Name the fighters who would beat Hopkins on his best night.

[Slothrop]

:think

[Scar]

RJJ
SRL
Hagler
SRR

[Slothrop]

Srr

[hellblazer]

Marvin Hagler

[41fever]

On his best night...thats hard

[lillarry]

RJJ on his best night

[box03]

RJJ on his best night Yeah Im guessing anywhere from 93-98 Roy could of beat Hopkins now.

[kg0208]

From 160 to 175 all time against Hopkins on his best night ever? Or currently on his best night NOW and only current fighters?

[jonesjrp4p1]

rjj

[KhanB]

Maybe Jones. Maybe Hagler. I dont think the 160 lb version of Leonard would do to well. The Hopkins that beat Tito would stalk Sugar Ray down IMO but for some reason i think the fat MW version of Duran gives Hopkins fits.

[Olander]

I agree that it would be tough for anyone to beat Hopkins on his BEST night. RJJ at his best and MH at his best would be the closest, I would think. SRR's prime was WW, so there may be a size discrepancy there.

[RAMPAGE0017]

Roy Jones DID beat Hopkins on one of his best nights, IMO. And he did it with an injured hand, as well.. Jones spanks any version of Hopkins, and he does so at any weight.

[Olander]

Roy Jones DID beat Hopkins on one of his best nights, IMO. And he did it with an injured hand, as well.. Jones spanks any version of Hopkins, and he does so at any weight.

:patsch

[kg0208]

:patsch

Jones most likely does beat Hopkins on any night. So do a few others if we are talking about any weight Hopkins has competed at.

LHW, Jones, Spinks, and Foster could all beat Hopkins.

[brooklyn1550]

I would favor Marvin Hagler, Carlos Monzon, and Roy Jones Jr over Hopkins on his best night. But Hopkins has what it takes to beat all 3 of them at middleweight. You have to give Robinson, Hearns, Leonard, Burley, Toney, Nunn, and McCallum a chance, but I would pick Hopkins at his best to beat all of them.

If we are adding in light heavyweight, I would have to pick Moore, Foster, Spinks, Charles, Langford, Tunney, Conn, Jones, Rosenbloom, Loughran, and others over him just because he hasn't proven enough at 175. To be honest, I'm not even sure if the Hopkins of the Tarver fight could beat Chad Dawson.

[RAMPAGE0017]

Jones most likely does beat Hopkins on any night. So do a few others if we are talking about any weight Hopkins has competed at.

LHW, Jones, Spinks, and Foster could all beat Hopkins.


The only chance I'll ever give Hopkins of beating Jones is if they were to both fight at their current abilities. But prime for prime Jones will always beat Hopkins.

[sues2nd]

Jones most likely does beat Hopkins on any night. So do a few others if we are talking about any weight Hopkins has competed at.

LHW, Jones, Spinks, and Foster could all beat Hopkins.

Yeah, but that guy said Jones DID beat Hopkins on his best night....which is just as inaccurate as you can get.

This is a tough question tho. Hopkins has that ability to MAKE you fight his fight. Meaning, anyone fighting that version of Bernard would have to beat him at his own game....not an easy task.

[RAMPAGE0017]

Yeah, but that guy said Jones DID beat Hopkins on his best night....which is just as inaccurate as you can get.

This is a tough question tho. Hopkins has that ability to MAKE you fight his fight. Meaning, anyone fighting that version of Bernard would have to beat him at his own game....not an easy task.


Here we go with the " Hopkins was green " BS again. Just because Hopkins lost it doesn't mean he wasn't having a good night.

Hopkins WAS trying to make Jones fight his fight, but much like Jones had done with so many other opponents he neutralized Hopkins ability with his speed and reflexes.

[sues2nd]

Here we go with the " Hopkins was green " BS again. Just because Hopkins lost it doesn't mean he wasn't having a good night.

Hopkins WAS trying to make Jones fight his fight, but much like Jones had done with so many other opponents he neutralized Hopkins ability with his speed and reflexes.

So the Hopkins that fought Jones was Hopkins in his prime in your eyes? That is what you are saying?

[KO Boxing]

So the Hopkins that fought Jones was Hopkins in his prime in your eyes? That is what you are saying?
Not prime, but not as far from prime as most people make out. And considering Jones was just as "green" as Hopkins with a possible injured hand, I personally think this win for Jones is under-rated.

[RAMPAGE0017]

So the Hopkins that fought Jones was Hopkins in his prime in your eyes? That is what you are saying?


While I am a Hopkins fan, I'm not such a bleeding heart bandwagoner that I can't make a simple comparison between that fight and the Tito fight ( which is seen as one of his best performances ) and see that both versions of Hopkins weren't drastically different from one another, rather than be like everyone else and just ASSUME that he was green by the simple fact that the fight happened when he was relatively young.

Let's take a look at Hopkins record..

Hopkins wins 22 consecutive bouts before losing to Jones for the IBF title. Jones moves up to SMW and just two years later Hopkins wins that very belt and holds onto it until finally losing to Taylor. Did Hopkins all the sudden hit his prime when Jones decided to move up in weight?

If you can point out to me any deficiencies in either Hopkins' ability or in his record that suggests that he wasn't at his best for the Jones fight, then I'll gladly change my opinion, but if you're just going to base it on the fact that he was young, then I've just wasted my time typing up this post.

[Grabonator]

Just wanted to say that Hopkins was in way better shape when he fought tarver as when he fought Winky. Its because he trained with Shilstone against Tarver. I think the best thing would be Shilstone as the strenght and conditioning and nutritioning coach and Roach as the real trainer who holds the midds ect. With this team Hopkins is really 10 years jounger.

[Goose]

James Toney

[bachatu]

I think some people are forgetting how good and atheletic Roy Jones Jr was at his prime. Hopkins is very crafty but cannot hang with someone like RJJ in prime state. Look at some clips of old jones and you will see how gifted he was to be able to fight the way he did. Prime Jones wasn't hittable when it came to the center of the ring, and when he would be backed up to the ropes he would cover up in the ropes and counter.
If you look at an old Jones tape and pick the best fighter in the Light Heavy Weight division right now--you will see the evidence is clear.

Many say "well its just that people didnt know that you had to pressure jones to be able to beat jones. Tarver exposed him". Or that fighters were intimidated or that they were all bums. This is not true, many fighters were not intimidated by Jones and in fact tried to pressure him or impose their will on him but he was simply too fast and his offense was so good that they later became defensive as the fight progressed (reference Clinton Woods vs Roy Jones Jr or Vinny Paz vs RJJ).

[Slothrop]

From 160 to 175 all time against Hopkins on his best night ever? Or currently on his best night NOW and only current fighters?

The best version of Hopkins to ever step in the ring.

[cuchulain]

RJJ
SRL
Hagler
SRR

I would agree except I would probably take out SRL and add Carlos.

[cuchulain]

So the Hopkins that fought Jones was Hopkins in his prime in your eyes? That is what you are saying?

Hopkins was very close to prime and Roy was not yet at prime either.

Both at peak prime ?

IMO, the margin of victory widens.

[cuchulain]

Jones most likely does beat Hopkins on any night. So do a few others if we are talking about any weight Hopkins has competed at.

LHW, Jones, Spinks, and Foster could all beat Hopkins.

Let's not even consider LHW.

The guys you mention plus maybe fifty other LHW's .

BHOP is an ATG middle wt.

He's (1-1-0) at LHW

[Slothrop]

:lol: James Toney

This is interesting.

[KO Boxing]

As this is boxing, I think the better question is who "could" beat Hopkins. And I think Toney on his best night could win. But as this is also Hopkins on his best night, I wouldn't favour it. Not laughable though. But who would win definately? That's bloody hard to say. At middle, perhaps only Jones. When above, more fighters (especially light heavy's). But even fighters like Hagler and Robinson at middle, while I believe are clearly the greater fighters on resume, head 2 head, it's hard to argue that they would definately beat Hopkins at his all time best 100% of the time. That's just not how boxing works.

[ko factor]

The best version of:
Toney
RJJ
Hearns
Hagler
Eubank:bbb :bbb :bbb

[Toopretty]

I would like to say James Toney. That is my belief. The best Hop and the best Toney at middle. I give JT the very very very slight advantage.

[Amsterdam]

Hopkins beats Hagler in my opinion.

But RJJ, Michalczewski, Nunn come to mind instantly, as well as many at LHW such as Bob Foster/Moorer/Spinks. I also would pick Mikkel Kessler on styles alone at 168, but that's extremely arguable I know.

Calzaghe makes a clear favourite at SMW also over Hopkins.

Surprisingly and even though I only marginally rate Michael Nunn, he has a great style to beat Hopkins and would do so very clearly IMO, Nunn's jab would control the bout.

[India_Foot_Bob]

Name the two boxers Hopkins couldn't beat on his worst night

I have fixed your question. It is correct now -fullstop-

[Mrvooh]

Hopkins beats Hagler in my opinion.

But RJJ, Michalczewski, Nunn come to mind instantly, as well as many at LHW such as Bob Foster/Moorer/Spinks. I also would pick Mikkel Kessler on styles alone at 168, but that's extremely arguable I know.

Calzaghe makes a clear favourite at SMW also over Hopkins.

Surprisingly and even though I only marginally rate Michael Nunn, he has a great style to beat Hopkins and would do so very clearly IMO, Nunn's jab would control the bout. ;)

[sues2nd]

While I am a Hopkins fan, I'm not such a bleeding heart bandwagoner that I can't make a simple comparison between that fight and the Tito fight ( which is seen as one of his best performances ) and see that both versions of Hopkins weren't drastically different from one another, rather than be like everyone else and just ASSUME that he was green by the simple fact that the fight happened when he was relatively young.

Let's take a look at Hopkins record..

Hopkins wins 22 consecutive bouts before losing to Jones for the IBF title. Jones moves up to SMW and just two years later Hopkins wins that very belt and holds onto it until finally losing to Taylor. Did Hopkins all the sudden hit his prime when Jones decided to move up in weight?

If you can point out to me any deficiencies in either Hopkins' ability or in his record that suggests that he wasn't at his best for the Jones fight, then I'll gladly change my opinion, but if you're just going to base it on the fact that he was young, then I've just wasted my time typing up this post.

Im sorry to say, but after Jones...Hop didnt just improve, he totally changed the way he fought. Look at him vs Tito as you said. They were not the same fighter.

So if he became a different and obviously BETTER fighter...than how could ANYONE say that Hopkins was in his prime or that that was his best night?

You cant. Hopkins was green...so was Jones as well.

Now you say about record or skills?

First he was 22 - 0 as you pointed out....but you are ignoring that he fought another 28 (and the Jones one...) times against better competition than his first 22.

And his skills? Was Bernard as good defensively? Was he the ring general (easily the best in the game at this) that he was in the Tito fight so to say? Was as smart as he has been since the Jones fight? NO NO AND NO!

I love Hopkins and Jones....and I am telling you...Jones DID NOT BEAT a prime Hopkins, nor was that Hopkins on his best night.

[RAMPAGE0017]

Im sorry to say, but after Jones...Hop didnt just improve, he totally changed the way he fought. Look at him vs Tito as you said. They were not the same fighter.

So if he became a different and obviously BETTER fighter...than how could ANYONE say that Hopkins was in his prime or that that was his best night?

You cant. Hopkins was green...so was Jones as well.

Now you say about record or skills?

First he was 22 - 0 as you pointed out....but you are ignoring that he fought another 28 (and the Jones one...) times against better competition than his first 22.

And his skills? Was Bernard as good defensively? Was he the ring general (easily the best in the game at this) that he was in the Tito fight so to say? Was as smart as he has been since the Jones fight? NO NO AND NO!

I love Hopkins and Jones....and I am telling you...Jones DID NOT BEAT a prime Hopkins, nor was that Hopkins on his best night.

I've seen both the Tito fight and the Jones fight, and in all honesty.. the only difference I can see is the difference between Trinidad and Jones. Hopkins gave a textbook performance in both fights, so I don't see what's so different about his ability in either fight. And it's not like Hopkins took Jones too lightly or anything, he was trying and he was trying HARD to beat Jones, but unfortunately Jones was just too good for him.

Jones at his best easily decisions Hopkins at his best.. and at any weightclass, IMO.

[Longhhorn71]

To me, Leonard is too small to beat Hopkins.

The Sugar Ray Robinson left hook that blasted out
Gene Fulmer would get the same result on Hopkin's chin.

If Hagler shows up mean & motivated he beats Hopkins, but
the Hagler of Duran & Antufermo gets outpointed by Hopkins.

Carlos Monzon, well, he just never loses (cigarettes, booze, women & all).

[Hank]

Greb, Ketchel, Papke, Fullmer (maybe) Robinson, La Motta, Monzon, Hagler (Maybe) I also give Thomas Hearns a chance.