Why doesn't Bernard Hopkins get the credit & recognition that he deserves?
606335
eh the one guy hits most of it but not quite all of it. Hopkins does win the biggest fights of his career excluding the roy jones jr fight. Really by the time taylor hits him, his legacy is already fairly well intact, but another win would have probably cemented it further. Imo hopkins won the first fight anyway. \n\nTo get to the question though, hopkins does not get the recognition that he deserves because he is not a very likeable guy all the time. Outside the ring he is often distant, difficult to work with, and has a checkered past at best. Inside the ring he is very methodical and does not fight incredibly exciting fights to the casual viewer. In order to enjoy a Hopkins fight you need to know what you are getting in for. It will not be a slugfest like a manny paciquao is going to bring. For many Hopkins incredibly control of the pace of a fight is not fun to watch. If a fighter is not fun to watch fans arent going to give him the credit he deserves. However Hopkins is an all time great at 160 pounds for the duration and dominance he held over the division no matter what the common public says. He might not be in the top 3, but id imagine he pushes the top 5. \n\nFor the last part of your question as to why Oscar has a shot against Floyd Mayweather Jr. PBF is moving up in weight and oscar is looking good after his destruction of Mayorga (who is a good fight for oscar). Going into the hopkins fight Oscar was the one moving up to fight the well established Hopkins coming off what looked like a loss to Felix Sturm. So the situations are different, but the result for Oscar probably will be the same.
75058
Very much so. Last year and this year, sportswriters were constantly suprised by his performance. Truth is, he is an excellent back. He started getting some recognition this year, let's hope it sticks.
1048187
I agree with you completely. Lennox Lewis is the greatest champion and the greatest boxer in the history of this sport. First he had an excellent amateur career that he crowned with an Olympic gold medal in 1988, and as a professional he was in my opinion the greatest heavyweight champion ever to step foot in a boxing ring. He defeated every opponent he ever faced in his career (McCall and Rahman by a way of rematch) and he had all the attributes that a perfect heavyweight boxer is supposed to have - starting from basic height, weight and strenght advantage in almost every match to perfect technique, awesome knockout power and most importantly unprecedented boxing talent that he has been showing throughout his career.\nAli, Fraiser, Liston, Foreman, Holyfield, Tyson, Klitschko brothers and so on are all great heavyweight boxing champions but none of them is a match for Lennox in my opinion.
988160
yes definetly he beat the legend (benard hopkins) twice in two split desicions. anybody that can compete with benard has credibiliy in my book.
860918
he's no trinidad. at least when trinidad went up in weight, he was taking out all the big names in boxing, one by one, until he got his butt whooped by hopkins, he never did make it to roy though, but at least that is what you can call an admirable effort by felix. i wish mayweather would grow some balls and do something like that and put it all on the line.\n\nmayweather is a big coward. he wants to step into retirement with no blemishes on his record.
1176475
I'll tell you why Larry MErchant is well liked. Because he is old school.  He works well with play by play man Lampley, he works will with people who analyze like Steward or Foreman or Jones or Lennox (who I think is lame). Larry provides the color commentary. He's a boxing historian who actually knows his stuff. I've had the pleasure of meeting him before the Pacquiao/Marquez fight and he's a really nice, knowledgeable guy. He also stands up to fighters, not in a Jim Gray sort of way (who seems sleezy). I remember when Hopkins wanted to KO Merchant. I remeber when Oscar said that he knew Larry didn't like him much, but he had to like the way he (ODH) fought.  And when Larry 'blanks,' it is comedic relief. Sometimes he rambles on and on about nothing--and it's funny. Lennox, sorry to pick on will sit there and............Hello Lennox are you still there? But PPV without Jim, Ray Torres, Michael Buffer, whoever analyzes, and MErchant would not be the same.
522534
I've always liked Anthony Hopkins. I'm 32 now, but I remember that even when I was a kid, I found him attractive for some strange reason. I guess he has a certain presence, and of course, he's got a sexy accent.:)
567940
You answered your own question..It's because a lot of people have confused His title with His name.
52547
Well, I'm sure he would have still been born. Stone wasn't his father or anything. I think he would still have been a pretty good boxer, but as for ever getting a title shot, I'm not sure. A lot of what goes into getting those rankings and title shots has to do with politics.
825371
This is a highly subjective way to rate a boxer. Since Boxers have different weight classes, there is no direct way of comparing champions or great fighters at their respective classes. Since Pacquiao can't trade punches with Klitschko, Boxing analysts rely on statistics, opinions, gut, and preferences to rate boxers! \n\nFor example, Pac-man for me is the #1 P4P boxer since he had KO'd good and great fighters in a sensational and dominationg manner in his super-featherweight weightclass. He looks invincible that it seems to me that nobody in his weight could defeat him! \n\nBut hey, this is just my opinion!!! Some would argue that Floyd is still #1 but some would also agree!!!
484962
He'll get a mention alright but he doesn't have that 'aura' that we associate with Marciano.\n\nPS; I remember there was a heavyweight (or light heavy weight) who went something like 48-0, was it Michael Spinks, before he stepped up for another fight and lost? you can give me the answer in email or IM.
600955
It must be because he is considered the best
1004285
I don't think so .. I think there are a lot better actors than him out there that should be inducted....
641124
I actually personally dont think jack johnson had as big of a positive impact as say joe louis but here ya go anyway.\n\nJohnson seemed to usher in a new movement in American sports or at least boxing. No longer were whites clearly the superior athletes as evidenced by johnson. I think its fairly obvious that the establishment was terrified of a man as flamboyant as johnson as there was immediately a search for a "great white hype". Johnson lived very fast and the public seemed to really hate him for it. The people at large were not ready for a man of johnsons stature who happened to be black. In many of the different pictures or newspapers that can be seen from the day it is easy to see that Jack was not seen as human.\n\nUltimately i dont think you can look at Johnson without feeling a bit of sadness. First because he clearly was at the wrong time in history for his greatness in the ring to be displayed. Secondly because of the way society reacted to the man. He also was even only a few decades short of the subtle shift of the white publics view of black boxers through joe louis. I dont think his skill or power can ever be denied, but the way society saw him and the effect society had on his career seems to have tainted what he also could have achieved.
491725
If Barry Bonds retired in 1998, he would be a hall of famer. The second he rubbed on the cream, injected the clear, posed for ZMA, he ruined his life. Barry Bonds does not deserve the hall of fame. He cheated. Winners never cheat. Cheaters never win. Besides if he was in the hall of fame, they couldnt make a plaque because his head is too big.
825937
That's what i've been trying to figure out! He's the best fighter out there right now. You don't have to like his personality or some of his antics outside the ring, but we're talking about in the ring. Give me one fighter in boxing right now that is more skillful, has more ring savvy, is as quick, and had dominated more world class opponents than Floyd. I agree that there are still some good fights out there for Floyd, like Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Mega fights like Shane Mosley and Oscar De la Hoya, but let's not be blind to what the man has already done in his career. Personally, i would like to see him fight Margarito next because everyone says Floyd is afraid of him and is his biggest threat. I wonder what all the haters will say when he dominates Margarito(sorry folks. way too slow for Floyd) like he did Baldomir? I see a Mayweather-Margarito fight going much like Roy Jones-Julio Gonzalez, the more skillful fighter dominating with speed, technique, and ring smarts against the bigger, slower fighter. Hate him or love him, but if you deny his talents or that he's the best right now, then you are not keeping it real!
1114309
i agree.  he qualifies good and finishes good but you rarely hear his name.