DeLaHoya/Hopkins

[Bronx Bomber 15]

I was just watching the Leonard/Hagler Legendary Nights. Anyone think that Oscar could pull off a "Sugar Ray" style win in this bout, or does he lack the stamina to do it for 12 rounds?
I'm taking Hopkins by decision, figuring that Oscar will go into defensive mode the later rounds, avoiding a KO.

[Gunsmoke]

I don't know Bronx, I'm going back and forth on this one.

Hopkins is obviously got to go in as the favourite. But he's not had many huge fights in his career. Don't get me wrong he's the best MW going during the time he's been champ, but there is a lack of wars on his resume.

But then I remember that Oscar is a blown up lightweight mascarading as a MW late in his career after a number of wars that may or may not have taken their toll beyond his ability to surmount. I also saw Sturm beat him in June at this weight which makes me favour Hopkins by a 3 or four round UD.

Mark

[javier_83]

Well i think De la HOya will be fast against hgopkins

[Ronnie]

I've just placed a bet on De La Hoya to win. I agree Hopkins is favorite, but one day age is going to catch up with him. I think De La Hoya will have learned from the Sturm fight and will run and move against Hopkins for a points win.

[darthpb]

Hopkins will win...anyone who has been here for awhile knows my feelings on Oscar...Hopkins...guarenteed!!!!

[crusadecat]

I really can't see a scenario where Hopkins doesn't win, I think if he dares try slug it out hes gonna get knocked out, if he runs hopkins will still land the more effective shots. who's planning on purchasing?

[hamed]

I thought Oscar was crazy to take this fight too but now I've heard Teddy Atlas & E. Stewart both give Oscar a chance. Those 2 guys have forgot more about boxing than I'll ever know so maybe Oscar has a better chance than we think.

I just read Gil Clancy is advising Oscar to come in @ 154 & use his speed. When Gil trained Emile Griffith, Emile won the middleweight title only weighing 150.

If Oscar does win this fight, will history report it as him beating a 39 year old fighter well past his prime?

[Bam Bam]

Im planning on purchasing,,,its a superfight no doubt,,,but I don't understand why everybody thinks Oscar's so outmatched....Why does Hopkins deserve so much credit? Who has he beaten? His only 2 big fights were against Roy Jones and Felix Trinidad, he lost to Roy Jones on points in a snoozer,,,and didnt show the type of resolve great fighters are made of,,,,and yes he KO'd Felix, but lets be honest,,at that point Felix was coming off that DeLaHoya fight, which in my opinion he lost and that fight should have given Tito his first loss(ah well),,,so what Im saying is Felix was overrated at the time,,,and always had a suspect chin,,,,just because Hopkins KO'd him doesnt mean he's got pop, and shouldnt have made him a pound for pounder,,,imo... Oscar's faster, and CAN trade with him ( dont forget the shots Oscar took against a juiced up Vargas),Im taking Oscar on this fight and feeling confident about it,,,,size won't be the big factor everyone thinks it will,,,,
Who has Hopkins beaten?
Does anyone have 2 fighters?
Cmon now...

Over---Rated---Over---Rated

[Bam Bam]

Originally Posted by hamed

I thought Oscar was crazy to take this fight too but now I've heard Teddy Atlas & E. Stewart both give Oscar a chance. Those 2 guys have forgot more about boxing than I'll ever know so maybe Oscar has a better chance than we think.

I just read Gil Clancy is advising Oscar to come in @ 154 & use his speed. When Gil trained Emile Griffith, Emile won the middleweight title only weighing 150.

If Oscar does win this fight, will history report it as him beating a 39 year old fighter well past his prime?

yea thats the thing,,,if Oscar loses than he was just too small and outmatched, if he wins than he beat up an old man. He can/t win,,,when's he gonna get the credit he deserves....

I hear Oscar is amassing quite a following in Puerto Rico,,that was surprising to hear..

[GForce]

Originally Posted by Bam Bam

yea thats the thing,,,if Oscar loses than he was just too small and outmatched, if he wins than he beat up an old man. He can/t win,,,when's he gonna get the credit he deserves....

This doesn't make sense...if he loses and they say he was too small and outmatched, then they are saying he lost a fight he should have lost for those reasons...that's not a slight against him, to say he lost a fight he should have lost.

Your ripping of Hopkins will prove far more critical of Oscar, should he lose, than the argument you offer above.

GH

[Bam Bam]

return of the thread killer...

[GForce]

Originally Posted by Bam Bam

return of the thread killer...

So in other words you had no response worth noting?

GH

[Bam Bam]

right, right, no response worth noting or whatever you said...you clearly arent a boxing fan and don't wanna talk boxing whatsoever,,,play your games with someone else,,,stop following my posts u creep...
--why don't you just say your a Hopkins fan like a normal dude,,,and talk about that,,,but naa,,,you gotta act like a freakin panzy...

Im gonna go ahead and throw you on ignore now...

Go Redskins!!!
Giants

[crusadecat]

My biggest problem with Oscar's chances is that he is not a real Middleweight. Bernard and Strum are. He was really rocked by Felix's shots and no knock against Felix because I think he is legit but Bernard hits much harder than Strum, so if Oscar gets peppered a few times its going to slow him down big time, he will be on his bicycle most of the fight I would believe. That having been said I give him lots of credit for taking the fight. I think its a no lose situation for him, There will be the reasoning that he is just not a legit middleweight, but people will credit his heart and courage as they should. If he wins despite Bernards age its going to be his legacy fight. The Executioner also has lots of pride and he doesn't want to be seen losing to this guy that most feel he should beat. Makes for some good drama. I hope it lives up to it.

[GForce]

Originally Posted by Bam Bam

right, right, no response worth noting or whatever you said...you clearly arent a boxing fan and don't wanna talk boxing whatsoever,,,play your games with someone else,,,stop following my posts u creep...
--why don't you just say your a Hopkins fan like a normal dude,,,and talk about that,,,but naa,,,you gotta act like a freakin panzy...

Im gonna go ahead and throw you on ignore now...

Go Redskins!!!
Giants

LOL!!! Oh brother. You're either 12 or stupid (or, perhaps, both). You realize nothing you said here makes any sense, right? I was simply pointing out the flaw in your "logic." Apparently that means I'm not a boxing fan. Oooooooooook. Sure.

And BTW, the ellipsis you're trying to do there is three ... not three ,,,.

Consider that a further part of your education.

GH

[Bam Bam]

Originally Posted by crusadecat

My biggest problem with Oscar's chances is that he is not a real Middleweight. Bernard and Strum are. He was really rocked by Felix's shots and no knock against Felix because I think he is legit but Bernard hits much harder than Strum, so if Oscar gets peppered a few times its going to slow him down big time, he will be on his bicycle most of the fight I would believe. That having been said I give him lots of credit for taking the fight. I think its a no lose situation for him, There will be the reasoning that he is just not a legit middleweight, but people will credit his heart and courage as they should. If he wins despite Bernards age its going to be his legacy fight. The Executioner also has lots of pride and he doesn't want to be seen losing to this guy that most feel he should beat. Makes for some good drama. I hope it lives up to it.

well said....but I still don't think Bernard is a big hitter,,,will be very very interesting, and for $59.99 it should be more than interesting lol...
Oscar said in his interview with HBO prior to the Cotto fight,,,he has NO intentions of trying to outbox him,,,or do a Leonard with the pitter pat and move stuff,,,lets hope thats true,,,,like Merchant said,,,Oscar's never been in bad fight,,we can't say the same about Bernard.
Can't wait...

[Bronx Bomber 15]

I'm picking Hopkins but I won't say Osacar has NO chance.

I do think it would be a mistake for Oscar to trade with him though. Bernard may not have one punch KO power, but as some of you have noted, he does punch HARD. He has solid skills and good speed, he is the naturally bigger and stronger man (lets not forget, his pro debut was at Light Heavyweight).

It would seem to be to Oscars benefit to try and outbox him (and come in as light as he's allowed so he doesn't have to carry the extra weight around), I think Oscar has the advantage in speed. I just don't think he can outbox him for 12 rounds. I'd give him about eight rounds, before Hopkins catches up with him and punishes him.

While many have brought Hopkins age into the discussion, I don't think it will be made that big of an issue if Oscar wins. It will be mentioned of course, but I don't think many will attribute an Oscar win with Hopkins age. Hopkins is considered one the PFP best, and is the favorite. It would be disgraceful to use age as an excuse after the fact, should Oscar win.
No question about Oscars heart, I think he's proven more than once he's got it.

I'll stick with Hopkins by close, albeit unanimous decision.
Good discussion BTW, a lot of good points made.

[erickdamac]

LOl As the fight get closer more people thinks delahoya can win? LOL

People forget Hopkins is not only a physical fighter but a smart one, He knows all the tricks and he never really use his full speed or power until the 10,11,12 round, he saves all that up and then punish his victims at the end, this sty le is perfect for him against delahoya who fades at the end, and I dont want to here people say oh he didnt fade against vergas, well fergas dont go to the body, look what happend in shane vs. oscar 2, in the 9th round oscar legs buckled over a body shot from shane, and he faded!

SO hopkins just need to do the basics let oscar win the first 2 round will he got to the body then in round 3 you get going make him run and hit the body and head push him around make him get on his bike, and then in the 11 round I can see oscar fallin froma body to head combo and then his corning stepping in seconds later.

-----------------------------------

Can oscar pull off a sugar ray leanord?

NOOOOOOOOOO! Ray was WAY faster, for one and 2 Hagler wasnt as varsitile as hopkins is, and as we saw in his last fight with sturm he gets lazy as the round got to an end oscar tried to steal the round all sturm did was bounce around he didnt run or go to extream measures getting away from oscar all he did was bounce away, lol plus if oscar try to steal the round I can see him getting knocked down because hopkins throws great straight punches and oscar throws loop combos and I can see a right coming straigh to knock dela down.

How can oscar win, is boxing in circles, now he is not going to out box hopkins, who is a better boxer, but what he can do is take adventage of hopkins sometime slopy feet, and his feet normally get sloppy when he is going in circles, oscar needs to jab then straight in a circles for some round and then change it up becuase hopkins will find the problem and excute his solution within 2 rounds so oscar needs to box in circle then do something else then box in circles again becuase hop is too smart for him to do the same thing, but the main the oscar de lahoys needs to do is not tire! I know he will get tired, but he can show it!

I dont know if hopkins can go 12 hard physical rounds with a Middleweight when he never been in with a world class MW, I think he runs out of gas in the 9th because of hopkins body shots and getting knocked down in ther 10 or 11 round and then hop jumping on him and the fight being stopped by his corner.

[hamed]

Originally Posted by Bam Bam

yea thats the thing,,,if Oscar loses than he was just too small and outmatched, if he wins than he beat up an old man. He can/t win,,,when's he gonna get the credit he deserves....

I hear Oscar is amassing quite a following in Puerto Rico,,that was surprising to hear..

Good question!

I was surprised to hear Oscar was becoming popular in Puerto Rico too. Since Oscar's wife is from there, maybe they're cutting him some slack. They might also be pulling for Oscar to beat the guy who beat their hero - Tito. If both Oscar & Tito win their upcoming bouts, how much money would a Oscar/Tito 2 be worth?

Eric

I think you've got it just about right.

Oscar will run and lose by a UD or get KO'd in rounds 10-15.