BoxRec

jamesmcdonnell wrote:I'm just mulling it over. I want to pick Taylor, but feel he just isn't quite ready for even an ageing Hopkins, but Bernard hasn't fought someone as quick and powerful as that probably ever in his career.

I used to write for Boxinginlasvegas.com, also for boxing-central.com, then wrote for eastsideboxing.com. I emailed Doug Fischer and told him who I had been writing for, and he said he'd seen my stuff before, and invited me to be one of their correspondents, the rest is history.

Not so sure there JMcD – remember him losing to Roy Jones? Don't think Taylor's in Jones' league when it comes to speed or power, but then again, can see Taylor being more aggressive.

johnswan1 wrote:Hopkins also has the quickest KO in Middleweight title history by knocking out Steve Frank in 24 seconds of the first round. This guy didn't have much of a record but had previously been fighting at Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight.

I saw that, Frank was probably the poorest middleweight world title challenger ever seen. He could barely stand up before Hop hit him. BH has lot of watered down soft touch defences on his record for someone hailed as equal to Marvellous Marv.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:No matter how certain he is, there's two people in that ring. Tszyu thought he was going to give Hatton a painful lesson, so did everyone else.

True - and the Hatton win is no doubt giving Taylor and co a real confidence boost in the run up. I'd love to see him win, he looks a real talent, but he's feasted on so many light middles that I really wonder if he's prepaired for 12 hard rounds with Hopkins. I don't think he is.

I think BH is due to hit the downslope soon, but I don't think that Taylor is quite up for it yet.

BH by UD

Slapsie

TAYLOR WILL WIN

DIRT SUGAR wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:I'm just mulling it over. I want to pick Taylor, but feel he just isn't quite ready for even an ageing Hopkins, but Bernard hasn't fought someone as quick and powerful as that probably ever in his career.

I used to write for Boxinginlasvegas.com, also for boxing-central.com, then wrote for eastsideboxing.com. I emailed Doug Fischer and told him who I had been writing for, and he said he'd seen my stuff before, and invited me to be one of their correspondents, the rest is history.

Not so sure there JMcD – remember him losing to Roy Jones? Don't think Taylor's in Jones' league when it comes to speed or power, but then again, can see Taylor being more aggressive.

1 Roy Jones was an amateur star with a long pedigree, Hopkins learned to box in prison, and so learnt to fight as a pro, he is undoubtedly a better fighter now than he was then, at least in terms of technique and ring smarts.

2 Taylor isn't comparable to Jones in any way really.

jamesmcdonnell wrote: 2 Taylor isn't comparable to Jones in any way really.

What, you mean apart from the fact that Jones was quicker and arguably more powerful than Taylor (who is quicker and more powerful than anyone Hopkins has ever faced, apparently...)

I reckon Taylor will be there at the end, and this fight might even be the begining of the end for Hopkins (it has to happen some time, surely?), but he won't have enough to dethrone the champ just yet.

What does Taylor do better than Hopkins?

Pull birds?

Hopkins UD12.

Only Winky could beat BH at 160.

And I'd take him to beat Johnson at 175 too.

DavidPayne wrote:What does Taylor do better than Hopkins?

Pull birds?

Hopkins UD12.

Only Winky could beat BH at 160.

And I'd take him to beat Johnson at 175 too.

I agree with your second and last line. I'm a big Taylor fan and I am really on the fence with this one - on the fence for Winky vs Taylor or Hopkins as well. Strongly tip Hopkins to beat anyone at Light Heavy.

Think Tarver would be too big, he'd be around 185-190 come fight time.

Only found one person who sees this the same as me so far (Michael Katz at maxboxing). He's went for Taylor though...

Something that's been bugging me about this fight: WTF has Taylor done to deserve the shot?

Daniel "Just happy to be here; let me get interviewed too" Edouard?

Light Middleweight Raul Marquez, an HBO Latino commentator who came out of retirement for a payday?

Alex Bunema - who one of the forum's knowledgeable posters mentioned had been walking on his heels long before he met Taylor, and who looked like a lightweight next to Jermain; wow, hardly a new sight.

William Joppy - who not only had been smeared across the ring by welterweight cum light-middle Tito Trinidad, but had been DISFIGURED by a 12 round thrashing from Hopkins, and like Raul Marquez, came out of retirement for a payday n.b. neither Joppy nor Marquez have fought, or expressed any intention of fighting again after Taylor beat them.

Where is the win over a fellow contender?

Scratch out Winky Wright, but what about Felix Sturm? Easy to market given his appearance against De La Hoya and they could build it up with the amateur history, etc.

What about Sam Soliman, Fernando Vargas, or even Kingsley Ikeke?

And why didn't he fight Maselino Masoe - who not only holds a 'title', but blew away Sam Hill in two rounds - a guy who took Taylor the 10 round distance a full 2 years later.

There's no names on his record that jump out and make you think 'yeah, that was a good win'. Well, unless you don't know what the hell you're looking at that is...

HBO and the US media need media/establishment friendly, easily connectable TV stars (which Hopkins isn't). That's how they make their money.

I'm sure everyone on the British forum remembers all the dire hype before a certain Lennox Lewis fight at Madison Square Garden a few years back? Big, strong, hard training unbeaten fighter with a high knockout ratio... the analogy isn't perfect, but there is a few similarities.

You on about Michael Grant?