Hopkins' Strength Is That He Knows His Weakness

Published

11 years ago

April 21, 2014

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This past weekend Bernard Hopkins 55-6-2 (32) unified the IBF and WBA light heavyweight titles with a 12-round split decision over Beibut Shumenov 14-2 (9).

If you didn't see the fight, it should've been a unanimous decision because Hopkins controlled the bout from start to finish and the outcome was never in question. I guess with the fight being held in Washington D.C. a scandal in regards to the scoring in favor of Shumenov isn't all that shocking.

Hopkins, 49, did what he always does, and that's put the clamps on a young, strong fighter who had the illusion of throwing 100 plus punches per round at him. For some reason Shumenov only averaged 50 punches per round, which was only about 18 more than what Hopkins averaged for the fight. The fight barely qualifies as a boxing match. But it was still a great exhibition because of Hopkins.

What is it about Hopkins that his opponents never fight their intended fight against him? And it's not like he's anything close to being un-hittable. When there are exchanges, he generally only gets the better of them maybe 60-percent of the time. I've noticed, though, that he makes it a point to always be the one who lands last. This aids him in a big way in the eyes of the judges. Most boxing observers know that Hopkins is most vulnerable to volume punching and work rate. Volume punching would accomplish two things against him if it could be sustained. It would speed up the pace of the fight, which is the last thing he wants. And it would also give him less time to plot his next move and set up his opponent for his sneaky counters. But for some reason nobody ever really lets their hands go once they are in front of Hopkins and feel his presence. It's as if they become hypnotized by him.

Fighters don't let their hands go for a reason, believe me it doesn't just happen by accident. One of the reasons fighters don't go in with both guns blazing is because they are concerned about getting blasted back with something big in return. However, Hopkins isn't really a life-taker when it comes to punching power, so that can't be the reason why his opponents are so judicious and measured with their punch output when facing him.

The other reason fighters tend to clam up and not get off is because they are fearful that they will be embarrassed due to missing badly and then being countered. This probably applies mostly to the fighters who have recently tried to overwhelm Hopkins with their power and activity.

The genius of Hopkins is that he is fully aware of his limitations and what he must do in order to slow the pace of the fight down to a walk instead of a sprint or hard run. This shows that he not only understands his strengths better than anyone else, he also understands and accepts his weaknesses. And, by doing that, those things are barely weaknesses at all. Every time Hopkins signs for a fight, regardless of who the opponent is, he knows that he has no intention of trying to win by knockout. He understands that pressing for a stoppage only opens himself up to getting hit more solidly and can give his opponent confidence and momentum.

Bernard doesn't care if you run with him during the fight as long as he can trip you up once or twice during the round in order to win it. Understand that Hopkins wants a lot of wasted time during the round and only needs to land a few clean signature shots to win them. He also has a great chin to protect himself in case of an emergency and has retained just enough punch to prevent any opponent from charging at him as if he were handcuffed.

Strategically, Hopkins is one of the few fighters that actually looks his opponents over and sizes up what they are vulnerable to based on their stance and movement. And it sure was easy for him to catch Shumenov with so many lead and counter-right hands with him moving towards Hopkins in a straight line with his left hand so low. Bernard seldom looks directly at his opponent and seems to be looking off to the side or down at the canvas. What he's really doing is watching his opponents' body movement and footwork. Knowing that the opponent cannot move without picking up their front foot first, he gets the jump on them. In addition to that, they can only move forward or to the left or right. Once he reads their foot movement he knows the direction to go to place himself out of range and set up his counter assault. In reality it's boxing 101, but Hopkins is an academic and has the aptitude to take something basic and use it to exploit everybody he fights. Since he's looking not to get hit before he's looking to hit, Hopkins tries not to initiate many exchanges and forces his opponents to commit first. He doesn't want to deal with a lot of activity and when he is under attack, he doesn't try to fight his way out. He'll get away by using his feet and upper-body movement to set up his sneak attack/counter, usually a right lead or left-hook while the opponent is open after throwing at him. Notice that after landing those sneaky right leads or left hooks, he'll immediately tie up. It's like he doesn't care about building up momentum, even when he has the advantage.

Actually, when you think about that, that might be part of his genius: he's smart enough to know that even when he's the one doing the landing, it's in his best interest, in the long run, to keep shutting things down. Even when he can get off a few more punches, he shuts it down because he wants to prevent a firefight from breaking out. And this works because Hopkins goes into every fight with the intention of going the distance and has no mind to beat up his opponent or knock them out.

In the 11th round Hopkins dropped Shumenov, and it wasn't a flash knockdown. Yet he didn't even attempt to press for the knockout or stoppage. And that's because he knew the only way for Shumenov to get back in the fight was if he got into a big exchange with him while he was desperate. Instead, Hopkins slowed the pace back down and dragged him through the mud for the remainder of the round. Going the full 12-rounds against Shumenov not only suited Hopkins fine this past weekend, it was his plan the moment the fight was announced.

There was a time when Hopkins really was the executioner in the ring. He was nasty and had no mercy and wanted to win by knockout. But that was a long time ago. As of 2014 and at age 49, Hopkins knows he can't really beat up or knock out any of the top-tier contenders he'll have to fight. He's like a pitcher with no fastball. So he forces batters to chase bad pitches, and then after they've fouled off seven or eight pitches and are looking to get walked, he fires a fast one and strikes them out.

Hopkins knows that in order to beat his opponent up, he has to put himself at risk. So he doesn't even attempt to go there. At this stage of his career he can't take that risk and won't put himself in harms way. In essence Hopkins wants to avoid a fight at all cost. So his first order of business when he fights is, I'm not going to let you work me over and beat on me. And in turn I'm not going to attempt to beat you up. Instead I'm gonna have you follow me into little minefields that will go off here and there and that will shade just enough aggression off of your game that we'll be fighting in the mud. Only I can navigate in the mud better than you because I've been doing it for 10 years and have it down pat now. And as long as I don't try to cover you completely in it, all I have to do is make sure you are a little muddier than me when the 12th round is over, I win.

The consensus is Hopkins will next fight WBC light heavyweight title holder Adonis Stevenson 23-1 (20). In Hopkins, Stevenson will be facing an opponent who won't even be trying to hurt him or knock him out, yet he will be in for the most difficult fight of his career.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results

Published

2 days ago

January 25, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results

LAS VEGAS, NV – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions was at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas tonight for the second half of a DAZN doubleheader that began in Nottingham, England. In the main event, Diego Pacheco, ranked #1 by the WBO at super middleweight, continued his ascent toward a world title with a unanimous decision over Steven Nelson.

Pacheco glides round the ring smoothly whereas Nelson wastes a lot energy with something of a herky-jerky style. However, although Nelson figured to slow down as the fight progressed, he did some of his best work in rounds 11 and 12. Fighting with a cut over his left eye from round four, a cut that periodically reopened, the gritty Nelson fulfilled his promise that he would a fight as if he had everything to lose if he failed to win, but it just wasn’t enough, even after his Omaha homie Terence “Bud” Crawford entered his corner before the last round to give him a pep talk (back home in North Omaha, Nelson runs the B&B (Bud and Bomac) Sports Academy.

All three judges had it 117-111 for Pacheco who mostly fought off his back foot but landed the cleaner punches throughout. A stablemate of David Benavidez and trained by David’s father Jose Benevidez Sr, Pacheco improved to 23-0 (18). It was the first pro loss for the 36-year-old Nelson (20-1).

Semi wind-up

Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who as a pro has never fought a match slated for fewer than 10 rounds, had too much class for Hermosillo, Mexico’s rugged Omar Salcido who returned to his corner with a puffy face after the fourth stanza, but won the next round and never stopped trying. The outcome was inevitable even before the final round when Salcido barely made it to the final gun, but the Mexican was far more competitive than many expected.

The Cuban, who was 4-0 vs. Keyshawn Davis in closely-contested bouts as an amateur, advanced his pro record to 5-0 (2), winning by scores by 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Salido, coming off his career-best win, a 9^th-round stoppage of former WBA super featherweight title-holder Chris Colbert, falls to 20-2.

Other TV bouts

Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, a 23-year-old super lightweight, aims to become the next world champion from Pomona, California, following in the footsteps of the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosely, and based on his showing tonight against former Beijing Olympian and former two-division title-holder Jose Pedraza, he is well on his way.

After three rounds after what had been a technical fight, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) knocked Pedraza off his pins with an overhand right followed by short left hand. Pedraza bounced back and fell on his backside. When he arose on unsteady legs, the bout was waived off. The official time was 2:08 of round four and the fading, 35-year-old Pedraza (29-7-1) was saddled with his third loss in his last four outings.

The 8-round super lightweight clash between Israel Mercado (the 29-year-old uncle of “Tito”) and Leonardo Rubalcava was fan-friendly skirmish with many robust exchanges. When the smoke cleared, the verdict was a majority draw. Mercado got the nod on one card (76-74), but was overruled by a pair of 75-75 scores.

Mercado came out strong in the opening round, but suffered a flash knockdown before the round ended. The referee ruled it a slip but was overruled by replay operator Jay Nady and what would have been a 10-9 round for Mercado became a 10-8 round for Rubalcava. Mercado lost another point in round seven when he was penalized for low blows.

The scores were 76-74 for Mercado (11-1-2) and 75-75 twice. The verdict was mildly unpopular with most thinking that Mercado deserved the nod. Reportedly a four-time Mexican amateur champion, Rubalcava (9-0-1) is trained by Robert Garcia.

Also

New Matchroom signee Nishant Dev, a 24-year-old southpaw from India, had an auspicious pro debut (pardon the cliché). Before a beaming Eddie Hearn, Dev stopped Oakland’s Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) in the opening round. The referee waived it off after the second knockdown.

Boxers from India have made large gains at the amateur level in recent years and Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn anticipates that Dev, a Paris Olympian, will be the first fighter from India to make his mark as a pro.

Undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Harley Mederos, managed by the influential Keith Connolly, scored his seventh knockout in eight tries with a brutal third-round KO of Mexico’s Arturo de Isla.

A left-right combination knocked de Isla (5-3-1) flat on his back. Referee Raul Caiz did not bother to count and several minutes elapsed before the stricken fighter was fit to leave the ring. The official time was 1:27 of round three.

In the opener, Newark junior lightweight Zaquin Moses, a cousin of Shakur Stevenson, improved to 2-0 when his opponent retired on his stool after the opening round.

Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom

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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

Published

3 days ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).

Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.

In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.

The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.

Co-Feature

In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.

Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.

What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.

The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.

Also

In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).

A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.

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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

Published

3 days ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11^th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.

Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.

Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.

Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.

Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”

Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.

Semi-wind-up

In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Also

In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.

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