Doug Fischer
Chief editor
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 Dougie's MASSIVE Monday Mail Bag
By Doug Fischer (July 18, 2005)
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This will definitely be a three-Mail Bag week. I'll
need an extra mid-week bag in order to get to all of
the fan feedback on Jermain Taylor's split-decision
victory over Bernard Hopkins. The immediate reaction
to the fight was that the old man should have got the
nod, or at least a draw. We'll see if more support for
the new middleweight king pours in after today's Mail
Bag. Fans also comment on HBO's POV, the future of
both fighters and my pound-for-pound list. Read on and
enjoy!
B-HOPS, JT AND LAMPS
What's up Dougie? I felt compelled to write. I
thought Hopkins got robbed. There's no question that
he won rounds 9 - 12. Round 12 he dominated. Taylor
was wobbled more than once. Duane Ford needs to get
his head examined if he actually thought the Taylor
won round 12. If you think that Taylor won 7 of the
first 8 rounds, then we agree to disagree.
I was impressed with Taylor. He took the rounds that
Hopkins gave him. He clearly belonged in the ring.
As far as I'm concerned, Hopkins landed every
noteworthy punch in the fight.
One request... Can Maxboxing stream audio for live
fights? Jim Lampley has completely lost all
credibility commentating. He has officially tucked
away his Oscar De La Hoya kneepads in exchange for
Jermain Taylor. If it were not for Roy Jones, a blind
man would have thought that Taylor was shadow boxing
in the ring. He's a disgrace. Thanks for your time.
- Peter
I can't comment on Lampley's commentating as I haven't
seen the HBO PPV broadcast of the fight yet, however
it's not exactly out of character for Jim to be overly
enthusiastic about a potential star fighter out of a
U.S. Olympic squad. He's practically made a career of
that on HBO, from Meldrick Taylor and Pernell Whitaker
to Roy Jones and Oscar De La Hoya. Jermain Taylor
could be the leader of the new generation of HBO
boxing stars, so we're all going to have to get used
to exuberant praise from "the crew" when the young man
fights.
Regarding your analysis of the fight, I concur 100%. I
had it 116-112 for Hopkins.
HOPKINS OLD SCHOOL BEATING OF THE KID
The Executioner did NOT lose the fight.
Jermain, just plain and simple, did not do enough to
win the fight.
Bernard was NEVER in trouble nor was he ever hurt. I
can't say the same for Jermain, he was very close to
going down.
I guess that's just $50 more out of my pocket for the
fight.
Hey Dougie, can you make\promote the fight of me
against Dibella? Keep up the good work. - Luis
I don't know about that, Luis. I have to be honest, a
showdown between DiBella and Steve Kim would sell more
tickets. But I agree that Taylor, who started the
contest right, did not do enough in those middle
rounds to build up a sizable enough lead to blow the
late rounds like he did and still pull out a decision.
A HALL-FULL VIEW OF THE FIGHT
Dougie,
How did you score the fight? I had it seven rounds to
five for Taylor. I had Taylor winning rounds 1, 2, 3,
4, 6, 7, 8 and Hopkins winning 5, 9, 10, 11, 12. Round
number 9 was too close to call but I gave it to
Hopkins. I was very tempted to give Nard a 10-8 round
in round number 10 as Taylor was grabbing on for dear
life. So anyways a score of 115-114 or 115-113 for
Taylor would have been a fair score in my opinion. But
a 116-112 score for Hopkins by judge Roth is just
ridiculous. See what I mean by my previous statement
that I was afraid that "bad intentions won't get a
fair shake"?
(p.s. Your prediction for the rematch assuming it
happens? I am leaning towards Hopkins, becasue he
would have won had the fight been for 15 rounds IMO.)
- The Matrix
Hopkins would have knocked Taylor out if the bout was
scheduled for 15 rounds. I like Hopkins in the
rematch.
Jerry Roth had it right, Matrix. His score of 116-112
was the most common tally among press row. I had
Hopkins winning eight rounds: 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,
and 12. A handful of ringside writers had 117-111, or
9-3 in rounds, for Hopkins. As far as I know, there
wasn't one prominent boxing writer who covered the
fight live who had Taylor winning this title bout.
B-HOP WAS R-OBBED
Hey Doug,
What is Lampley's all too familiar rant after the
house fighter loses - "Not the fight we saw - not the
fight we saw"?
What bulls__t. Hopkins dominated this fight from round
3 to the finish, and even though he strategically gave
away the first two rounds, this fight was never as
close as it seemed.
You would think that the supposedly veteran crew at
ringside would at some point recognize the fact that
Hopkins always starts slow - he moves from
side-to-side, feints with both hands, darts in-and-out
with the sole intention of seeing just how his
opponent reacts so he can set traps in the later
rounds. Sure it doesn't win you the rounds, but the
guy has been doing this since the last Echols fight,
and you would think people who have seen one or two
major Hopkins' bouts would recognize this by now.
Kellerman was the only one on the set with the balls
to properly go against the "future of (HBO) boxing"
Taylor. Hell, it was obvious that Jones and Steward
thought that Hopkins won, but neither (especially
Steward) would give THE man his respect for a
tremendous effort.
HBO is a sinking ship in desperate need of a
house-cleaning.
I had it 8-4 for Hopkins, and even the rounds I scored
for Taylor were very close. Hopkins' performance was
every bit as dominating as the De La Hoya and Trinidad
fights, only it now takes him one or two more rounds
to warm up. Taylor looked just as green as predicted,
and I defy anyone to point out how he won even one of
the last 5 rounds. He was blown-up and sloppy, and
aside from a dozen or so terrific jabs, he didn't land
one punch of significance.
A modern day legend like Hopkins, hate him or
not, deserved a much better fate. - Brad
Those two judges, particularly Duane Ford, "Marvin
Haglered" oldman Hopkins. I saw the fight as you did,
Brad, giving only the first two rounds to Taylor
without question. I scored the third round for Taylor,
but I thought it was close. I only scored the seventh
for Taylor after that point.
GIVING TAYLOR HIS PROPS
Doug,
I saw your comments about the Hopkins fight and I
partially agree. I scored the fight 114-114 giving
Hopkins the first, fifth, and last four rounds. The
first round could have gone either way, but there were
at least several other rounds I gave to Taylor that
could have gone to Hopkins.
There are a few things I learned about each fighter
right now watching this fight. Hopkins has definately
slowed and will likely have trouble with Taylor in the
rematch. Fortunately, he has the skills and the ring
generalship to mask his age. Things will just get
harder for him, although he has an excellent chance to
win the rematch.
I congratulate Taylor on a superb effort and his new
championship. He accomplished what 20 others could
not do and deserves our recognition. That being said,
this fight brought out a lot of weaknesses in Taylor.
His victory was as much about what Hopkins did not do
then what Taylor showed. It is very possible that
Taylor can win the rematch, but this fight also leads
me to believe that Taylor is not quite as great as
many would like to think. His late fade and
susceptibility the punches indicate a lot of work is
needed. I am not sure he has the chin to withstand
the attack of powerful puncher or a determined
skillful foe. I just do not see him holding the title
for a long time.
What are your thoughts? - John
I agree that Taylor showed a lot of heart in the ring,
but I don't think the fight was that close, John. I'll
give Taylor a lot of props for winning four rounds on
my scorecard. I can't remember the last guy to win
more than three rounds vs. B-Hops (Segundo Mercado?),
so that in itself is an accomplishment. Taylor showed
the flaws that he always displays, but who else in
this shallow middleweight division can exploit them
the way the old master did Saturday night? Oh yeah,
there's a guy named Winky Wright who's at 160 pounds
now. Taylor better stay the hell away from the
Winkster. Other than Wink, I think Taylor has two
decent challengers in Felix Sturm and Sam Soliman, and
then he might as well hop up to 168 pounds to get it
on with 2000 U.S. Olympic teammate Jeff Lacy. Even if
Hopkins wins the rematch later this year, Lacy-Taylor
could be the superfight of '06 or '07.
WHAT WAS YOUR SCORE?
I don't think Leonard- and De La Hoya-type silly
flurries that don't hit anything really wins fights
against an Undisputed Champion. I would love to read
your impressions of this fight. - Jeroyce
My impression was that judges ignore "ring
generalship" with certain fighters. Hopkins controlled
the middle rounds (5, 6, and 8) that two of the judges
(Ford and Smith) gave to Taylor. When both fighters
are landing an equal amount of punches, with equal
effect, judges must look at ring generalship, which is
who is controlling the rounds. It was obvious that
those rounds were fought at Hopkins' pace and the old
man should have been given credit for that.
I scored the fight 116-112 for Hard Nard, as did David
Mayo (Grand Rapids Press), Keith Idec (New Jersey
Herald News), David Avila (Riverside Press
Enterprise), Ramiro Gonzalez (La Opinion), Ron Borges
(Boston Globe), and Tim Smith (New York Daily News).
Steve Kim, Robert Morales (San Gabriel Valley Tribune
& L.A. Daily News), Franklin McNeil (New Jersey
Star-Ledger) and Ivan Goldman (The Ring) had it
117-111 for B-Hops. Joe Santoliquito (The Ring) had it
116-113 for Hopkins. Michael Katz (who covered the
fight for Reuters), Max Kellerman (who was part of the
HBO PPV broadcast team), Bernard Fernandez
(Philadelphia Daily News), Kevin Iole (Las Vegas
Review-Journal) and Paul Upham (secondsout.com) had it
115-113 for EX. The Associated Press had Hopkins up
114-113. Dan Rafael (ESPN.com) and Jerry Magee (San
Diego Union-Tribune) saw it even, 114-114.
IT WAS A CLOSE FIGHT
What's up Dude? I had Hopkins up 115-113 after twelve
rounds. As a rule I never bitch when a fight is that
close. Hopkins fought his fight and this time he
didn't win enough of the early rounds to get the
decision on the judges score cards. I think he should
retire because he has nothing else to prove and his
legacy is intact. What do you think?
Holla back!! - Fleetwood Lac, St. Louis Mo.
I'd like to see Hopkins ride off into the sunset like
his idol Marvelous Marvin Hagler, but he's a stubborn
man. There will be a rematch later this year, probably
in November.
HOPKINS v. TAYLOR IN A 15-ROUNDER
ok dougie,
i will only hit you with 1 quick question, and i'm
hoping that this one will be answered in your
ever-improving, ready for prime time TNR tv show. you
sittng down?
what would have happened if Hopkins Taylor was a 15
round fight?
let the words fly, because i know this should be an
easy answer for master dougie.
peace. - S_Tx_Dave
I can answer that question with four letters: K.T.F.O
GREAT FIGHT, CONTROVERSIAL DECISION
Doug what's up man. First of all, I gotta say that
was a terrific fight filled with enough action and
intrigue that definetly warrented the PPV purchase
price. I scored rounds 1,2,4,6,8 and 9 for Taylor,
and scored rounds 3,5,7,10,11, and 12 for Hopkins. So
I had it a dead even draw. Even though Hopkins
started slow the first half of the fight, he did some
very subtle things in rounds 3 and 5 that earned him
those rounds in the first half of the fight in my
eyes. I think it was plain to see that Hopkins really
came on the second half of the fight and swept the
championship rounds.
Im not upset at the desicion, because I understand the
judges have a different view of the fight BUT, I think
that the champion (a 40 year old champion at that)
should absolutely be given the benefit of the doubt in
a close, close fight like that. Like I said, I dont
feel Hopkins actually won the fight, but at the same
time, I dont think Taylor won or did enough to take
titles away from Hopkins. Im not sure which judge
gave the 12th round to Taylor, but if that mistake
would not have been made, the fight would have been a
draw and the titles would stay with Hopkins. However,
I think that even if Hopkins were to call it quits
right now and retire, this controversial loss would do
absolutley nothing to tarnish his legacy. He stayed in
there with the bigger, younger, faster, and stronger
opponent and not only held his own, but actually had
the young bull in serious trouble near the end of the
fight. My hat is off to both Taylor and Hopkins for a
great fight..
I was curious to get your opinion on how the fight
played out in your eyes Doug and who you think should
have got the decision. Also, since this goes down in
the books as an official loss for Hopkins, I was
curious to see what your top 5 pound for pound list
looks like. Is there anyway to justify Mayweather
not being number 1 on the list now? Take care Doug and
I hope this makes the Monday Mailbox. - C. Brown,
Delaware
I think a draw would have been acceptable, but Duane
Ford ruined that possible outcome. I agree that this
loss does nothing to hurt Nard's legacy, in fact, it
might do what an army of PR folks probably could not
do -- make him a sympathetic figure with the fans. I
also think that Taylor showed a lot in going the
distance with a true all-time great. Don't forget,
B-Hops was his first real test as a pro. That's one
tough exam!
You seem to forget that I have PBF at no. 5, P4P. Why
would Hopkins dropping a disputed decision elevate
Mayweather in any way, shape or form? I still have
three guys separating Mayweather from that no. 1 spot.
I'm not going to update my list until after the month
of September when Morales (my no. 2), Barrera (my no.
7) and Mosley (my no. 17) fight.
A DESERVING DECISION FOR TAYLOR
Dougie,
Whats up man. I haven't written in a while, but I
just had to after Taylor vs. Hopkins. I had it
115-113 for Taylor. How the hell did that judge score
it 116-112 for Hopkins. To say that Hopkins won 4 of
the first 8 rounds is ridiculous. I mean honestly
what do you think of that score card. Well I guess I
should ask first what your overall score for the fight
was, and who you thought won? To me Bernard just came
on too late. He did win the last four rounds I
thought, but I didn't think it was a landslide.
Anyways I'm very happy with the outcome, but disturbed
by that one scorecard, but the judges are always
sketchy like that I guess. What do you think is next
for Bernard? Does he really need the rematch? I mean
if he can beat Jermain the next time then I guess he
retires with a win in the end, but to me he has
already proven himself as an alltime great
middleweight. I do think that a great champion like
Bernard should have been able to accept the loss that
he was handed tonight, but I guess as stubborn as
Bernard is he will probably always think he won.
Anyways write back and let me know what you think
about the fight, and future of both fighters. Thanks -
Matt From STL
Matt, as Missouri man, I think you're a little too
close to the Arkansas border for your own good. Take
off your Razorback goggles. Are you telling me that
Hopkins lost EVERY round until the last four? THAT'S
ridiculous. Jerry Roth's score of 116-112 matched that
of many ringside reporters. The interesting thing that
I've noticed is that EVERYONE who thought Taylor won,
even people on his team, only have him winning by that
115-113 two-point margin. Folks who think Hopkins won
had the former champ winning anywhere from seven to
nine rounds.
As for their futures, I think Nard does his best to
beat this kid in a rematch and then retires. I think
Taylor will jump to 168 pounds rather than stick
around at 160 to face Winky Wright or a bunch of
unknown middleweights from overseas.
HAD A FEELING ABOUT TAYLOR
I scored the bout even, 5-5-2 but since Taylor was the
aggressor for most of the early to middle rounds, I
thought the decision would go his way. Even though I
picked Taylor, Bernard Hopkins should be favored in a
rematch. I think around round 7 or 8, he began to
figure out how to close the distance on Taylor. Did
you notice Taylor couldn't even put a jab on Hopkins?
Taylor can say he wasn't hurt, but Hopkins had Jermain
ready to go in each of the last three rounds. The
lead right hand had Taylor baffled. Yeah, Bernard may
have started too late, but he really didn't seem like
he was going for the KO in the last few rounds. He
still won those late rounds however
and it was criminal for one of those judges to give
the challenger the final round. I don't think Hopkins
was robbed, but I feel like he should have kept his
title.
What do you think the rematch will look like? Does
this do anything to Hopkins legacy? What does this do
your wacky pound for pound list (I'm not going to rag
on your list like some, let's just say I disagree) -
David
My P4P list is THE list, David. Everyone knows it.
Please stop hating. You know I'm right.
I agree that Taylor was hurt in those late rounds. I
think the Hopkins of three years ago would have
stopped the young buck late. I don't think Taylor
would have been able to spar with the Hopkins of five
years ago (and I'm not just saying that, I witnessed
quite a few of Nard's sparring sessions from '99-'01
and saw him manhandle solid light heavyweights).
HOPKINS, 116-112
Doug,
I scored the fight 116-112 for Hopkins. Taylor was
aggressive early but he wasn't affective. He wasn't
connecting with anything in the early rounds and
wasn't getting countered with few, but effective shots
from Hopkins. Then in the late rounds forget it,
Hopkins was just punishing him with lead hooks, right
hands, countering, and punishing him on the inside.
The name of the game is affective aggression, not
aggression. Also, how could Taylor take someone's
title having been hurt twice and losing the last four
rounds. What is unfair about this fight is that the
rounds that Hopkins won were so clear and the rounds
that Taylor won were bs jabathons with ineffective
aggression. Also, unfair is that if this
fight were 15 rounds, Hopkins knocks out Taylor.
Whatever. Taylor is not the future. That was proven
tonight. Rematch Hopkins wins. What's your take on
the rematch. Who could improve more on his
performance. I think Hopkins because he's got Taylor
figured out already. - Max
I agree with you, and I'll go with Hops in the
rematch.
AND STILL....
Whats goin on, Doug?
Come on, man. I really can't see how Taylor won more
than 5 of those rounds. I thought he might have won
the first 2, the 5th, the 7th and 8th, but thats it.
Bernard clearly won the last 4. I can't remember a
clean punch that Taylor landed past the 5th or 6th
round; most of them were landing behind Bernard's head
or on his shoulder. All Taylor did after the 6th
round really was jab and hold. How can you give
somebody the undisputed title by jabbing, getting
countered by lead rights all night, and by holding? I
don't give a f__k what the judges said, I'm not
crazy. Hopkins had to have won at least 7 rounds and
I thought he won 8.
BTW- HBO really needs to get rid of hatin @$$ Larry
Merchant and Harold Lederman. They always give the
challenger every benefit of the doubt against Hopkins,
and I'm gettin sick of it. - Kenneth
I'm with you, Kenneth.
BAD DECISION!
What's up Dougie,
Just gonna come right out with it, I thought that
decision SUCKED! First 8 rounds or so, Taylor was the
way more active fighter, while barely connecting with
anything, while Hopkins picked and landed his shots,
which were mostly all effective. Personally, I had
hopkins ahead by a round or two, but let's just say
for arguments sake that Taylor was ahead 5-3.
Last 4 rounds of the fight, Hopkins took Taylor to
school, while almost knocking his ass out!
Close fight, but in my opinion, any experienced judge
should have seen what was really going on it that
ring, and who the winner really was. (P.S. Good to see
Vernon Forrest back in action, where does he go next?)
Take it easy man. - Josh
I agree, Josh.
I think Forrest goes for another tune up or two and
then targets his nemesis, Ricardo Mayorga. There's
also interesting match-ups with fellow jab specialist
Ike Quartey and the new IBF 154-pound title holder
Roman Karmazin (a guy he's familiar with having
trained at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood for the past
few months).
HBO GOT WHAT THEY HOPED FOR
Doug--eeee:
HBO could not have fallen over themselves fast enough
tonite to crown a non-Bernard Champ--all those erudite
phrases reflectinging their need for a more acceptable
and photogenic middleweight champ gave them away
really quickly. (Their constant "couldn't happen to a
nicer person" refrain sounding very like the
Seinfeldian "Not that there's anything wrong with
that" and masking their suspicion that Hopkin won the
fight) How comfortable do you think HBO is with Golden
Boy productions? And how much do they dislike the
presence of men like the afroed Rasheed Wallace and
independent and Black Panthersesque B-Hop? The only
person talking sense was Roy and he looked a little
uncomfortable blurting out the truth.
By the way--I think the fight was either a draw or a
close decision for X and I think he dominates the
rematch--he's a good learner and has been shaken out
of recent complacency by this wake up call. One last
question--Who would you rather have been at the end of
that fight??!! - P-Dawg
Like most folks, I would have rather been the 40 year
old after 12 rounds. I agree with your take on HBO.
WHO WINS THE REMATCH?
I don't score matches, I just watch em'. So obviously
I get frustrated on many occasions. For instance I
had Bernard winning this fight. At the end of the
fight he hurt Taylor, I never really thought that
Taylor hurt him. Come on, Bernard is forty and at the
end of the fight Taylor is hanging on. When Larry
Merchant interviewed Bernard it seemed like Hopkins
had just come back from a mile long jog. I thought
that Taylor was going to put so much pressure on
Bernard that by the end of the fight the entire
audience would see Hopkins age as if his painting had
been destroyed like Dorian Grey's. So as someone who
scores the fights, who did you think won, and who
would you pick in a rematch.
By the way I love the site and love the mail bag.
- Brad
I would go with Hopkins in the rematch, but even if he
starts faster and really busts Taylor up late, I
wouldn't be shocked if the judges screwed him again.
Hopkins is like Larry Holmes in the mid-80s - the
establishment wants his difficult unmarketable ass out
of the game. I wonder if Hopkins would give a speech
similar to the one Holmes delivered on HBO after
getting jobbed in the Michael Spinks rematch? I'm
thinking he would, and he'd probably take it to the
next level by actually dropping his trunks and mooning
the HBO cameras as he told Larry Merchant and the rest
of the establishment to kiss his black ass.
COME ON!
Dougie,
I am in shock that Taylor was given that fight. I do
believe Hopkins started late but he won at least two
rounds of the first eight. The judges even agreed with
that. Taylor was landing miminal pitty pat shots and
Hopkins was landing the bigger shots. Not a lot but
enough to win a couple rounds. Hopkins clearly won
9-12 and how could anyone give Taylor the last round.
Come on. I think the fight was close but at worst it
was a draw. Taylor should'nt get the props HBO was
throwing out for being aggressive in the beginnning
and then getting his ass kick in the last 4 rounds.
Taylor is nothing special and this fight proves it. I
thought it was close but at least a draw or 1115-113
Hopkins. I know it depends
on the judges but aggression is overly awarded. I
think Taylor fought a good fight and Hops waited but
Taylor wasn't landing that many shots on Hopkins like
HBO was caring on about and Taylor clearly looked like
he didn't win at the end. This reminded me on
Lenord/Hagler. Thanks - Rob
I didn't even think it was all that close, Rob.
EX'S REIGN IS INTERRUPTED, NOT OVER
Dougie,
It's been a while since I've had this sick feeling in
my stomach after a Bernard Hopkins fight, but it's far
from devastation. No sour grapes; the fight was close
and sometimes in boxing there is no clear cut winner.
1) Overall I think Bernard was the better fighter by
the end of the night, but this is a round by round
game. Bernard did more damage in rounds 9-12 than
Taylor did in the first eight but this is boxing and
not basketball where you can steal the game by scoring
more points at the end.
2) Benard's age came into play because at 40 the guy
simply can't fight at the pace of Taylor. In the last
rounds when Bernard had Taylor hurt, I don't think he
had enough left in the tank to finish the job.
3) Despite HBO and Lou DiBella's wishes even if Taylor
can pull it out again in the rematch I don't see him
as a future superstar in boxing. I think growing up in
boxing backwater Arkansas didn't give him the
technical foundation to be a truly great fighter and
at 26 and especially now that he's already become a
champ with this set of skills, I don't see him
improving that much. He's a great athlete but he's no
Roy Jones or a young Mosley who overcame their
technical defiencies with out of this world talent.
Let me know your thoughts and congratulations, and
I'll be counting down the days to the rematch. -
Gallagher
1. I thought Hopkins won enough of the early rounds to
secure a win with his late surge.
2. I thought Taylor fought at Nard's pace for much of
the fight, and even that pace had the young man
sucking wind in the final three rounds.
3. I think Taylor can be a force at 160 and 168 pounds
despite his background and technical flaws. He's a
very strong man, both physically and mentally. If HBO
wants to make him a star, he will likely become one as
long as he steers clear of guys like Winky Wright.
THE 40 YEAR OLD LOOKED FRESHER THAN THE 26 YEAR OLD
whats up dougie,
i finally became a member a couple of weeks ago. nice
work on the videos. Taylor's reaction at the end of
fight told the whole story! he reminded me of mosley's
reaction when he "beat" delahoya in the rematch.
anyways, i think the hopkins/taylor fight was really
good. but i believe taylor was the beaten man at the
end of the night. yes he won the first 4 rounds for
sure, but a great question to ask one self is: who
was more dominant when they were winning rounds;
taylor in the first four, or hopkins in the last
four? theres no doubt about it, hopkins simply
dominated taylor in the last four. i dont think he
deserved to win that fight. i give taylor credit for
the effort he put, but i still dont think he did
enough to win. i was telling my father as we were
watching the fight, man i wish there was 15 rounds for
this fight, im certain that taylor wouldve gotten
knocked out in a couple of more rounds. i hope theres
a rematch. Hopkins is a legend, and to me he's still
the champion! Take care - Jorge (Miami)
I concur, Jorge.
FINALLY I HAVE RESPECT FOR HOPKINS, Taylor not P 4 P
Hey dougie, how are you?
I have never like Bernard. Specially since he beat my
favorite fighter Tito. But after seeing him lose to
Taylor, now I like him and respect him. I think the
fight should have a Draw or a close win for Bernard. I
though he started slow and loss the first 3 rounds but
defenitely won the last 4 rounds. after eight round I
have Talyor 6 rounds to 2 with Bernard winning 5 and
6. The seventh round could have gone to Bernard or
been a draw.
He is a special fighter and he showed it today. Even
on his worst fight, he almost stopped Taylor twice. He
is very smart and very relaxed in the ring.
Dougie, Taylor is the new champ but I think he doesnt
deserve to be in the top 10 pound for pound. If this
fight would have been 15 he would have lost by KO. It
seems he is going to have a short reign even if he
doesnt fight Hopkins. He could get outboxed by a
fighter like Wright or could get KO. He doesnt have a
good chin. Hopkins is not a puncher and Bernard hurt
him twice. It took almost a 10 round beating before
Tito was hurt by Hopkins and Joppy took a beating for
12 round and he was never staggered like Taylor.
Taylor doesnt have a good defense and Bernard showed
it. I am a long time member of maxboxing. - Domingo
Belliard
I'm with you, Domingo. I agree that Wright would whup
Taylor, but the Winkster would probably outbox
Hopkins, too. Aside from Wright, who kicks Taylor's
ass at 160 pounds? I think Felix Sturm and Kingsley
Ikeke would give him fits, but I'm not sure they would
be craftier than Hopkins. I think the kid lost the
fight, but he still has a future.
HOPKINS WUZ ROBBED!
Dougie,
First of all, great fight. But Hopkins won this one.
Sure, it was close, but when have you ever seen close
rounds go even or to the challenger? All of the close
rounds (4th, 7th) should've gone to the long-reigning
champ. Holmes-Carl Williams and Chavez-David Kamau
immediately come to mind.
No matter what the score, Hopkins showed he was the
better fighter. All of Taylor's winning rounds were
either close or boring rounds. Hopkins beat Taylor up
far more than Taylor did Hopkins.
By the way, I wish the fight was on HBO Latino like
Ouma-Karmazin. Then I wouldn't have to listen to the
biased cheerleading for Taylor. I had Hopkins up 5
rounds to 4 at the end of 9.
It's endings like this that make me yearn for the days
of 15 rounders. - Eric
I agree, Eric.
DRAW, ANYONE?
Am I wrong for feeling just a little unsettled by the
way taylor won the championship from arguably the best
champion of the last decade? He did absolutly nothing
in the "championship" rounds, losing the last 4
lopsidedly. I know hopkins didn't do much the first
half of the fight, but it was more hopkins doing
nothing then taylor doing something. Did I have
hopkins winning? No, I had it a draw with my best
unbiased scoring. But there's no way I can hand a
championship over to taylor after that fight. Maybe
I'm just a Executioner Fanboi. Well, here's to what
should be an interesting rematch. - Stephen MacNeil,
Sydney, Nova Scotia
I'm definitely not a Hopkins fan, but I didn't think
the fight was that close. However, I would have
settled for a draw. At least the champ would have
retained his titles in that situation.
SUICIDAL HOPKINS FAN
Dougie,
I am a huge B-Hop fan to start... that being said, I
thought that although Taylor easily controlled most of
the pace, B-Hop was crafty enough to win. My rational
(and again I am a raging Hop fan) was due to
calculated counterpunching as well as crafty ring
generalship. I had the fight 116-112. A draw I could
have delt with but this loss stinks. To me Taylor also
didn't seem convinced of his win at the end. I guess
we all should have known that every fighter to be on
the cover of the awesome EA Sports fightnights always
lose!!!!!!!! Keep up the great work. - eric
I don't know about video games, but I know that Taylor
did NOT control the pace of the rounds outside of the
first two.
A DIFFERENT FIGHT?
Dougie,
I'm a long-time subscriber, but I haven't written
until now. I'm sure you will be inundated after this
fight. I must have watched a different fight from the
judges and announcers. While Taylor controlled most
of the first half of the fight, Hopkins won a couple
of those rounds. Hopkins definitely pitched a shutout
over the second half of the fight.
While I know many people will argue that Taylor was
more active until the 8th round or so, his activity
was not effective. From my television viewer's
perspective, Taylor threw a lot of shots that seemed
to miss, glance off Hopkin's gloves, or otherwise look
desperate. I know activity is a major part of the
game, but Hopkin's ring generalship was off the charts
from round 7 onward. He lured Taylor into wandering
around the ring and hoping to find a punch or
combination that would work. Meanwhile, Hopkins
potshotted him from outside with very few
repercussions.
As for Taylor, I want to offer him the utmost
congratulations. He seems like a great person who
really has his act together. I just didn't see him
figuring out the Hopkins puzzle or blasting his way
through it. However, I hope that he goes on to a long
and successful career.
Anyway, I had the fight 115-113 for Hopkins. I hope he takes a rematch, gets started earlier, and makes a statement. Have a good one. - Masa
I too wish Taylor well. But the young man did not
figure out Hopkins or make the old man feel his age,
and he did not win that fight.
SHADES OF HOLMES-SPINKS I
Doug,
Anyone else reminded of Spinks-Holmes 1
(coincidentally nearing it's 20th anniversary), by the
Taylor-Hopkins decision? Holmes was making his 21st
defense when he was outhustled by the younger, quicker
light-heavyweight champ, only dropping a narrow
unanimous verdict (Holmes lost the rematch by a split
decision). I got the impression that if this fight
went 15, Hopkins would've pulled it out, either by
stoppage or decision. He just wasn't busy enough early
on and it cost him.
I don't know how long Taylor will remain at the top,
but considering how weak the 160 pd
division is right now he could last a few years.
Though I'll safely bet that he won't be champ in 2015.
Also, which curse is too blame for Hops loss: The
Golden Boy Promotions curse, The EA Sports cover
athlete curse, old age, or just Jermain? - Andrew
Workman
None of the above, Drew. I blame two knuckle-head
judges, Duane Ford in particular.
Holmes-Spinks is a good comparison to this fight, but
I hope and pray the rematch is not controversial.
BULLS__T
That was bulls__t. That was a draw at the least. - MO
Amen.
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E-Mail Doug Fischer at dougie@maxboxing.com
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