It's time(finally) for Hopkins/Taylor!

[dr.zoidberg]

The fight takes place on this Saturday on HBO PPV. I personally feel that it shouldn't be on PPV, as I believe that the only fights that should be on PPV are super fights. For instance, Hopkins/Trinidad or Hopkins/De La Hoya or all 3 Barrera/Morales fights.
I like Taylor but he really hasn't fought anyone in his league or better, so I don't know how Taylor will handle the pressure of a undisputed title fight or how he can handle someone that he can't easily dominate.
On the other hand, we have Hopkins. Hopkins has shown himself recently to be old, timid, and playing it safe in his recent fights. His fight against Eastman was proof of that. Hopkins did not look like the conquerer of Trinidad in the Eastman fight. Don't get me wrong, Hopkins won the fight handily. Of course, it always helps when your opponent forgets how to block a left hook:). However, Hopkins has big fight experience and that experience may give Hopkins the edge over Taylor.
In the long run, I feel that the big fight experience factor will play to Hopkins' advantage. I'll take Hopkins UD12.

[H2O Man]

1. This could easily be

a "superfight."

Hopkins ranks along with the all-time greats. He has been overlooked by the casual sports fans, because of the lack of good middleweights. His two "biggest" victories were over welterweights who could handle the move to jr. middleweight fairly well, but were certainly not unbeatable at even that weight.

But this is hardly the time of Haglar, Leonard, Hearns, Benitez, and Duran. In truth, no one of those guys was able to beat all the others every fight. It made the middleweight division great.

One could look back to the early- to mid-1960s for a similar group of great fighters. But there is nothing to compare to that today.

However, if we start by recognizing Hopkins is a great fighter, who uses his brains to get by these days, and that no great fighter who approaches the end of their career has top performances in consecutive fights (think Haglar), then it seems we can expect him to be at the top of his game tonight.

The question becomes is Taylor a great fighter? If he is a great fighter, he clearly is coming into greatness, as surely as Hopkins is exiting greatness. But the same lack of competition has caused Taylor to fight more (natural) jr. middleweights, too. So no one really knows how good he is.

He makes mistakes: he drops his hand after jabbing; he cocks the right; he leaps forward and jumps straight back. Yet so does Mayweather. If he is a young great who can set a pace that forces Hopkins to react to him, we are in for a fight.

I look for Hopkin's body punching to play a role. Also, I think he'll trick Taylor into attacking prematurely. Finally, both guys like to land the "last punch" in duals: better to land and move away. Being stubborn could be very dangerous tonight.

Enjoy the fight.

[H2O Man]

3. Taylor wins the fight.

I think it was 8-4 in rounds. Hopkins had a couple impressive rounds towards the end of the fight, but it was too little too late. He did an amazing Marvin Haglar performance after the fight, demanding that he won when, much like Leonard, Taylor just outsped and outboxed him easily. In the first 8 rounds, Taylor was easily ahead by 7-1; Hopkins won 3 of the 4 last rounds.

Jay Nady remains the worst boxing official ever.

The ring conditions become dangerous when there are the ads with large letters. Both fighters had trouble with footing.

[dr.zoidberg]

4. Good win for Taylor.

I can't wait for the replay on Saturday night. I won't give an opinion because I haven't seen the fight, yet.

I've heard that it's a possibility that the way the ads are created may be changed to prevent these footing problems. It was something like putting sand with the paint. It's supposed to improve grip. we'll see if it is actually done, though.

[Stephist]

5. I'll Watch The Fight Saturday...

I was a little bit surprised a 10 year champ lost on a split decision but from everything I have heard the decision was fair. H2O Man, may I ask what Jay Nady did in this fight that drew you attention?

[H2O Man]

6. Sure.

First, I hope you enjoy the fight. I think it was the best middleweight bout in years. Two of the boxers that I admire the most, going head to head.

In an earlier part of the show, they filmed Jay talking to both fighters in their dressing rooms. Both corners generally try to advocate for their fighters then, of course. Taylor's cornerman noted that Bernard has a history of fouling; Jay agrees, but puts the focus back on Taylor .... which is the correct way to do it. Then he talks to the Champ. Jay says, "If you're holding and hitting .." and Bernard butts in, "If he's holding.." and Jay falls for it. I told the guys at my house that Bernard had just played the ref, and he had!

Thus, in the fight, early on, Bernard tries holding and hitting .... and Jay steps in and warns Taylor! After the fight, the new Champ laughed about that; had he viewed Bernard playing Jay, he'd have understood why it happened.

A ref needs to control a fight. Jay didn't. I expect a "level playing field." If you call something one way, call it the other way. Don't give six "warnings." Boxing is indeed a rough sport, and a master like Hopkins has the ability to take advantage of every foul. Jay helps him to do so without consequence, especially in the last 4 rounds. When you see it, it will stand out.

It will be interesting to see if there is a rematch. I hope that there is, in the sense it could be explosive. On the other hand, as a person who has admired what Bernard Hopkins has accomplished, I would prefer he retire.

[dr.zoidberg]

2. Taylor takes it by SD.

Scores were: 116-112 Hopkins, 115-113 Taylor, and 115-113 Taylor. I have been told that both men put on one hell of a performance. HBO had better replay this.

[Stephist]

7. Hopkins Has No Bitch At All

I had it 116-113 Taylor 7-4-1 even.

What fight did Jerry Roth watch?
I call it The Marvin Hagler rule: when you lose the first 4 rounds you have no right to bitch.

Worst piece of analysis Jim Lampley "They do use score cards here" WTF?
Herald Letterman did make a great point: until round 10 all Hopkins was doing was making faces.

Whether or not he is drunk when he calls fights Larry Merchant is incoherent and God Awful he has to go. Hopefully Lampley follows him out the door with Jones, who has been knocked out twice, yet has never lost a fight (just ask him) close behind.

I too thought Taylor won round 12. Hopkins has no bitch at all. Oh and Earth to Hopkins you can't use the cut as an excuse on why you won, you don't score head butts.

[dr.zoidberg]

8. My scorecard was different.

I had it 115-114 for Hopkins. That's 6-5-1 in favor of Hopkins. i felt that the first round was 10-10. Taylor controlled well in spots, but I felt that Hopkins fought well, particularly in the last few rounds. I felt that Hopkins did not lose the fist four rounds. In fact, I had him winning round 3. In those rounds he hurt Taylor, especially in one round when he hit Taylor with a hell of a straight right hand that made Taylor stumble into the ropes. I'll have to disagree with you on round 12. Typically, if Fighter A hurts Fighter B in a round, then the round goes to Fighter A. In round 12, hopkins hurt Taylor and Taylor really did not answer back, preferring to ride the round out to the end. To me, it was the easiest round to score. i felt that round 1 was 10-10 because both men were feeling each other out and really did not do anything. The fight was awfully close and easily could have gone either way. The rematch should certainly be very exciting.

[Stephist]

9. I Can Understand Someone Thinking Hopkins Won...

But I don't Understand the amount of bitching going on by Hopkins. Then to file an appeal... thats just absurd. If the decision went to Hopkins and Taylor filed an appeal I would feel the same way. To me the loser of this fight didn't do enough to bitch about judges decision either way.

I also agree that Taylor showed signs of not having the best chin but Hopkins just didn't do enough in the first 9 rounds.

[H2O Man]

10. There are still people

who are convinced Haglar beat Leonard. He didn't. And Hopkins lost this fight. I think it was 8-4; if I wanted to be generous, 7-4-1.

Maybe Hopkins will do better in December. But he has to recognize that he lost this fight to be able to progress.

[H2O Man]

11. Bernard Hopkins alert!

Bernard is scheduled to be the guest host on ESPN's Friday Night Fights. It should be interesting. I've heard him doing a couple brief interviews, and he comes off as angry, because he thinks he won the fight with Taylor. I think he will be focused and improved for the December re-match. This can be really good for the sport.