Naazim Richardson should have pulled Hopkins out

[hulkmaniac]

it's the best way it could've ended, it's reminded me of the ending to the Rocky Movie with Antonio Tarver

What a crap film.

Yes compared to the prior Rocky's, but it's still better than most of the shit out now.

[Horse]

Yes compared to the prior Rocky's, but it's still better than most of the poo out now.

It probably is, but I wouldn't know because I don't watch many new films because most of them look so rubbish.

[crow]

The fight should have been stopped in that 12th rd, and Hopkins declared the winner via cumulative/inhumane damage to Kovalev's fists.

Now, seriously, anyone noticed the smirk on Kovalev's face when he was pounding Nard in that last rd ?
It was like " If you want more, i can give it to you"

[ikorolev]

He was just relieved that he could finally fight like he wanted to.

[Impractical Poster]

I don't remember thinking the fight should be stopped. But it was evident by the 7th-8th round that Hopkins had pretty much no chance of winning. It was weird seeing his head being popped left and right and all around in the last 30 seconds or so of the fight. Never seen anyone do anything like that to Hops. It was a bit sad for me to see him getting worked like that.

[KBB]

Anyone who thought that last round was a beating is delusional.

Anyone who didn't think that was a beating doesn't know what they are watching.

It was such a beating that Hopkins was totally coherent and able to walk around the ring and to his corner without any help whatsoever, even raising his hands in victory though he lost.

If it makes you feel great to assume that it was a beating then by all means believe what you want but I have a right to disagree. If Richardson thought it was a beating I'm sure he would've stopped it, he knows much more than you.

[gb]

I haven't seen this, but Richardson strikes me as the sort of trainer that would never pull a fighter out. He refused to stop Mosley vs Manny, even when Mosley was asking him to stop the fight.
He might be a good tactician/ gym trainer, but I'd always be a bit fearful for an outgunned fighter with him in the corner. Dan Birmingham falls into this bracket also.

[ikorolev]

It was such a beating that Hopkins was totally coherent and able to walk around the ring and to his corner without any help whatsoever, even raising his hands in victory though he lost.

If it makes you feel great to assume that it was a beating then by all means believe what you want but I have a right to disagree. If Richardson thought it was a beating I'm sure he would've stopped it, he knows much more than you.

It is great that it ended this way, but it could end differently. The point of a corner or a ref stopping a fight is to avoid unnecessary damage when a fighter can't win and is just taking a beating. Many other cornermen and refs would stop a fight in a similar situation. As somebody mentioned above, Bernard's legacy probably interfered in their judgement. They decided to let him to try avoiding a KO at the expense of his health. They could not be sure that he would be fine after the fight, they just made their choices.

[pugilisticprofessor]

Naazim knows his stuff but when he has never seen Bernard hurt it could be hard for him to stop it, if Angelo Dundee or Eddie Futch was in the corner that night he sure as hell would have pulled the plug, I think Bouie would have too.
Some trainers do not know their fighters limitations because they have never seen them, Hopkins is that kind of fighter.

[Ricky_]

It was such a beating that Hopkins was totally coherent and able to walk around the ring and to his corner without any help whatsoever

Like i said, you don't know what you're watching, doc.

[KBB]

It was such a beating that Hopkins was totally coherent and able to walk around the ring and to his corner without any help whatsoever

Like i said, you don't know what you're watching, doc.

And you do? It's amazing how far your stupidity is going with this by you trying to convince me that I saw something that I didn't see.

[JCS]

This thread's just about ran its course...

[crusader]

Like someone who opined earlier, I think it was borderline.

[Evander]

Richardson considered it and said as much during one round of the fight, it looked like it crossed both of their minds because they knew what was coming.
Was Bernard Hopkins looking for an out ... No.
He took the punches and got on with it like he always does.

[fanman]

it was a very brave display by bhop, only the last round was serious damage done imo, ... i wonder if bhop would have won 5yrs ago ?

[The Great John L]

Ref should've stopped it in the last round. It was really hard viewing.

People only say this because of Hopkins age. If Kovalev did the same thing to a 30yo challenger no one would have expected the fight to be stopped.

[IKSRTFO]

I think it's just a lot of the Kovalev fans trying to play him up.

Honestly, Nassim let Mosley take more punishment from Floyd and no one complained about him stopping that nor the Canelo fight.

[IKSRTFO]

I haven't seen this, but Richardson strikes me as the sort of trainer that would never pull a fighter out. He refused to stop Mosley vs Manny, even when Mosley was asking him to stop the fight.
He might be a good tactician/ gym trainer, but I'd always be a bit fearful for an outgunned fighter with him in the corner. Dan Birmingham falls into this bracket also.

Why should he when Mosley took more punishment in the Floyd fight than the Manny fight?

[ikorolev]

Not sure if that is true, but Kovalev's trainer says that Sergey showed some mercy:

http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/art ... of-hopkins?

[lefty]

Not sure if that is true, but Kovalev's trainer says that Sergey showed some mercy:

http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/art ... of-hopkins?

This story about Kovalev was nice. It was nice to know he went and visited Abdusalmov. I feel sad looking at Magomed now though. Doesnt look like the same guy http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/art ... fatherhood

[Blodhemn]

Ref should've stopped it in the last round. It was really hard viewing.

People only say this because of Hopkins age. If Kovalev did the same thing to a 30yo challenger no one would have expected the fight to be stopped.

Hopkins' age and because it was Hopkins himself, the defensive master being rendered defenseless, turning his back to the action and looking like a novice getting beat around the ring.

[Blodhemn]

Not sure if that is true, but Kovalev's trainer says that Sergey showed some mercy:

http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/art ... of-hopkins?

Probably true. Kovalev has huge respect for Hopkins, the only time he really looked to get him out of there was after Hopkins taunted him in the 12th.

[Badhusker]

To me Hopkins looked like he didn't want to be in the ring and engage from the start. I don't think Richardson should have pulled him out. It is boxing, and if you are cocky enough to taunt someone like B-Hop did, he deserves to get a beating. His age is an excuse that shouldn't be brought up. Most on the board here picked him to win.

[KBB]

Not sure if that is true, but Kovalev's trainer says that Sergey showed some mercy:

http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/art ... of-hopkins?

Probably true. Kovalev has huge respect for Hopkins, the only time he really looked to get him out of there was after Hopkins taunted him in the 12th.

LOL, the Merciful Kovalev!! You guys are some seriously delusional fans to believe that Sergey was carrying Hopkins out of respect, that is some BS just to try and justify how much of a danger he supposedly is, sure he beat Hopkins fair and square but what about all of those hard right hands Kovalev was landing throughout the fight that probably would've ended a lesser fighter?

BHop walked right through Kovalev's best shots, even mocked him when he threw his hardest shot in the latter rounds (I forget which round Kova landed an awesome straight right and BHop just licked out his tongue at him).

JDJ is just saying that to play up the danger element of Kovalev, not that he needs to.......we all know Sergey can punch.

[Blodhemn]

You are Brut, aren't you? Why did you bother registering a new name? To try and appear more legit?