I know "prime" is meant when your at your peak, but isnt Bernard Hopkins today actually better than before?

Question

I think he is the only boxer right now that you could say he is fighting better than when he was younger. What do you guys think or am i just babbling here?

Answer 1

Your babbling and really don't know much about boxing but if you hang around here maybe you will learn something.

Answer 2

Depends what you call prime. Usually when a boxer is young he doesnt fight smart. Bernards PHYSICAL prime, when he fought Roy Jones, he got outclassed. If he had the ring knowledge now, then...he probably would have thumped Roy.

He is much smarter now, but keep in mind...Bernard Hopkins is a health fiend. His diet and constant training (even when he doesnt have a match scheduled) is what keeps him going. His reflexes may fade..but his intelligence is what compensates for the speed difference.

And I disagree with the Taylor decision. Taylor got extra credit for still standing at the end of that fight. In both fights Hopkins got him dizzy and ruined the younger man.

Answer 3

I think its a common misconception - Bernard Hopkins is not better now than before, he is just taking advantage of excellent circumstance.  People keep forgetting he lost twice to Jermaine Taylor (a prime Hopkins from 1996 or 1997 would probably have beat Taylor), the fights he is winning to make it appear like he is at his best are against guys who get into the ring already at a physical disadvantage, de la hoya, trinidad, wright, and tarver all were dealing with real weight issues - note the only guy he's faced who was at their natural weight he lost against.

Foreman was the same way, he wasn't better at 45, he got his *** kicked by Holyfield and Tommy Morrison, two guys he would have beat in 1973 - he was able to take on a blown up light heavyweight whos chin didn't get "bigger" as he moved up in weight.

Ali won the heavyweight championship 2 times after his prime, beat Frazier 2x, Norton 2x, and Foreman - but he never once said that he was physically at his best after 1967.

Your prime is your prime, it takes place in your 20's or at the latest early 30s - fighters who claim it to be later do so because they didn't make the most of their actual prime - see Calzaghe and Hopkins.

Answer 4

I think there's a question of skill and experience factoring into the equation.  Some fighters can improve as their physical gifts begin to fade.  Supposedly the downslide begins around 29, but some fighters improve with experience despite aging.  

I have no evidence, I must stress that, but at 42, Hopkins should be showing serious signs of age...if he doesn't that makes me think that he's using roids or HGH.  There is no way to test for HGH.  If Hopkins is clean, I think we're going to see a seriously slow man in the ring.

Answer 5

I think so. wish he could meet floyd mayweather at 154lbs