Hopkins' last fight this Saturday - big defeat!

[TopGun]

I can see nothing other than multiple knock downs and possibly a white coloured towel being thrown in the ring, possibly his trainer's little white hat may suffice as he won't have time to look for the towel.

Thanks for the Alien crap over the years Bernard but it's time to pick up your pension from now on, you have bitten off more than you can chew on Saturday, Kovalev will eat you for breakfast and no amount of holding will help you.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

I think Hopkins is going to school him, old man this Russian big time.

[Junker]

agree with Top Gun. I admire Hopkins but this fight actually worries me a bit. Kovalev is a phenomenal light heavyweight puncher, which is not something Hopkins has dealt with before. People keep comparing it to the Pavlik fight but all his power was at Middleweight. Kov will hurt him badly.

[Boxerbeetle]

Although I'd never totally write-off Hopkins, I can't see him beating Kovalev on Saturday. Won't be at all surprised if Hopkins doesn't make the final bell (for one reason or another).

[danconnollyeire]

To ever write of B-Hop is absurd

[Ezzard]

I don't see Hopkins getting hit cleanly enough times for the punching power to be an issue.

Kov is too lacking in experience.

Don't want Hop to get hurt but hope I'm wrong. I'd like to see the back of him.

[DazDiCanio]

I will never forget Clev saying he couldn't take Kov shots to his arms! That's worrying for old man Hopkins.
But as has been said, you can never write him off.

[crusader]

BHOP shouldn't be written off, but it wouldn't surprise me if he gets dropped multiple times and eventually stopped. While people regularly mention that he's got a very good chin, he was still down twice against Pascal in the first bout and hurt twice in the rematch, and I think Kovalev punches significantly harder than Pascal does in addition to having a more diverse offense and potent body attack, as well as being a much better finisher. In fact, I don't think Hopkins has fought someone who punches as hard as Kovalev does, and now he's going to have to deal with that power at nearly 50. He could simply negate it and 'school' Kovalev as some suggest, but I suspect that it won't go that smoothly.

I feel like it is widely believed that Hopkins has totally outclassed his recent opponents, but he's won only 4 of his last 7 bouts and I think Murat and Cloud, who weren't on Kovalev's level in my view, could've fairly been given four rounds against him.

[forcefraser]

Hopkins has never been stopped has he? Kovalev looks great but Hopkins is a wily old Fox. Looking forward to it.

[J]

I will never forget Clev saying he couldn't take Kov shots to his arms! That's worrying for old man Hopkins.
But as has been said, you can never write him off.

Comparing cleverly and hopkins is like comparing billie piper with madonna in the music world, get real.

See thefootage ofthe overhand right that dropped Krusher? He is gonna them all night long, like tarver did.

Hopkins ud.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

I will never forget Clev saying he couldn't take Kov shots to his arms! That's worrying for old man Hopkins.
But as has been said, you can never write him off.

Comparing cleverly and hopkins is like comparing billie piper with madonna in the music world, get real.

See thefootage ofthe overhand right that dropped Krusher? He is gonna them all night long, like tarver did.

Hopkins ud.

That's right my man - you should come around the ville more often!

[crusader]

Cleverly is a tough fighter, so it reflects well on Kovalev's power if he was able to hurt him that much with shots to the arm, which I imagine Hopkins will be nailed with regularly. No one made a general comparison of Cleverly and Hopkins (and I think Clev would've had a good chance of beating the likes Shumenov and Cloud in addition to Murat, whom he beat more thoroughly than Hopkins did), so the analogy isn't fitting.

It was an overhand left that dropped Kovalev by the way, at least if you're referring to his amateur fight with Atoev.

[dalcumly]

Daft prediction.

Kovalev and Hopkins fight as expected. Rounds 2 and 3 Kovalev starting to land heavy shots. Rounds 4 and 5 Hopkins tries everything to frustrate Kovalev - claiming low blows, holding repeatedly, tries to headbutt Kovalev but still Kovalev continues to land big shots. During the interval between rounds 6 and 7 Hopkins retires claiming a shoulder injury. Who can blame him trying to prevent further punishment.

[hurlock]

I don't really like this fight!! Hopkins could get potentially killed!

[Manchester Massive]

Daft prediction.

Kovalev and Hopkins fight as expected. Rounds 2 and 3 Kovalev starting to land heavy shots. Rounds 4 and 5 Hopkins tries everything to frustrate Kovalev - claiming low blows, holding repeatedly, tries to headbutt Kovalev but still Kovalev continues to land big shots. During the interval between rounds 6 and 7 Hopkins retires claiming a shoulder injury. Who can blame him trying to prevent further punishment.

Quite a likely scenario, can see this or Hopkins getting himself disqualified

[Bard of Boxrec]

Frustrating that some people still view Kovalev as a limited slugger and claim he can't win because Hopkins has more 'experience', as if that will count for him in the ring against this kind of firepower.

On Saturday night, education will be provided.

Krusher by one-sided knockout victory.

[TopGun]

Yes, if Hopkins starts taking an early beating he could pull off an injury.

I would love to see a clean KO.

[Bodyshot3]

....this might be that rare - once in a decade example - of Hopkins having picked the wrong fight, wrong opponent and at the wrong time. Once every blue moon his radar fails and he picks a Calzaghe rather than a Pavlik.

[lefty]

....this might be that rare - once in a decade example - of Hopkins having picked the wrong fight, wrong opponent and at the wrong time. Once every blue moon his radar fails and he picks a Calzaghe rather than a Pavlik.

Even that was still a very close fight though.

[Bodyshot3]

@lefty....agreed, but that is Hopkins all over for you. He's as smart as a whip and definitely not in the business of facing fighters he feels he cannot beat. That's why Kovalev has got his invite to the ball; Bernard fancies the job.

Joe did win that one to be fair to him, but the fact that it was close/controversial and someone as fast, awkward and busy as Joe got trapped and tagged a few times indicates that Hopkins had a plan that almost worked for him. Even on those rare moments when the radar fails...Hopkins ensures, at the very least, he lives to fight another day.

[Monte Fisto]

I think Kovalev has to win in first 6 rounds otherwise b-hop will screw him.

I struggle not to back Kovalev in this fight, his power seems extraordinary

[Boxerbeetle]

I'm just pinching myself that I'm actually looking forward to watching a Hopkins fight. Haven't been excited to see B-Hop in the ring since the Calzaghe fight, hope this is a bit more entertaining though...

[bfchunk]

Unless Kovalev blows him away early, which I would not rule out by any means, it will be an ugly fight with the potential for a bizarre/unsatisfactory ending contrived by Hopkins.

[handsofstone]

This is as about a intriguing fight as ive seen in a while,Hopkins deserves massive respect for taking this fight,Mayweather could take note,B-Hop could have easlily defended his 2 belts against other contenders but he's old school,i like that

I just hope he keeps the whining to a minimum,since lossing the Dawson rematch,ive been impressed with him and his punch output,still countering but also busy,he's got a good balance going there

[SNG]

It's hard to see anything other than a Kovalev victory, but I learned a long time ago not to back against Hopkins, he must see something he feels he can exploit.