Comments on the Taylor-Hopkins II fight

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 04 Dec 2005, 05:56

After giving the first fight narrowly in favour of Hopkins, I honestly believed that Taylor was going to be much more improved in the second fight. But this was not the case. I scored this second fight 117-113 in favour of Hopkins and was confident at the end that the judges would also come to a similar verdict. If the first fight wasn't a robbery, this one certainly was.

I gave Taylor rounds 2, 3 & 11.
I gave Hopkins 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 12.
I scored 1 & 5 as a draw.

Punchstats

Taylor
124 of 391, 32%

Hopkins
130 of 317, 35%

Taylor power punches
60 of 182, 33%

Hopkins power punches
101 of 240, 42%

JimmyJamJerusalem · Post by **JimmyJamJerusalem** » 04 Dec 2005, 06:21

I had B-Hop winning that one, quite comfortably. He started slow again, but totally dominated the latter rounds. Had him two points clear at least.

ManonFire · Post by **ManonFire** » 04 Dec 2005, 06:29

That was a tough fight to call. I would't disagree if the fight was a draw

Podmore_Birmingham · Post by **Podmore_Birmingham** » 04 Dec 2005, 06:54

I had Hopkins edging it 115-113.

I feel sorry for Hopkins - robbed twice.

Will it have dented his legacy?????

I hope not.

Tom Podmore.

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 04 Dec 2005, 07:07

Yeah they robbed him again.

I had Hopkins winning 116-112

Hopkins the better man, still at almost 41

Hopkins should have just turned it into a war, Taylor may be stronger but Hopkins is sharper and hits harder.

IMO Hopkins is still champ

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 04 Dec 2005, 07:13

Yup. There won't be a IIIrd fight. If Hopkins is beaten on all three cards after last night, then I think he'd probably need to stop Taylor to get the result he needs, and I doubt that will happen. (I gave it by a round, maybe two to Hopkins, I can't make my mind up. Wel, I couldn't at the time and now I've forgotten how it panned out. Anway...)

celticwarrior · Post by **celticwarrior** » 04 Dec 2005, 07:35

I seem to be going against the consensus here but I had Taylor winning by two points. Thought he won the first half of the fight stealing each round. Hopkins won his rounds clearer in the second half of the fight but Taylor took the 11th to clinch it on my card.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 04 Dec 2005, 08:22

I had Hopkins winning, again close - but I thought the rounds were easier to score than the first fight.

My card was as Jim Watts, but I think the 1st could have gone to Hopkins also.

Freiheit · Post by **Freiheit** » 04 Dec 2005, 09:51

I feel asleep so no score from me yet, but on a danish forum around 75% had Taylor winning

lvlarc · Post by **lvlarc** » 04 Dec 2005, 09:57

I gave it to Taylor by 1 point, 116 - 115

Hopkins was lazy.

Loftgroov · Post by **Loftgroov** » 04 Dec 2005, 09:59

Hopkins robbed.

It's clear the judges are on the payroll of someone. Taylor is the younger champ, and at 27 has a long future of big money fights ahead of him. He doesn't if Hopkins beats him.

Hopkins is retiring soon anyway, so the fight is awarded to the cash-cow.

mrbassie · Post by **mrbassie** » 04 Dec 2005, 10:04

116/113 Hopkins. Robbery (or at least a pick-pocketing)

hitman_hatton1 · Post by **hitman_hatton1** » 04 Dec 2005, 10:06

lvlarc_uk wrote:I gave it to Taylor by 1 point, 116 - 115

Hopkins was lazy.

same as me.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 04 Dec 2005, 10:32

Well I appear to be almost alone on this one as I had it 116 - 112 to Taylor.

I was rooting for Hopkins but he hardly did anything for the first half of the fight. A lot of the rounds were close and could have gone either way but I just felt Taylor did more

I nearly scored the fisrt round a draw which would of course made it a little closer. The fight 'looked' close but when I added my scores up I came to the above reulte.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 04 Dec 2005, 11:06

Loftgroov wrote:Hopkins robbed.

It's clear the judges are on the payroll of someone. Taylor is the younger champ, and at 27 has a long future of big money fights ahead of him. He doesn't if Hopkins beats him.

Hopkins is retiring soon anyway, so the fight is awarded to the cash-cow.

That's a silly comment. I didn't get to see this fight, but I saw the last one, and that wasn't a robbery.

If you spend several rounds doing nothing, then you have to expect to get shafted, because if the later rounds are close, chances are that the other guy will shade a few rounds.

Judging fights is a difficult business, especially in round where there is little action. Judges don't award rounds for defensive prowess these days, and Hopkins should know that. The guy throwing more shots is likely to get the nod in an evenly pitched fight, and it sounds like that is what Taylor did again.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 04 Dec 2005, 11:23

James, I don't think any of the bouts can be deemed a robbery. I thought Hopkins was a more definate winner though in this one.

BTW, Punchstats indicate that Hopkins was landing the more shots. Taylor threw more weaker shots, Hopkins threw and landed more power punches.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 04 Dec 2005, 12:10

I had Hopkins winning, not a robbery but i can't see how some folks have it so clear to Taylor, McCrory and Piper for example, Taylor much improved? I didn't think so. I remember actually looking at him through round 6 or 7 and thinking, i'm not at all impressed with Taylor, is this guy the future? I am not so sure, he looked lacklustre and his stamina appears questionable, if both men do so little then why does Taylor tire so badly late on? Hopkins just seemed to do the cleaner work, his lead right hand and left hook on the inside found it's target many times but i honestly can't remember anything serious Taylor did.

He nicked so many rounds because Hopkins refused to negotiate any trades, he hardly dominated. Hopkins of a few years ago that schooled Trinidad in one of my favourite fights would have taken the Taylor that turned up last night out inside the distance.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 04 Dec 2005, 12:14

I had it Taylor by one, and I scored the first fight Hopkins by two. Taylor seemed faster this time over the first 6 rds - he clipped BH with some good shots and made him look slow on occasion. I give Taylor credit for coming back from those terrible rds 7-10, where he looked like he was wandering through the dark, to take the crucial 11th.

Hopkins took minmalism to the extreme this time early on, even though he picked it up late as all class veterans are able to.

m/w is a good division now - i hope Ikeke-Abraham gets shown over here sometime soon. Seems bad that nobody has committed to showing that or Winky-Soliman in the UK. Taylor's win isn't the only m/w upheaval.

Loftgroov · Post by **Loftgroov** » 04 Dec 2005, 12:18

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
Loftgroov wrote:Hopkins robbed.

It's clear the judges are on the payroll of someone. Taylor is the younger champ, and at 27 has a long future of big money fights ahead of him. He doesn't if Hopkins beats him.

Hopkins is retiring soon anyway, so the fight is awarded to the cash-cow.
That's a silly comment. I didn't get to see this fight, but I saw the last one, and that wasn't a robbery.

If you spend several rounds doing nothing, then you have to expect to get shafted, because if the later rounds are close, chances are that the other guy will shade a few rounds.

Judging fights is a difficult business, especially in round where there is little action. Judges don't award rounds for defensive prowess these days, and Hopkins should know that. The guy throwing more shots is likely to get the nod in an evenly pitched fight, and it sounds like that is what Taylor did again.

Well my comments were about this fight, not the first one.

Taylor didn't do any more than Hopkins throughout the fight, and significantly less for rounds 6 to 10 inclusive. I had Taylor winning five rounds in total, those being rounds 2,3,4,5 & 11 ..and he only just won the first four of those due to Hopkins doing next to sod all. ONLY round 11 did Taylor win convincingly.

Hopkins won the other rounds quite clearly I felt, including the first round marginally in my opinion.

Hopkins 115-113 Taylor is how I scored it. If you gave Taylor the first round, then it was a draw.

But 115-113 to Taylor??? christ knows how three judges got that.

Throughout the fight any meaningful shots were landed by Hopkins. Taylor didn't do buggery bollocks throughout the fight, and spent most of it holding, and being repeatedly warned by the ref (though never deducted a point...).

I just have no doubt in my mind that Taylor got the verdict to preserve his marketibility as a young champion, against a soon to retire Hopkins.

SuperSedgy · Post by **SuperSedgy** » 04 Dec 2005, 12:21

I thought Taylor had it. He nicked the early rounds and although Hopkins did well in the second half I thought Taylor fired back enough to steal a couple then too. Was close, and I wouldn't argue with anynoe who scored it for Hopkins, but I feel Taylor got it fair.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 04 Dec 2005, 12:27

Loftgroov wrote:
Throughout the fight any meaningful shots were landed by Hopkins. Taylor didn't do buggery bollocks throughout the fight, and spent most of it holding, and being repeatedly warned by the ref (though never deducted a point...)

Yes i forgot about that, Taylor's holding was barmy, it was spoiling this great fight

Jay Nady threatened to take a point but never did. Nady didn't make them touch gloves either which he should have done. I was watching a fight recently in which Nady was refereeing (can't remember which one) and they refused to touch gloves in that one and he said "Ok don't touch gloves then" and last night he gave them the option. I thought touching gloves was part of seperating professional licensed Boxing from the unlicensed scene, that's just what i was told though. What's the deal on touching gloves?

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 04 Dec 2005, 12:45

I guess I`m in the minority.
But I had taylor winning by quite a few rounds.

So many of the rounds would be hard to score because nothing really happened but the jab seemed to be just about the only punch either man landed.

Crap fight but glad Taylor got it because for me Hopkins just steals rounds, and I couldn`t handle the hype that would have been added to his legacy had he pulled it off.

The better man won, and taylor will make the division much more attractive than if Hopkins had got the nod.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 04 Dec 2005, 15:09

Well it wasn't Hagler/Hearns was is....

I had it 115-114 for Taylor, just. Any talk of Hop being robbed is laughable. The man hardly did anything for the first 5 or 6 rounds, throws a few more late on and expects to get the decision?
Here he was, trying to secure his legacy as a "great", and he puts in the minimal work possible, bores the crowd to death, and hopes to take away the champs title? Don't think so....

The punch stats don't mean much really, considering you can win a round and land 3 more punches than the other guy, then lose the next and land 20 less punches than the other guy - both are still scored 10-9.

In truth Taylor was almost as bad, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd given it to Hop. Both of then acted like they were facing down a loaded shotgun - a phoney war if I ever saw one, and a p***poor excuse for a major title fight.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 04 Dec 2005, 16:10

How anyone can call it a robbery is beyond me, a robbery is not a close fight that you thought went the wrong way. However you scored it that was a close fight, I had Taylor winning by a point but a couple of points either way is no robbery I suggest people save use of that word for blatant bad decisions!

Whatever anyones scoring it was a disgraceful effort by both fighters. Neither deserves to be the champion after that dismal effort. No doubt Hopkins would have beaten Taylor a few years ago but I hope he retires now he is not good entertainment and hasn't been for a while now. Fair play to him for dragging it out this long but enough is enough!

Phenomenal-Nutrition · Post by **Phenomenal-Nutrition** » 04 Dec 2005, 17:19

Taylor won all the first 5 - not by much but by enough. Go and watch the first 5 again - if nothing happens except Taylor jabbing - Taylor wins the rounds. Taylor also won 7 & 11 decisively. So go back and watch 1-5, 7&11 and tell me Taylor didn't at least Steel those rounds. I thought 12 was a pretty close round too. I had it 115-113. BTW you can't have drawn rounds in world boxing.

I think its a good thing Taylor won the most action packed round in the 11th