan and skills.

I'm not missing the point at all.

I'm saying those fighters likely felt the same when they fought Hopkins for similar reasons.

[Weebler I]

I think Hopkins did look like the physically smaller guy in the ring.

I don't see any move to cruiser but Kovalev finds it hard to make the 175lb weight.

[MDPopescu]

I think Hopkins did look like the physically smaller guy in the ring.

I don't see any move to cruiser but Kovalev finds it hard to make the 175lb weight.

Maybe Kovalev finds it hard to make the 175lb weight (as Duva just said yesterday, as related to a possible Golovkin fight at a catchweight lower)...
... But Kovalev will stay at 175 for at least another year, as long as there are big possible fights at light heavyweights...
Kovalev moving up at the cruiserweight would prove superfluous -- as that division is very thin right now.

[Weebler I]

Maybe Kovalev finds it hard to make the 175lb weight (as Duva just said yesterday, as related to a possible Golovkin fight at a catchweight lower)...

Iirc he had trouble making weight for the Agnew (or Caparello?) fight, he was 2lbs over.

... But Kovalev will stay at 175 for at least another year, as long as there are big possible fights at light heavyweights...
Kovalev moving up at the cruiserweight would prove superfluous -- as that division is very thin right now.

Thin in terms of big money fights, but I think there is a lot of talent at cruiserweight. That said, I don't expect to ever see Kovalev at cruiserweight.

[ИATAS]

Iirc he had trouble making weight for the Agnew (or Caparello?) fight, he was 2lbs over.



Thin in terms of big money fights, but I think there is a lot of talent at cruiserweight. That said, I don't expect to ever see Kovalev at cruiserweight.

They need to modernize the weight class eventually it's kind of ******ed the difference between light heavy and cruiser is 175 to 200. That makes it really difficult for a guy who is say a natural 185 pound guy or whatever because tthey either have to struggle making weight or put on pounds and fight bigger guys, doesn't make much sense.

[MDPopescu]

They need to modernize the weight class eventually it's kind of ******ed the difference between light heavy and cruiser is 175 to 200. That makes it really difficult for a guy who is say a natural 185 pound guy or whatever because tthey either have to struggle making weight or put on pounds and fight bigger guys, doesn't make much sense.

... and what about the "super middleweight" -- which never existed until the '80s?...