Why Is Everyone So Shocked By Hopkins Performance?

[DLT]

Seriously, dude is one of the greatest fighters of all time. He's 43 but he nevver really loooked super old like alot of people say. He just dominated Tarver 3 fights ago and he just beat Winky 2 fights ago. I disagreed with everyone after that fight who said that both guys should retire. They clearly werent in there prime but they both looked good enough to where I would still pick them against nearly anyone else out there. Then the last fight he loses to one of the best guys out there who is also a Southpaw which clearly made it super awkward for him and he still barely lost. Its not like he was totally owned. Then you have Pavlik who has been a very good fighter but its not like he's looked unbeatable or nothing and most thought he looked crappy in the 2nd Taylor fight. He's always been a slow guy and he has mad power but thats at 160. He's now at 170 fighting one of the toughest SOB's of all time.

I cant believe that so many people thought this would be an easy fight. I had Hopkins favored to win considering its at 170 and Pavlik's power wouldnt hurt X at all. Hopkins has always been the faster and far superior boxer and it would show that much more at that weight. I swear people make it sound like this was Mayweather fighting MAB or something. Like a prime bigger guy fighting a legend who is clearly done and smaller. This was not the case at all. Its just weird to me how people are saying that this is such a shocker like Hopkins has been total garbage lately? He hasnt. I dont get it. He had one fight where he looked like crap and it was against maybe the best fighter in the world, who is a Southpaw, and he was still doing good until late.

When Pavlik took this fight, I honestly thought he was crazy. Why would you do that? I guess they see that Hopkins is a huge name that is past his prime and brings big money but this was like the riskest fight out there. I wouldve easily fought Abraham at 160 instead of Hopkins at 170 when I didnt look too great against Taylor at 166. Im glad I bet alot of money on this fight. It was like taking candy from a baby. It was exactly like the Hopkins-Tarver odds. Its fools gold. I bet $400 on the fight. I bet $200 on a Hopkins win, $100 on a Hopkins decision, and I actually bet another $100 on Hopkins by KO because I thought he would school Pavlik so bad. It didnt happened but you could see that I wasnt crazy for thinking it.

[Kball15]

...cause he's 43.

everyone woulda picked a Prime Hopkins over Pavlik, over Calzaghe, over anybody between 160-200 pounds. I mean prime Hopkins was seemingly unbeatable.

But... He's 43 freakin years old. Unbelievable performance. I dont care if he was fighting a 26 year old Gary Lockett, doing what he did at 43 years old is unbelievable

[Hous]

I dont know, I saw Hopkins winning this with fairly good odds. I jumped on the +300 odds on Hopkins. I admit I got nervous when I saw everyone picking Pavlik but when you really disect this fight, noone should have picked Pavlik, heres why:

1. Hopkins held his ground against Joe "Fucking Calzaghe" and gave a good competitive fight.
2. Pavlik is a one dimensional fighter, he doesn't throw combos he just punches... HARD.
3. Hopkins has made a career around making one dimensional fighters look bad.
4. Pavlik has never fought a counter puncher like Hopkins before, Hopkins is a dirty fighter, headbutts and all, hes slick and that is EXACTLY how you have to be to beat one dimensional punchers.
5. If Hopkins can give Calzaghe trouble, he'll beat everyone else.

This shows how good Calzaghe really is.

[Hous]

...cause he's 43.

everyone woulda picked a Prime Hopkins over Pavlik, over Calzaghe, over anybody between 160-200 pounds. I mean prime Hopkins was seemingly unbeatable.

But... He's 43 freakin years old. Unbelievable performance. I dont care if he was fighting a 26 year old Gary Lockett, doing what he did at 43 years old is unbelievable

I wouldn't pick a prime Hopkins over Calzaghe. Calzaghe isnt eactly in his prime either when he fought Hopkins, and the ref was way relax enough to put Calzaghe at a disadvantage.

Shoot, I would however pick a prime RJJ over Calzaghe.

[-Antonio-]

...cause he's 43.

everyone woulda picked a Prime Hopkins over Pavlik, over Calzaghe, over anybody between 160-200 pounds. I mean prime Hopkins was seemingly unbeatable.

But... He's 43 freakin years old. Unbelievable performance. I dont care if he was fighting a 26 year old Gary Lockett, doing what he did at 43 years old is unbelievable

Yeah, if this were a younger Hopkins the odds would be flipped.

For the record I bet money on Hopkins beating Tarver. I never had a doubt in that fight. This one, I thought Hopkins was older and slower. I bought into the Roach talk. I bought into the fact that all he could do was move and throw an occasional lunging left hook or right hand.

I was wrong. All props to the bastard Bernard Hopkins. I still hate you, but you're a legend and I respect you as a great fighter.