BoxRec

Sklar wrote:You're not a closet racist. It's the down-low racists I'm talking about.

I'm out and proud which makes me okay.

Sklar wrote:I've found that most (not all) of the people who bleat about Hopkins' comments about losing to a white guy are themselves racist and are narked because they'd get slayed if they said what they really thought.

you noticed that too

Hopkins will get dealt with inside 4 through ko or dq.

SteveDow wrote:I'd never write Hopkins off against anyone and to say he has no chance is just foolish. Kovalev is a beast without question but he's been in with no-one anywhere near the calibre of Hopkins. I make this a 50-50 fight and so will be backing Hopkins at 5/2. I know it was only a flash knockdown but Kovalev being caught in his last fight doesn't exactly fill me with confidence as to his chances. No way he stops Hopkins either. He only wins by out working him.

Is there really no way Kovalev stops Hopkins? Pascal dropped Hopkins twice in the first fight and had him close to out on his feet in the last round of the rematch, and I'd say Kovalev punches harder, is more active, and finishes opponents more effectively than Pascal does.

Has Hopkins ever, let alone within the last few years, been hit by someone who punches as hard as Kovalev? People often mention that he schooled another favored puncher in Pavlik, but the latter was mainly an accumulation puncher at MW and at 168--where the Hopkins fight occurred--his power was average; can you imagine Scott Sigmon being battered for 7 rounds by Kovalev without going down?

crusader wrote:Pascal dropped Hopkins twice in the first fight and had him close to out on his feet in the last round of the rematch,

Pascal landed a good punch, but Hopkins was hardly out on his feet and he won the last round at a canter.

Rewatching that last round reminded me how much I hate Pascal. A lazy, arrogant bum.

I don't see a reasonable basis for Hopkins winning the last round, let alone winning easily. Maybe you're thinking of the first fight, or maybe you think Hopkins bouncing around and smiling deserves to be weighted more heavily than Pascal rocking him and having him staggering and holding on? Hopkins was also hurt near the end of the fourth round (37:09 below).

Regardless, people act like Hopkins can't be stopped but but he can definitely be hurt and Kovalev is one of the biggest punchers and best finishers he's faced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgReIeoxLK4

crusader wrote:I don't see a reasonable basis for Hopkins winning the last round, let alone winning easily. Maybe you're thinking of the first fight, or maybe you think Hopkins bouncing around and smiling deserves to be weighted more heavily than Pascal rocking him and having him staggering and holding on? Hopkins was also hurt near the end of the fourth round (37:09 below).

Regardless, people act like Hopkins can't be stopped but but he can definitely be hurt and Kovalev is one of the biggest punchers and best finishers he's faced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgReIeoxLK4

I rewatched it half an hour ago and I thought Hopkins won clearly. Pascal is a revoltingly lazy fighter and made no attempt to follow up on his punch that hurt Hopkins. He's a clown and he didn't deserve to win that last round.

I don't think Hopkins came close to doing enough to outweigh him being hurt, but I also don't score rounds based on grudges I have against a fighter.

crusader wrote:

I don't think Hopkins came close to doing enough to outweigh him being hurt, but I also don't score rounds based on grudges I have against a fighter.

I've just rewatched it again and I still think that it's a clear Hopkins round. Hopkins was better before Pascal's good punch and he was better after.

Riddick Blowe wrote:

Ezzard wrote:I'm picking Hopkins. Power punchers he can deal with. It's industry he hates.

Have you seen Kovalev? He has workrate to go with his power. Hopkins has never faced anyone like him.

Hopkins has fought ever kind of boxer and will use all his experience. He may never have fought anyone like him but he's fought RJJ, Tarver, Calzaghe etc etc etc

crusader wrote:I don't see a reasonable basis for Hopkins winning the last round, let alone winning easily. Maybe you're thinking of the first fight, or maybe you think Hopkins bouncing around and smiling deserves to be weighted more heavily than Pascal rocking him and having him staggering and holding on? Hopkins was also hurt near the end of the fourth round (37:09 below).

Regardless, people act like Hopkins can't be stopped but but he can definitely be hurt and Kovalev is one of the biggest punchers and best finishers he's faced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgReIeoxLK4

Plus that was three years ago. A long time when you're already an old man. Beating Shumenov and Murat is no preparation for this challenge. Bernard is in for a rude awakening. Folk'll be shocked how easy Sergey gets this done.

Ezzard wrote:I'm picking Hopkins. Power punchers he can deal with. It's industry he hates.

Hopkins doesn't make you miss as much as he makes you stop throwing. Cedric Agnew had the style to frustrate Kovalev but he just kept throwing hard shots at his gloves and elbows until he got through. I don't see Hopkins decimating Kovalev's workrate and if he doesn't do that or foul and frustrate Kovalev out of his usual style (big ifs) i see a round 9 or 10 stoppage or DQ if Bernard goes into full survival mode and makes it so ugly the ref has no choice.

Agnew also backed Kovalev up when he opened up with quick flurries though and i see Bernard doing the same.

Riddick Blowe wrote:

crusader wrote:I don't see a reasonable basis for Hopkins winning the last round, let alone winning easily. Maybe you're thinking of the first fight, or maybe you think Hopkins bouncing around and smiling deserves to be weighted more heavily than Pascal rocking him and having him staggering and holding on? Hopkins was also hurt near the end of the fourth round (37:09 below).

Regardless, people act like Hopkins can't be stopped but but he can definitely be hurt and Kovalev is one of the biggest punchers and best finishers he's faced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgReIeoxLK4

Plus that was three years ago. A long time when you're already an old man. Beating Shumenov and Murat is no preparation for this challenge. Bernard is in for a rude awakening. Folk'll be shocked how easy Sergey gets this done.

I hope so RB, really looking forward to Hopkins walking in with his alien mask and giving it the big execution signal only to be dribbling on the canvas in round 5 after 4 rounds of trying to hold and pot shot now and again.

Sklar wrote:I've found that most (not all) of the people who bleat about Hopkins' comments about losing to a white guy are themselves racist and are narked because they'd get slayed if they said what they really thought.

what a stupid comment it's like saying people against rape are really rapist's in their spare time

Shirow wrote:
Agnew also backed Kovalev up when he opened up with quick flurries though and i see Bernard doing the same.

Hopkins? quick flurries? as in, throw a punch without falling in to clinch? throw more than one punch in what you'd call a cluster? not likely, not in this fight. Kovalev ain't no Kelly Pavlik.

TopGun wrote:I hope so RB, really looking forward to Hopkins walking in with his alien mask and giving it the big execution signal only to be dribbling on the canvas in round 5 after 4 rounds of trying to hold and pot shot now and again.

Hopkins is a legend and he's taking a big risk fighting Kovalev and you want him humiliated?

Why because he's a big nasty racist?

Sklar wrote:I've found that most (not all) of the people who bleat about Hopkins' comments about losing to a white guy are themselves racist and are narked because they'd get slayed if they said what they really thought.

It's somewhat difficult not to come to that conclusion sometimes, innit?

Datsue wrote:

Sklar wrote:I've found that most (not all) of the people who bleat about Hopkins' comments about losing to a white guy are themselves racist and are narked because they'd get slayed if they said what they really thought.

It's somewhat difficult not to come to that conclusion sometimes, innit?

mmmmm. it does remind me that the most vociferous opponents of 'PC' that I have met just so happen to be amongst the most ostentatious racists.

Couldn't care less about the way he tried to promote the fight against Calzaghe. It wasn't generating any interest and Joe wasn't offering anything to the media.

Hopkins is a fully fledged legend. The word is thrown around far too often in all sports but the way he has performed for nearly 30 years is incredible. A sensible bet would be on Kovalev but Hopkins is meticulous in his preparation for his opponents and has a number of plans to try and get the W. They might not always come off but he is a thinker and knows how to apply it to a fight situation.

It's stupid to ever write off Hopkins

Kovalev is big at the weight, an underrated boxer and a phenomenal puncher. Hopkins hasn't fought any Light-Heavies that compare.

what Hopkins had done in the sport is outstanding, but this fight worries me, tbh. I have no doubt Kovalev will stop him, just hope he doesn't do any serious damage.

A lot of people are writing Hopkins off here but he's not a guy to take a fight and actively seek out a particular opponent unless he see's some glaring flaws. Not saying kovalev won't win but I don't see it being a complete white wash either.

I'm with Lefty.

Kovalev's a baaaaad man, but Hopkins being so willing to make the fight says to me either A) he is on a Schmeling tip ("I see something...") or B) he's actually just delusional.

If it's A), he'll Shock The Boxing World (TM)! Again.

If it's B), he'll get horrifically mangle-fucked.

Can't wait to find out, meself...

PS: It literally cannot be anything other than the two above options, imo. How long did it take for Bernard to get in the ring with Chad Dawson? Fvcking ages. Pascal defeated Dawson & B-Hop was practically throwing himself at the WBC title. He's that kinda fella.

Actually, vide my reply above, there is actually a C) but it's actually so horrific that I cannot contemplate it without throwing up a little, in my mouth:

C) Hopkins has taken this fight as a conciliatory gesture, knowing that he'll get a shoeing but not caring, to get Main Events to drop their lawsuit against Haymon (brought for breaking the contract for the Stevenson vs Kovalev fight).

It then follows either Golden Boy is offering him as a sacrifice to Main Events following some shadowy back-room horse-trading thingy where Haymon stops kerb-stomping DLH's nuts because Bernard's giving Main Events a high-profile unification match ("BERNARD! Come save the business before Al takes all my fighters!", Oscar De La Hoya definitely wasn't quoted as saying), Hopkins has bidness himself with Haymon, or a weird sick combination of the two.

I'm not sure if I'm more sickened, in this scenario, 'cos that means Main Events has something that Haymon genuinely couldn't wriggle out of having aired & are bitching out on revealing for the sake of getting Kovalev a big-time big-money win, or if it's 'cos a proud old warhorse is willing to put himself in the knacker's yard just for the sake of his "mate", who totally obviously would so totally do something equally magnificent for him, were the boot on the other foot.

Sigh. Boxing makes you paranoid.

I can't even read between the lines of what you're trying to imply, there.

Boxing Politics, however, is far from my strong suit.