BoxRec

...as I've been telling everyone all week. No doubt everyone will attribute it to Tarver's weight loss. Hopkins moving up did him the world of good, he's still so economical and crafty that he's suited to fighting bigger, slower men. In all, I said Tarver's game didn't exist at the same level as Hopkins'. Hopkins saw every punch coming and was such a crafty bugger.

A pleasure to watch such a great fighter.

Tarver always said he was one of the best amateurs in history. Well he still fights like one. Hopkins is one of the nastiest, craftiest of pros.

Tarver's workrate was pathetic, that said Hopkins wasn't great either..but it was enough to easily dominate Tarver and win the rounds. He dismantled Tarver and like you said make him look like an amateur.

I'm chuffed for B-Hop, now how big a fight would B-HOP and Calzaghe be at LH! I'd be glad to see him retire a happy man though.

I have been saying this all along.

Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful.

Hopkins was stopping guys like Glen Johnson and Antwun Echols when Tarver was a boy.

Tarver struggles against an aged Johnson.

Tarver is a good fighter, but Hopkins is GREAT. Two different leaugues.


Retire now Bernard, your legacy is assured.

One of the greatest MW of all time.

very few long standing middles manage to beat the #1 light heavyweight. i mean the weight hoppers manage it (hearns, srl, mccallum), but it's something you don't see from the haglers and monzons. i'm extremely impressed by what Hopkins did and I gave him every single round.

viciousmaussa wrote:very few long standing middles manage to beat the #1 light heavyweight. i mean the weight hoppers manage it (hearns, srl, mccallum), but it's something you don't see from the haglers and monzons. i'm extremely impressed by what Hopkins did and I gave him every single round.

big ups on your correct call from the president of the "i overrated tarver" club!!

Brilliant win. Hopkins was class. I checked the odds last night before going to bed and saw Hops at 3/1 so had to have a punt. A great performance - most people said this was a pointless fight, but it will go down with Trinidad one as his best.

excellent the way he systematically took away Tarver's jab, took away Tarver's straight left, punished him with right hands. One thing about fighting bigger guys is, if you're tough enough, you'll find the openings are bigger. Hopkins is masterful. The way he can actually fight a southpaw and oftentimes take away their left, by actually moving to his right, (seemingly) into the trajectory of their left. He can move outside a southpaw left cross. It's like he knows exactly where to stand, so that the shots whizz harmlessly by.

A really enjoyable fight. You could tell the crowd were liking it.

What now for Hopkins?

This was supposed to be his swansong, but I doubt whether he'll retire.

I can see RJJ coming & sniffing around Hopkins now!

Hopkins will call it a day. He wants to go out on top and I reckon he will.

Jones wouldn't want anything to do with what he saw last night, and is headlining a very small old timers' card soon, showing how much box office he is now.

Calzaghe should stay away from him. If you don't like counter punchers don't go near Hopkins. Maybe Glen Johnson would want to fight him but I doubt Hopkins would be motivated enough to face a guy he already beat, and who won't bring in a big payday

Too often fighters carry on fighting, rather than retiring at the top!

I just watched Hopkins-Tarver & it was a beautiful performance by Bernard. I am really chuffed for him. B-Hop looked in splendid condition - it really is amazing that the man is 41 years of age.

I hope Hopkins retires, but now he's at 175lbs, a bout with Roy Jones may come about, which I have Hopkins winning comfortably. However, B-Hop should resist temptation and go out at the top.

I really can't emphasize how pleased I am for Bernard. I think he would make a great trainer - he must have great knolwedge of boxing strategy etc. He is a great role model, particularly for young people!

One of the greatest Middleweight boxers in history. I definately have him in the top-5. Bernard said he'd be happy with being in the top-5.

One of the most disciplined, professional fighters' in history. Maybe even the most disciplined!

Well done, champ!

Always gave Hopkins a big chance here... Never rated Tarver, but it was a performance that was better than anticipated.

I know many people have suggested that Hopkins wasn't a big middle and could have made Light Middle at a push, but watching him last night I did question if he has been struggling to make the weight. He looked everybit a Light Heavy out there.

Unless, Warren can secure a deal for Calzaghe to fight Hopkins next - its done Calzaghe's career a lot of harm. Who can he now fight, except Hopkins, at light heavyweight who now won't have the "overated" tag. Like it or not, Tarver has beaten most of the best Light Heavies, or beaten guys who have beaten guys - but it was the manner of the defeat that was so alarming.... exposed as really a second rate champion (before Calzaghe had the chance to do so).

Only really Calzaghe left for Hopkins now, cannot see him ever returning to Middleweight, he might think of a move up again (he has contemplated a Cruiserweight title bid in the past) or might look at getting an more "geniune" "official" belt at Light Heavy for the books, but really I think there is no more he can do.

stujones wrote:Always gave Hopkins a big chance here... Never rated Tarver, but it was a performance that was better than anticipated.

I know many people have suggested that Hopkins wasn't a big middle and could have made Light Middle at a push, but watching him last night I did question if he has been struggling to make the weight. He looked everybit a Light Heavy out there.

Unless, Warren can secure a deal for Calzaghe to fight Hopkins next - its done Calzaghe's career a lot of harm. Who can he now fight, except Hopkins, at light heavyweight who now won't have the "overated" tag. Like it or not, Tarver has beaten most of the best Light Heavies, or beaten guys who have beaten guys - but it was the manner of the defeat that was so alarming.... exposed as really a second rate champion (before Calzaghe had the chance to do so).

Only really Calzaghe left for Hopkins now, cannot see him ever returning to Middleweight, he might think of a move up again (he has contemplated a Cruiserweight title bid in the past) or might look at getting an more "geniune" "official" belt at Light Heavy for the books, but really I think there is no more he can do.

Calzaghe would be better off fighting Kessler or Beyer.

I think Calzaghe will be p1ssed he didn't get to fight Tarver before Hopkins.

Syntax Error wrote:What now for Hopkins?

This was supposed to be his swansong, but I doubt whether he'll retire.

I can see RJJ coming & sniffing around Hopkins now!

I hope Hopkins retires on top after such a masterfull performance. Even if Roy Jones Jr wins his next fight I doubt he will want any part of Hopkins now.

Roy Jones Jr may well call out Hopkins but will ask for crazy money to make sure the fight will not actually happen

KOJOE90 wrote:Roy Jones Jr may well call out Hopkins but will ask for crazy money to make sure the fight will not actually happen

Hopkins might take it even still, just to knock the snot out of Jones.

Rocky Balboa wrote:One of the most disciplined, professional fighters' in history. Maybe even the most disciplined!

Hopkins is the ultimate professional.

Just look at this amazing trajectory he has painted at 40 years old: defeating the top men at light-middle and light-heavy - give or take one or two pounds, weighing the same as them - in under two years.

Factor in between that space two routine defences of the undisputed middleweight title versus the latest network showpony and supposed heir, and Hopkins' greatness is simply undeniable.

Lots of good/very good fighters can jimmy up or down the top level of 2/3 weight classes nowadays, but to spread your wings so wide, at that age, just shows this guy is at a whole nother level.

An ATG, a true athlete and an inspirational figure. Full stop.

Manos de Oro wrote:

Rocky Balboa wrote:One of the most disciplined, professional fighters' in history. Maybe even the most disciplined!

Hopkins is the ultimate professional.

Just look at this amazing trajectory he has painted at 40 years old: defeating the top men at light-middle and light-heavy - give or take one or two pounds, weighing the same as them - in under two years.

Factor in between that space two routine defences of the undisputed middleweight title versus the latest network showpony and supposed heir, and Hopkins' greatness is simply undeniable.

Lots of good/very good fighters can jimmy up or down the top level of 2/3 weight classes nowadays, but to spread your wings so wide, at that age, just shows this guy is at a whole nother level.

An ATG, a true athlete and an inspirational figure. Full stop.

Bernard Hopkins is a credit to himself, to boxing, and to mankind.

The UK and US Governments should pay him to go round schools and talk to kids. He is such a positive role model. Pure class.

The boxing bodies should pay him to go round neighbourhoods to recruit kids for boxing.

The well is running dry.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/sho ... hp?t=20606




Hopkins workrate would lose him the fight and Joe wouldn't run out of steam like Taylor did.

I know I've been vehement in my criticism of Tarver. Especially for not fighting Adamek, briggs, Woods. But mostly, to emphasise Hopkins' chances.

But I'll be fair to him. He was the #1 light heavy and a lower top 10 p4p, due to fights with Chris Johnson, Lincoln Carter, Reggie Johnson, Eric Harding, Montell griffin, Jones, Glen Johnson. And he did KO a fast Jones in the rematch. So he's an elite fighter, and he never scraped the bottom of the barrel for opponents like Jones and Michalczewski did.

I just think his style of fighting is awful. Not far removed from light heavy champs Hill and Spinks, in that he looks like an amateur. Maybe he went to pro boxing too late. If anyone was going to 'find him out', it was Hopkins, who boxed absolutely brilliantly. Tarver's problem was he thought that being Jones' bogeyman made him great. Hopkins gave him a brutal dose of reality.

Not seen the fight yet, but sounds to me like Tarver got a taste of his own medicine after piling on the weight for Rocky VI, I remember making some comments a while back about how much weight Tarver had stacked on for his role in Rocky 4, not taking anything away from Hopkins, but sounds by the way Tarver faded, that he took liberties in training and apparently he had to shed 40 lbs in pretty short order during training camp.

It wasn't even that he faded James, he was never even in the fight. Hops was too quick, too smart and too skilled for him. It was a complete and utter humiliation for him. An unbelievable feat for Hops to come up two weight divisions at 41 years of age and win via. near shutout against the universally recognised champion, a guy who was sitting in the second half of many P4P lists.

Tarver didn't look any slower than he did for the 2nd Johnson or the 3rd Jones fight. Wouldn't have mattered if it was the 2003 version who clocked Jones. The man was put on an operating table and not only dissected, but stripped clean

johnswan1 wrote:It wasn't even that he faded James, he was never even in the fight. Hops was too quick, too smart and too skilled for him. It was a complete and utter humiliation for him. An unbelievable feat for Hops to come up two weight divisions at 41 years of age and win via. near shutout against the universally recognised champion, a guy who was sitting in the second half of many P4P lists.

I didn't give tarver half of a single round

As pleased as I am for Hopkins I still can't help feeling Tarver just didn't turn up. BHop didn't do anything different to the Taylor fights, and yet here he wins 12 rounds of 12? Can't be right. To begin with I thought it was just Tarver not being allowed to get set to attack, which was true all night, but really he fought with no intensity at all.

I'm very happy for Hopkins but he wasn't required to produce a great performance here. Tony bloody Booth would have given him more of a fight.

It wasn't a great fight either. Tarver pawing jab out for most of night similar to Audley, Hopkins looked so impressive because Tarver was so stale. Hopkins did show great ring generalship though.

I'll post some highlights in few mins...

Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEkAE3PBKqQ