Comments Thread For: "Fighting Words" - Bernard Hopkins: The Ex-Executioner

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

by David P. Greisman - Bernard Hopkins made a life of accomplishing what people believed he couldn’t and made a career out of achieving what others hadn’t. He was an ex-con who defied the warden who said Hopkins would be back. He was a pro fighter who lost his first boxing match and went on to have a Hall of Fa...
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[Keleneki]

What a career! What a legend! Thank you for all the years of entertainment, Mr. Hopkins. Enjoy your first birthday in retirement next month.

[chaos]

Maybe one of the best cheats and actors of all time but that's it. Funny how his deliberate headbutt on Smith is glossed over like it's no big deal. He threw a double headbutt at Dawson and didn't even have point taken. Faking injury, faking low blows, faking shots to the back of the head. These are the things he'll be remembered for. Pathetic.

[The Big Dunn]

It was sad to see the post fight interview. It's best he retire.

[klev1]

He's now The Exitcutioner

[*El Prieto*]

I respect Hopkins craftiness and skills, you can't deny that. What people don't talk about are some of his biggest wins were over smaller opponents. When he was more evenly matched size wise, he always has issues and losses.

[BoxingFan82]

What people don't talk about are some of his biggest wins were over smaller opponents. When he was more evenly matched size wise, he always has issues and losses.

Just about every fighter in the sport has "some" of his biggest wins against "smaller" opponents. Statistically, that's the nature of the sport. But the claim that when Bernard was "more evenly matched size wise" he "always" had problems is pure hogwash.

Perhaps the best rebuttal to this is the Antonio Tarver fight. Hopkins jumped two weight classes to fight Tarver at light heavyweight. Bernard was a 3-1 underdog but beat Tarver handily.

Bernard fought Jean Pascal, a strong, young and legit light heavyweight, two times. He was knocked down twice in their first fight, but fought to a draw. In the second fight, he became the oldest major champion in boxing history.

You could point to the Kelly Pavlik fight, which was fought at a catchweight of 170 pounds, as an example of Bernard beating up a smaller man, but Pavlik had a large frame and had always been considered a big, strong middleweight who would likely move up. He was taller than Hopkins, had an equal reach and was 17 years younger. He was a 4-1 favorite going into the fight and many believed that he would send Hopkins into retirement.

Hopkins' career-defining win over Felix Trinidad is also worth mentioning. Yes, Hopkins was bigger than Trinidad, but Trinidad was a heavy favorite to win and the "Bernard was bigger than Tito" rationale to explain Hopkins' upset performance only came after Hopkins outclassed and totally dominated Trinidad over the course of 12 rounds before knocking him out. The victory over Trinidad was a master class of boxing skill being used to dissect and neutralize an opponent.

Even the fight against Oscar de la Hoya is interesting. It was de la Hoya who demanded a 158-pound catchweight for a title fight, ostensibly hoping to drain Hopkins. To prove a point, Hopkins, who was 41 at the time, weighed in at 156 pounds, his lightest weight in a decade. So while the outcome wasn't unexpected, both men took risks to earn what at that time was the biggest paydays of their respective careers.

With all the nonsense taking place today (Caneloweight anyone?) it's laughably absurd to suggest that Bernard is an example of a fighter who built his Hall of Fame resume off of dominant performances of hand-picked smaller men. He didn't, and not only does he have the losses to prove it, let's not forget that half the supposedly smaller men he beat were supposed to have knocked him out of boxing and into retirement years ago.

[TexasCowBoy]

Bernard " The Executioner " Hopkins is a Legend in my book.

[amayseng]

Just about every fighter in the sport has "some" of his biggest wins against "smaller" opponents. Statistically, that's the nature of the sport. But the claim that when Bernard was "more evenly matched size wise" he "always" had problems is pure hogwash.

Perhaps the best rebuttal to this is the Antonio Tarver fight. Hopkins jumped two weight classes to fight Tarver at light heavyweight. Bernard was a 3-1 underdog but beat Tarver handily.

Bernard fought Jean Pascal, a strong, young and legit light heavyweight, two times. He was knocked down twice in their first fight, but fought to a draw. In the second fight, he became the oldest major champion in boxing history.

You could point to the Kelly Pavlik fight, which was fought at a catchweight of 170 pounds, as an example of Bernard beating up a smaller man, but Pavlik had a large frame and had always been considered a big, strong middleweight who would likely move up. He was taller than Hopkins, had an equal reach and was 17 years younger. He was a 4-1 favorite going into the fight and many believed that he would send Hopkins into retirement.

Hopkins' career-defining win over Felix Trinidad is also worth mentioning. Yes, Hopkins was bigger than Trinidad, but Trinidad was a heavy favorite to win and the "Bernard was bigger than Tito" rationale to explain Hopkins' upset performance only came after Hopkins outclassed and totally dominated Trinidad over the course of 12 rounds before knocking him out. The victory over Trinidad was a master class of boxing skill being used to dissect and neutralize an opponent.

Even the fight against Oscar de la Hoya is interesting. It was de la Hoya who demanded a 158-pound catchweight for a title fight, ostensibly hoping to drain Hopkins. To prove a point, Hopkins, who was 41 at the time, weighed in at 156 pounds, his lightest weight in a decade. So while the outcome wasn't unexpected, both men took risks to earn what at that time was the biggest paydays of their respective careers.

With all the nonsense taking place today (Caneloweight anyone?) it's laughably absurd to suggest that Bernard is an example of a fighter who built his Hall of Fame resume off of dominant performances of hand-picked smaller men. He didn't, and not only does he have the losses to prove it, let's not forget that half the supposedly smaller men he beat were supposed to have knocked him out of boxing and into retirement years ago.

Well said

thank you for using logic and reasoning to assess and explain your thoughts.

unlike about everyone else on this forum who are here to argue and fight like women.

Bhop had 20 mw title defenses, beat the bigger Tarver, beat the bigger and younger Pascal twice really and even a couple champions in the light heavyweight division in his late forties --Shemenue and Cloud.

Hopkins is an ATG and despite getting knocked out at 51 by a legit fighter, his legacy is set. The fact he fought a young stud like Smith and got knocked out actually adds to his legacy that he challenged himself to the best of his ability. No shame in that. Take note Floyd

[SUBZER0ED]

BHop is rich beyond imagination, he has done very well for himself and did not need this fight nor many previous fights. He is well beyond the sensible age for getting into the ring. That said, the man demonstrated a remarkable will and ability to get in the ring and school a number of younger fighters who should have been able to beat him. My hat goes off to him. It's now time to hang up the gloves and move on to other aspects of the sport. I think he'd make an excellent trainer or promoter. Good luck, BHop, & thanks for showing us what old school savvy can do.