Hopkins paid his dues, he did it the old school way, nothing was given to him, he saw an opportunity to take a fight on short notice and he took it, this man was very very hungry.
@Marz916 And who the hell are you? Just kidding, Marz, I agree. This is the vid I showed friends who thought of Hopkins as the boring guy from the Taylor fights.
thank you for this upload !! this is classic material !!!! bernard has the best jaw in boxing !!!! never been down and i never seen him cut or hurt ! what a talent and gift to the sport of boxing !!!! they dont come like this often !!! the only others to have success for this long in their careers are boxers like foreman and calzahke and holyfield who were all great in thier late 30's early 40's
Bernard Hopkins is nothing short of inspiring dude did 5 years in prison came out and lost his pro debut! Wow can you imagine the feeling? Puts the negativity aside and becomes nothing short of a boxing legend.... Hopkins one of the best to ever lace em up, a fighters fighter
Old? Define old.....Washed up? Please, he's the only one doing it at this pace along with Glen Johnson and Mosley. Can you imagine Pavlik or Taylor doing this at age 40? Nah....
Just because you're holding a belt doesn't mean that you're a legend or important to the sport. You have to build your rep and maintain it. Hopkins has done this for years and is still doing it. Jermain is still young but he is already fading and his loss to Froch will even make it harder for him to come back for more
You haters and ignorant individuals can talk all day about how overrated and "boring" Bernard Hopkins is. We don't care cause true fans of boxing know that this man is a legend and his name will never be erased. Jermain Taylor was a hot shot before he met Hopkins. Hopkins gave him a good hard fight at 40. He even schooled and fooled around with him in their two title fights. Taylor enjoyed the fame afterwards but at 30 where is he now? He has faded...Hopkins, 44 years old and still going strong.
it's all well and good saying this version of hopkins is a beast, but he's fighting a guy with two fights and one of those he lost. Hardly can judge this fight as what he should have done to Taylor. Alot of average pro's look good against weak competition.
Hopkins is a legend, but it's a fact he's defensive. No shame in that either
Hopkins recaptured some of this moment when he turned back the clock and dominated Kelly Pavlik in an all time performance. I was a fan of Hopkins before, but my respect for him as a fighting man grew by leaps and bounds based on his performance a few hours ago.
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Hopkins sucks. Calzage is the best boxer ewer. dont ewen mention that hopkins was old. calcage is 38. hopkins 42. he would have got his ass tornd of even at 25
If Calzaghe is the best ever, he should have beat a 43 year old fighter who sucks a lot more easily. He got knocked down and won only a split decision. Not to mention that it took Calzaghe 16 years to fight decent. And even when he did, he does it against a guy with an AARP card. Best boxer ever my ass.
lol calzaghe has not yet proven himslef, who has he fought an old washed up hopkins?? He dont even have the balls to face arthur abraham and kelly pavlik
I've watched some highlight videos for Arthur Abraham and honestly, I'm completely disappointed. This is how I know I'm turning into a misanthrope because of people's stupid judgments. Let him fight of Germany and I guarantee he would probably get KO'ed by Kelly Pavlik or someone else.
Technically he is the best as he has the Ring belt but Hopkins is still a better fighter in my opinion as he controlled JC's flow whenever he needed to.
True he can suprise but he often doesn't unfortunatly. I watch the prince badi ajamu fight and the whole time I was waiting for him to throw some dazzling combo - never did. He did suprise against Hanshaw in the last 2 rounds. UTube search it.
joe calazaghe is no where near the greatest boxer. Joe calazaghe should not even beat a hall of hamer. He got dropped by hopkins in the first round. And not all the judges said he won. He defeneds the WBO title 20 times. Thats is not even a great title. He never got a million dollar payday until he was like 35.
thats some first class ignorance right there. Calzaghe is only borderline as one of the top 5 fighters of his generation. He wouldn't break the top 50 greatest boxers of all time.
Calzage has speed and control. He is fighting to win ewery round and ewen if somewan hit him flush on the jaw he dont go down(look at his fight with Robin Reid and you se wath I meen) He has the greatest chin and the biggest heart in boxinghistory. Only Ali at his greatest would be able to bet him. The reason people refuses to se this is rasism against white people
I agree with this comment...He is clinical but at the same time he is getting dilusional thinking that he can win fights without doing much at all, like vs Calzaghe n Taylor...its like he has lost the real killer instinct he had in his earlier fights
this footage is amazing, when they show the replay of when he knocked him down in the first round... at first i watched hopkins punches... but when i looked at merc's punches landing on hopkins face, i see no head movement watsoever... his head is like rock solid... amazing.
wow he sassed him. For the dude who posted before me you have to remember he's alot older than he was, so he has to be smarter and try not to get hit.
when he was young he was exciting, now he is the most boring fighter in boxing, i only just saw his rematch with taylor and i thought bernard won only 1 round with 3 even, and hopkins says he was robbed, he must be brain damaged
fair comment and good to hear such a balanced opinion on youtube, but I feel confident that Hopkins is gona have the toughest night of his career on saturday, i just don't think he's ever fought anyone with the ability to upset a fighter's rhythm that Joe has.
I agree with you to degree, but some show more potential than others, and some credit must be given to the fact that Bernard took this fight at the last minute.
That's RETARDED. Hopkins was a few months shy of 40 years old for Oscar which is also why Oscar finally fought him in 2004. He thought Hopkins was old and ripe to be taken. Hopkins PRIME was 1996 to 2000 and he was an aggressive destructive fighter then, not the defensive guy he later became.
Prime and Age are 2 different things. Hopkins lost about every rd to Jones in 1993 though Hopkins kept trying, but Hopkins was not yet the fighter he would become a few years later. Too bad they never rematched in the late 90's at their bests.
The reason Hopkins fights like the way he does is because he is 40+. He can't sustained a high punch output anymore. Bernard uses all of his experience, and savvy to win fights. Hopkins was much better in his prime.
Thanks for posting!!! I've been a big B-Hop fan since the early 90s! It's funny to watch him as a young slugger. By the way, was he announced as "The Terror"??? Wow, this had to be old! I did always enjoy his Excutioner gimmick with the mask and 2 entourage members carrying axes!
Why does this vid of young B-Hop remind me of a smaller version on Mike Tyson :S (without the firepower obviously). The stance, headmovement, position of his hands the way he throws his hooks reminds me so much of Tyson. Anyone else see it or is it just me?
In spots. For a tall middleweight with good reach, he liked to fight on the inside in his prime. See Hopkins-Aquino, which I've posted. There, it's not so much like Tyson as Duran.
Thanks4 this- Im still slightly amused by the lack of credit hopkins gets,not just as a boxer who shows a religious dedication to his craft but as phaps the prime boxing example of where hard work,self belief n drive can get u,,and he's just beat up wright n tarver@ 42,fair enuf he got beat by a prime jones but just compare the 2 now,,its as dumb as comparing lewis n tyson(even tho hopkins is far older!),,still Im sure history will remember him fondly,and he's still no.1
Amazing that Larry Merchant called him "the Geriatric Wonder" six years ago, and he just won a big fight recently. And in 1999, in the first Antwon Echols fight, Antwon was told by his corner that the old man would wilt, that he was too old to take the pressure. The longevity combined with his fundamentals is amazing. Being dirty at times, and not possessing one-punch power or incredible handspeed becomes unimportant, and that too is amazing for a star in this sport.
Agreed,you mentioned echols there-wikipedia says hopkins echols 2 featured echols wrestling hopkins to the ground and busting up bhops arm in the process, at which point the ref offered bhop the win by disqualification but bhop decided to fight on, beating echols with one hand!,,,how the hell is that kinda fight not even on youtube?,if it was tyson or dela hoya it'd be replayed more than the rumble in the jungle
besides a younger hop would have taken more chances against taylor which would have given taylor a chance to land a bomb. taylor has power! which is why hop wright spinks were overtly defensive against taylor. fighters with lessor defense than these fighters will lose to taylor.
Taylor has power, but little accuracy. A young Hopkins takes Taylor to school. An old Hopkins took Taylor to school (but not in the eyes of the judges).
if taylor is such a badass whys he always fighting smaller guys? Ouma, Wright, Edouard, Marquez, Bunema. all 147lbers and taylor couldnt barley knock them out. taylor is so overrated, and now hes fighting cory spinks, lol what a joke!
Lou DiBella realizes he has a one-dimensional puncher (who jabs) on his hands and not a boxer. Stylistically, Taylor is more like Tito (with a better jab and a lesser hook) than Hopkins, and Lou doesn't want to make the same mistakes others did with Tito (even though they sucessfully matched Jermain with Hopkins and Wright, but you know what I mean).
I meant Hopkins was well schooled, and prison just kept him from having many pro fights by the time he fought Jouvin. He wasn't as green as his record indicates.
I meant Hopkins was well schooled, and prison just kept him from having many pro fights by the time he fought Jouvin. He wasn't as green as his record indicates.
'he was minding his own business this afternoon and now he's on national television' hahahaha. b-hop is d man. not many ppl turn pro so l8 and do so well
Doesn't he remind you of Duran? The more I watch it, the more he does, the more I'm convinced he was a direct influence. Yet today, Bernard never mentions him.
defencive fighters are my favorite. love to see them slip punches and footwork, thats a skilled fighter. not tyson or any of those, put wille pep, sweet pea, james toney, and b hop
Yeah, but as you can see above, Hopkins was never a fully defensive fighter. He's actually a Duranesque brawler with decent pop in this clip. He got more defensive as he aged.
octamember knows his boxing. that's what is b-hop is a great tactical boxer. why is people hate b-hop or don't like him for some damn reason. give credit when credit is due. It dosen't matter what me or other people think about B.Hopkins he is all readly a hall of famer and bet the shit! out of tarver.
hahaha...everybody is a critic. no hate from me. i recognize talent when i see it, and i'm not afraid to give props when they are due - even if i don't like the fighter!!!!
B-hop is damn good. His flaw is that he lacks the raw athleticism of some of the more well known boxers. But if you watch the Tito/Hopkins fight you can see what a great tactical boxer Hopkins is.
Notice that fight was at 168? Where he should have been until about his 25th pro fight when he should have jumped up to 175. Instead, like a bitch, he hid out at 160 fighting blown up, faded welterweights.
And don't be a fool. ANY version of Jermain Taylor beats ANY version of Borenard Turdkins.
at lest hopkins had- antwan ekels roy jones. ect tayler loss the last 3 fights in a row tito was undefeted whth dam near all kos every body including king thought tito was koing bhop
The guys in the gym knew Hopkins would beat Tito. I don't mean in Puerto Rico. Gyms in Philadelphia, urban gyms in general. The scribes overlooked that undercurrent of boxing knowledge, to say nothing of HBO's wishful thinking and willful indifference.
No way. Tito's attributes are all wrong for a taylor fight, he has always been immobile and and if in with a good boxer easy to hit and outbox. he would stand in front of taylor and get wolloped from the outside and as usual won't have a plan b. He is one dimensional and in with such a strong fighter as taylor i don't see a favourable result. Delahoya atleast has speed, mobility, combo's and a good chin to match
very impressive and polished performance at such an early stage in his career, it was obvious he would go on to a bigger and brighter future! a 35-38 y.o hopkins beats any version of taylor, i mean at the age 40 he lost razor close desicions, the first of which should have been a victory for b-hop
I would have been satisfied with those two fights being draws. Taylor is so vulnerable, step him up and he fights draws! Three in a row, but my estimation and count, against two significantly older guys. I wonder how Taylor would fare against a confident, in shape Tito. That would be interesting, don't be so sure Taylor's jab would win the day. He'd be quite open about the face for shots.
i agree 100% on him being vulnerable, and i think it's only a matter of time before he is picked off. I think hopkins can still beat him, winky showed he can beat him, tito would have a chance but i don't think he would be techniquely sound enough to pull it of the reason why hopkins and wright faired so well is that highly skilled fighters.
actually after watching the taylor wright fight i thought delahoya could have some success against jermain. what troubled him against winky was winky's handspeed and combinations which oscar excells in both even more so than wright, though winky has a defensive edge.
No. Oscar couldn't take the return. Jermain would stop him sooner than Bernard did. Jermain might get hit by an Oscar flurry, but it wouldn't deter him from wiping Oscar out. I think Tito, circa 2001, would have had more of a chance against Taylor.
bullshit look at taylor 5 pro fight all cream puffs for 12 fights in a roe and all small light mid weights its hard to go on the road an take fights on little or nothing he only got 300 bucks for that fight
looked good, not comparable to trinidad, but this fight was at light heavyweight, not middleweight. how hopkins made middleweight for many years is amazing
ton of vasoline on his face
VILEHINTZ 3 months ago
he lok like hopkns but younger @jimpurdie
DowntownPx 4 months ago
the terror wtf lol b hop my fav fighter of all time
1cwa 4 months ago
hopkins looks like mike tyson here only a little taller.
jimpurdie 4 months ago
@jimpurdie and about 3 stone lighter lol
Jonezaay 1 month ago
Hopkins is a hall of famer and one of if not the best to represent what a fighter is suppose to be about.
lawrence9423 5 months ago
Absolutely AMAZING! Hopkins was then and is now a superb Boxing Technician. One of the best I've ever seen.
BreuckelensFinest 7 months ago
bernard was robbed in the calzagieh fight any true boxing fan knows this
mybabe2023 9 months ago
"Superb performance by that young man"..haha. I don't care what anyone says, the xecutioner is and always will be the man.
theEdinero 9 months ago
Legend
Fieras123 9 months ago
Hopkins paid his dues, he did it the old school way, nothing was given to him, he saw an opportunity to take a fight on short notice and he took it, this man was very very hungry.
Marz916 9 months ago 2
@Marz916 And who the hell are you? Just kidding, Marz, I agree. This is the vid I showed friends who thought of Hopkins as the boring guy from the Taylor fights.
SmelOdies 9 months ago 2
The terror ?
MortalSyntax 1 year ago
Wanna see a legal assault put on by B-HOP in his 5th pro fight on 5 min notice? Of course! Watch...
PipRocks666 1 year ago
These are the fights where stars are born. B-Hop is the greatest comeback story I know of.
PipRocks666 1 year ago
Early B-HOP! This is a fight I watch at least once a year again and again! CLASSIC!!
PipRocks666 1 year ago
@PipRocks666 I saw your tweet to Bernstein. Cheers! Check out the song I wrote about B-Hop, "Ring Lesson in Quebec." Someone else wrote the words.
SmelOdies 1 year ago
I've watched this fight at least 20 times. For my few followers, enjoy the fight!
PipRocks666 1 year ago
thanks for loading it. You can see already he was going to be a force to be reckoned with.
MADMAC572 1 year ago
looks like a smaller tyson.
jimpurdie 1 year ago
His original opponent Keith Providence ended his career with a 9-2 5KO record.
Jokerpac32 2 years ago
Jovin Mercado fought 1 more time and was KO'ed in 3 by David Talesco. Bernard started the end of his Career.
Jokerpac32 2 years ago
thank you for this upload !! this is classic material !!!! bernard has the best jaw in boxing !!!! never been down and i never seen him cut or hurt ! what a talent and gift to the sport of boxing !!!! they dont come like this often !!! the only others to have success for this long in their careers are boxers like foreman and calzahke and holyfield who were all great in thier late 30's early 40's
dacoldtruth 2 years ago 4
Hopkins was down a small handful of times.
SmelOdies 2 years ago
@SmelOdies Hopkins was only down in one fight. He's got a serious chin and knows how to take em too
betamachine 1 year ago
Hopkins has been down around 3 times in his career...,its not that bhop has a great jaw...,he has a great defence,rarely gets tagged clean...
dhlfh 2 years ago
@dacoldtruth , he was knocked down a couple times by segundo mercado 1 fight
fabresteve 1 year ago
Hopkins vs Echols rematch was a very good fight that showed all of Hopkins skills
ngonzo85 2 years ago
Bernard Hopkins is nothing short of inspiring dude did 5 years in prison came out and lost his pro debut! Wow can you imagine the feeling? Puts the negativity aside and becomes nothing short of a boxing legend.... Hopkins one of the best to ever lace em up, a fighters fighter
RyanSet 2 years ago 13
Heny Armstrong lost his first two fights and went on to hold 3 tittles in 3 diffrent weight classed at the same time...
Poetryisalive 2 years ago 2
@RyanSet indeed
FIGHTFANNERD3 9 months ago
Lol. I guess Bernard was "The Terror" before he became "The Executioner."
wdchr 2 years ago 3
Old? Define old.....Washed up? Please, he's the only one doing it at this pace along with Glen Johnson and Mosley. Can you imagine Pavlik or Taylor doing this at age 40? Nah....
Just because you're holding a belt doesn't mean that you're a legend or important to the sport. You have to build your rep and maintain it. Hopkins has done this for years and is still doing it. Jermain is still young but he is already fading and his loss to Froch will even make it harder for him to come back for more
holdkaeftima 2 years ago
You haters and ignorant individuals can talk all day about how overrated and "boring" Bernard Hopkins is. We don't care cause true fans of boxing know that this man is a legend and his name will never be erased. Jermain Taylor was a hot shot before he met Hopkins. Hopkins gave him a good hard fight at 40. He even schooled and fooled around with him in their two title fights. Taylor enjoyed the fame afterwards but at 30 where is he now? He has faded...Hopkins, 44 years old and still going strong.
holdkaeftima 2 years ago
it's all well and good saying this version of hopkins is a beast, but he's fighting a guy with two fights and one of those he lost. Hardly can judge this fight as what he should have done to Taylor. Alot of average pro's look good against weak competition.
Hopkins is a legend, but it's a fact he's defensive. No shame in that either
HowardWinstone 3 years ago
Every great fighter you can think of fought scrubs on the way up. Are none of those fights worth examining?
SmelOdies 3 years ago
Bernard was a beast even before he step up to the world class!!!
canibusnj 3 years ago
NewYork vs Philly
DoctorBrute 3 years ago
Bernard Hopkins - Legend!
KiidDynamiteReturns 3 years ago 2
Well Said!
canibusnj 3 years ago
Legend
mab999 3 years ago
Hopkins recaptured some of this moment when he turned back the clock and dominated Kelly Pavlik in an all time performance. I was a fan of Hopkins before, but my respect for him as a fighting man grew by leaps and bounds based on his performance a few hours ago.
vagabond686 3 years ago
Wow! He was really something in that fight. I like his expression at 6:13 shortly before the 2nd KO, you can tell he is going for the kill.
berylman 3 years ago
Nobody in here should'nt talk shit about hopkins, picture the beating hopkins could give all u lot if you were in the ring against him
g1zmo66 3 years ago
benard hopkins #1 middleweight next to hagler in my books
g1zmo66 3 years ago
hopkins is now more stronger than 1990 !
sfourne2 3 years ago
You mean richer.
SmelOdies 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Hopkins sucks. Calzage is the best boxer ewer. dont ewen mention that hopkins was old. calcage is 38. hopkins 42. he would have got his ass tornd of even at 25
Doderhultarn89 3 years ago
Learn to spell moron. Calzaghe was 36 and hopkins was 43 dipshit.
jereomen 3 years ago
If Calzaghe is the best ever, he should have beat a 43 year old fighter who sucks a lot more easily. He got knocked down and won only a split decision. Not to mention that it took Calzaghe 16 years to fight decent. And even when he did, he does it against a guy with an AARP card. Best boxer ever my ass.
Jecipe 3 years ago
calzahe fought better back then, his skill has improved but before his hand problems he hit a lot harder and crisper.
IrelandRaven 3 years ago
lol calzaghe has not yet proven himslef, who has he fought an old washed up hopkins?? He dont even have the balls to face arthur abraham and kelly pavlik
Stefanoitch 3 years ago
I've watched some highlight videos for Arthur Abraham and honestly, I'm completely disappointed. This is how I know I'm turning into a misanthrope because of people's stupid judgments. Let him fight of Germany and I guarantee he would probably get KO'ed by Kelly Pavlik or someone else.
adxgr0undzer0 3 years ago
yeah right, that's what people said a couple of months ago, then he knocked out Miranda in the US in 4 rounds (moving up to Miranda's weight)
SoJuDaMaN 3 years ago
He was a young Lion here.
Turk15 3 years ago 3
At this time - RJJ was a better fighter. But now I think Hopkins is the best light-heavy.
BlapBlapPow 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
joe calzaghe is the best light-heavy
Doderhultarn89 3 years ago
Technically he is the best as he has the Ring belt but Hopkins is still a better fighter in my opinion as he controlled JC's flow whenever he needed to.
Boxing is a very subjective sport.
BlapBlapPow 3 years ago 2
Roy Jones jr is still the best. Calzaghe tho is younger and has a good chance to beat Roy, but Roy can also surprise still.
Jorsalfar 3 years ago
True he can suprise but he often doesn't unfortunatly. I watch the prince badi ajamu fight and the whole time I was waiting for him to throw some dazzling combo - never did. He did suprise against Hanshaw in the last 2 rounds. UTube search it.
BlapBlapPow 3 years ago
joe calazaghe is no where near the greatest boxer. Joe calazaghe should not even beat a hall of hamer. He got dropped by hopkins in the first round. And not all the judges said he won. He defeneds the WBO title 20 times. Thats is not even a great title. He never got a million dollar payday until he was like 35.
armythug123 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Joe Calzage is the greatest boxer in history!
Doderhultarn89 3 years ago
thats some first class ignorance right there. Calzaghe is only borderline as one of the top 5 fighters of his generation. He wouldn't break the top 50 greatest boxers of all time.
huthut91 3 years ago
Calzage has speed and control. He is fighting to win ewery round and ewen if somewan hit him flush on the jaw he dont go down(look at his fight with Robin Reid and you se wath I meen) He has the greatest chin and the biggest heart in boxinghistory. Only Ali at his greatest would be able to bet him. The reason people refuses to se this is rasism against white people
Doderhultarn89 3 years ago
that hopkins would have eaten calzaghe!!!
newtonwarriors 3 years ago
Hopkins was exciting in his youth, but is boring as hell in his agedness. It's like night and day between the two bernards.
sexydarin1 3 years ago
I agree with this comment...He is clinical but at the same time he is getting dilusional thinking that he can win fights without doing much at all, like vs Calzaghe n Taylor...its like he has lost the real killer instinct he had in his earlier fights
bayjay01 3 years ago
this footage is amazing, when they show the replay of when he knocked him down in the first round... at first i watched hopkins punches... but when i looked at merc's punches landing on hopkins face, i see no head movement watsoever... his head is like rock solid... amazing.
ABombDroppedOnMe 3 years ago
wow he sassed him. For the dude who posted before me you have to remember he's alot older than he was, so he has to be smarter and try not to get hit.
Palpac 3 years ago
when he was young he was exciting, now he is the most boring fighter in boxing, i only just saw his rematch with taylor and i thought bernard won only 1 round with 3 even, and hopkins says he was robbed, he must be brain damaged
kareemabdullah 3 years ago
Did Buffer just say Bernard The Terror Hopkins?
ashyknuckles1 3 years ago
yep Michael Buffer did say "Bernard The Terror Hopkins" LOL
allinonethegreat 3 years ago
if someone rang me and asked me to fight in 5 hours for i guess about 1000 dollars .. would i do it?? hmm
eggheadAKAspensley 3 years ago
fair comment and good to hear such a balanced opinion on youtube, but I feel confident that Hopkins is gona have the toughest night of his career on saturday, i just don't think he's ever fought anyone with the ability to upset a fighter's rhythm that Joe has.
TH110625 3 years ago
True fucking legend!!!
IronMongol 3 years ago
thanks for posting man, what year was this fight?
astralwarrior8 4 years ago
Wow look at hopkins' stance and technique...30 or 40lb more and id have sworn it was tyson!!
sseedell 4 years ago
hopkins looks quite good cos he's fighting a bum
paul8000 4 years ago
So you see no accuracy, power, determination, well-controlled aggression?
SmelOdies 4 years ago
i'd look good against that guy. hopkins was a good fighter, he was really good a few years later, but you can't judge him when he's fighting bums
paul8000 4 years ago
I agree with you to degree, but some show more potential than others, and some credit must be given to the fact that Bernard took this fight at the last minute.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
but at that time b hop would be known as a bum. and didnt know he was gonna fight.
PAKIJIMI 3 years ago
Hopkins was supposed to be the bum in this fight and he stole the show
IronMongol 3 years ago
i have to agree, i mean i like hopkins and he is a great fighter but this guy sucks, he cant even punch correctly
keioffice 3 years ago
wonder how many people lost money betting on that fight
lostfeelinggonegone 4 years ago
Not too many. It wasn't very high profile. But I wouldn't be surprised if during every single televised fight money changes hands.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
That was a great B-Hop clip. He looked sooooo good!
yk2bad 4 years ago
hopkins' only real loss was vs Roy jones Jr. - it kinda hurts me as a Hopkins fan cause at that time, he was in his prime ;(
SoJuDaMaN 4 years ago
Have you seen the Clinton Mitchell fight? If not, I don't think that's a fair statment.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
i belive his prime was when he fought oscar dela hoya
cones2005 4 years ago
Well, that's just wrong. He had been clearly declining by then.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
That's RETARDED. Hopkins was a few months shy of 40 years old for Oscar which is also why Oscar finally fought him in 2004. He thought Hopkins was old and ripe to be taken. Hopkins PRIME was 1996 to 2000 and he was an aggressive destructive fighter then, not the defensive guy he later became.
bradlee180 4 years ago
Prime and Age are 2 different things. Hopkins lost about every rd to Jones in 1993 though Hopkins kept trying, but Hopkins was not yet the fighter he would become a few years later. Too bad they never rematched in the late 90's at their bests.
bradlee180 4 years ago
The reason Hopkins fights like the way he does is because he is 40+. He can't sustained a high punch output anymore. Bernard uses all of his experience, and savvy to win fights. Hopkins was much better in his prime.
Marz916 4 years ago
And most of his big fights were past his prime. Further testament to his greatness and uniqueness.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
haha good ol hopkins
mcgroys1club 4 years ago
he is a gr8 boxer
0play3r0 4 years ago
Great vid man, nice to see someone uploading oldies! Btw respect to B-Hop, truely great fighter and still has some in the tank at age 42...
fpapado78 4 years ago
@fpapado78 I'll say.
SmelOdies 1 month ago
looks like hes still got it nice nock down
ubitches420 4 years ago
what happend to all that muscle hopkins had
pungadoo 4 years ago
he might not have been scheduled but he looked like he was in shape
pungadoo 4 years ago
Thanks for posting!!! I've been a big B-Hop fan since the early 90s! It's funny to watch him as a young slugger. By the way, was he announced as "The Terror"??? Wow, this had to be old! I did always enjoy his Excutioner gimmick with the mask and 2 entourage members carrying axes!
tornadotp 4 years ago
Nice footage. I'd never seen that before. Thanks for uploading it. Even back then it was clear he was something special.
ruffa65 4 years ago
Why does this vid of young B-Hop remind me of a smaller version on Mike Tyson :S (without the firepower obviously). The stance, headmovement, position of his hands the way he throws his hooks reminds me so much of Tyson. Anyone else see it or is it just me?
ilovesaskia 4 years ago
In spots. For a tall middleweight with good reach, he liked to fight on the inside in his prime. See Hopkins-Aquino, which I've posted. There, it's not so much like Tyson as Duran.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
Thanks4 this- Im still slightly amused by the lack of credit hopkins gets,not just as a boxer who shows a religious dedication to his craft but as phaps the prime boxing example of where hard work,self belief n drive can get u,,and he's just beat up wright n tarver@ 42,fair enuf he got beat by a prime jones but just compare the 2 now,,its as dumb as comparing lewis n tyson(even tho hopkins is far older!),,still Im sure history will remember him fondly,and he's still no.1
sockironer 4 years ago 2
Amazing that Larry Merchant called him "the Geriatric Wonder" six years ago, and he just won a big fight recently. And in 1999, in the first Antwon Echols fight, Antwon was told by his corner that the old man would wilt, that he was too old to take the pressure. The longevity combined with his fundamentals is amazing. Being dirty at times, and not possessing one-punch power or incredible handspeed becomes unimportant, and that too is amazing for a star in this sport.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
Agreed,you mentioned echols there-wikipedia says hopkins echols 2 featured echols wrestling hopkins to the ground and busting up bhops arm in the process, at which point the ref offered bhop the win by disqualification but bhop decided to fight on, beating echols with one hand!,,,how the hell is that kinda fight not even on youtube?,if it was tyson or dela hoya it'd be replayed more than the rumble in the jungle
sockironer 4 years ago 3
good point smelodies!
showtime7000 4 years ago
Whoever came up with the term "nuthugger" should receive a debilitating left hook to the body.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
yeah but taylor didn't fight this hopkins so get the fuck over it
SINETHRUDY 4 years ago 2
Yeah, but Tyson vs. Dempsey, Ali vs. Joe Louis, these kinds of hypotheticals are almost as old as the sport itself.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
besides a younger hop would have taken more chances against taylor which would have given taylor a chance to land a bomb. taylor has power! which is why hop wright spinks were overtly defensive against taylor. fighters with lessor defense than these fighters will lose to taylor.
sugarhitman 4 years ago
Taylor has power, but little accuracy. A young Hopkins takes Taylor to school. An old Hopkins took Taylor to school (but not in the eyes of the judges).
SmelOdies 4 years ago
Hopkins is a young lion in this fight. He was like 40 when he fought Taylor. Hopkins in his prime would put the beats on Taylor.
jibrilkhalid 4 years ago
You're wrong about hopkins taking out Taylor in the 4rth round... Hopkins would take taylor out in the first if taylor fought this hopkins :P
helloiloveherwithall 4 years ago
if taylor is such a badass whys he always fighting smaller guys? Ouma, Wright, Edouard, Marquez, Bunema. all 147lbers and taylor couldnt barley knock them out. taylor is so overrated, and now hes fighting cory spinks, lol what a joke!
emekonen 4 years ago
Lou DiBella realizes he has a one-dimensional puncher (who jabs) on his hands and not a boxer. Stylistically, Taylor is more like Tito (with a better jab and a lesser hook) than Hopkins, and Lou doesn't want to make the same mistakes others did with Tito (even though they sucessfully matched Jermain with Hopkins and Wright, but you know what I mean).
SmelOdies 4 years ago
JT isnt even a puncher tho, he cant knockout guys 2 weight divisions below him. once he steps up he will disappear.
emekonen 4 years ago
Can't really argue with you.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
you have got to be kidding me...
minkyboodle78 4 years ago
I meant Hopkins was well schooled, and prison just kept him from having many pro fights by the time he fought Jouvin. He wasn't as green as his record indicates.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
Hopkins was 25 and well schooled despite not having many pro fights. Prison, you see. He beats Taylor nice.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
I meant Hopkins was well schooled, and prison just kept him from having many pro fights by the time he fought Jouvin. He wasn't as green as his record indicates.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
'he was minding his own business this afternoon and now he's on national television' hahahaha. b-hop is d man. not many ppl turn pro so l8 and do so well
slanker786 5 years ago
What does Buffer say Hopkins' nickname is? It sounds like Turner or Tarver... clearly not The Executioner.
DWiens421 5 years ago
"The Terror."
SmelOdies 5 years ago
he was even more jacked up those days fucking amazing
ghorbani 5 years ago
Doesn't he remind you of Duran? The more I watch it, the more he does, the more I'm convinced he was a direct influence. Yet today, Bernard never mentions him.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
defencive fighters are my favorite. love to see them slip punches and footwork, thats a skilled fighter. not tyson or any of those, put wille pep, sweet pea, james toney, and b hop
shaunAKAegghead 5 years ago
Yeah, but as you can see above, Hopkins was never a fully defensive fighter. He's actually a Duranesque brawler with decent pop in this clip. He got more defensive as he aged.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
Whos got Hopkins vs. Echols 1&2?
LionTheBarber 5 years ago
Hopkins nose was still in good shape back then :-)
GRIMX 5 years ago
bernard is soooo patient. He hurt the guy three times and still didnt get anxious or lose composure.
EddieJones1000 5 years ago
lol thats right slick nick
noBARxXx 5 years ago
I've never seen Hopkin's old fights, this is awesome. He was so aggressive! Thanks for posting this.
ghettoracer 5 years ago
octamember knows his boxing. that's what is b-hop is a great tactical boxer. why is people hate b-hop or don't like him for some damn reason. give credit when credit is due. It dosen't matter what me or other people think about B.Hopkins he is all readly a hall of famer and bet the shit! out of tarver.
jds198200 5 years ago
Bernard "The Terror" Hopkins.
slicknick56 5 years ago
hahaha...everybody is a critic. no hate from me. i recognize talent when i see it, and i'm not afraid to give props when they are due - even if i don't like the fighter!!!!
stoopifyd 5 years ago
B-hop is damn good. His flaw is that he lacks the raw athleticism of some of the more well known boxers. But if you watch the Tito/Hopkins fight you can see what a great tactical boxer Hopkins is.
octamember 5 years ago
allangles your a biatch. you need to pipe your ass down talking about bernard like that. he would strong arm your ass.
alextheboxer 5 years ago
Three draws? You're as dilusional as Borenard is.
Allangles 5 years ago
Notice that fight was at 168? Where he should have been until about his 25th pro fight when he should have jumped up to 175. Instead, like a bitch, he hid out at 160 fighting blown up, faded welterweights.
And don't be a fool. ANY version of Jermain Taylor beats ANY version of Borenard Turdkins.
Allangles 5 years ago
In his last three fights, Jermain had three draws against significantly older men. Step him up and he steps down.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
still hopkins did somthing no body in the history of the mid weights never did ko'ed a undefeeted champ for the undesputed tite by ko
serrada 5 years ago
lol that sentence has grammar so bad it's funny.
someperson111 4 years ago
at lest hopkins had- antwan ekels roy jones. ect tayler loss the last 3 fights in a row tito was undefeted whth dam near all kos every body including king thought tito was koing bhop
serrada 5 years ago
The guys in the gym knew Hopkins would beat Tito. I don't mean in Puerto Rico. Gyms in Philadelphia, urban gyms in general. The scribes overlooked that undercurrent of boxing knowledge, to say nothing of HBO's wishful thinking and willful indifference.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
No way. Tito's attributes are all wrong for a taylor fight, he has always been immobile and and if in with a good boxer easy to hit and outbox. he would stand in front of taylor and get wolloped from the outside and as usual won't have a plan b. He is one dimensional and in with such a strong fighter as taylor i don't see a favourable result. Delahoya atleast has speed, mobility, combo's and a good chin to match
SUNDANCE906 5 years ago
thanks for posting. Looked like hopkins tarver! LOL..
antandson20 5 years ago
very impressive and polished performance at such an early stage in his career, it was obvious he would go on to a bigger and brighter future! a 35-38 y.o hopkins beats any version of taylor, i mean at the age 40 he lost razor close desicions, the first of which should have been a victory for b-hop
SUNDANCE906 5 years ago
I would have been satisfied with those two fights being draws. Taylor is so vulnerable, step him up and he fights draws! Three in a row, but my estimation and count, against two significantly older guys. I wonder how Taylor would fare against a confident, in shape Tito. That would be interesting, don't be so sure Taylor's jab would win the day. He'd be quite open about the face for shots.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
i agree 100% on him being vulnerable, and i think it's only a matter of time before he is picked off. I think hopkins can still beat him, winky showed he can beat him, tito would have a chance but i don't think he would be techniquely sound enough to pull it of the reason why hopkins and wright faired so well is that highly skilled fighters.
SUNDANCE906 5 years ago
actually after watching the taylor wright fight i thought delahoya could have some success against jermain. what troubled him against winky was winky's handspeed and combinations which oscar excells in both even more so than wright, though winky has a defensive edge.
SUNDANCE906 5 years ago
No. Oscar couldn't take the return. Jermain would stop him sooner than Bernard did. Jermain might get hit by an Oscar flurry, but it wouldn't deter him from wiping Oscar out. I think Tito, circa 2001, would have had more of a chance against Taylor.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
We were prophetic, you and I.
SmelOdies 4 years ago
haha i know! totally different scene now!
SUNDANCE906 3 years ago
thanks for this!
malina1976 5 years ago
THIS Hopkins in his 5th pro fight would not beat Taylor... Give me a break. I'm a big Hopkins fan, but the poster knows nothing about boxing.
BoxingJ 5 years ago
bullshit look at taylor 5 pro fight all cream puffs for 12 fights in a roe and all small light mid weights its hard to go on the road an take fights on little or nothing he only got 300 bucks for that fight
serrada 5 years ago
Right, and Mercardo, though green, had time to prepare and weighed in at 172 pounds! The shlubs Jermain fought weren't near that size. Still aren't.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
looked good, not comparable to trinidad, but this fight was at light heavyweight, not middleweight. how hopkins made middleweight for many years is amazing
strongwilled 5 years ago
Comparable in that he's stalking relentlessly and his main tools are the left hook and, to a lesser extent, the straight right.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
Super middleweights, by the way. Watch for the ESPN graphic at the start of the action.
SmelOdies 5 years ago
Listen carefully. They said his fourth victory. He lost his first fight.
SmelOdies 5 years ago