Tag Archives: Bernard Hopkins

RODRIGO VALDEZ

By Jim Amato / Senior Boxing Writer

 

With all the recent hoopla for the respected Bernard Hopkins and his adding to the legacy of great Philly fighters…

Well here goes… The great city of Philadelphia has produced an array of world class middleweights over the years. Hopkins has brought great pride to the long line of Philly middlewights who came before him. Tough guys like Stanley ” Kitten ” Hayward, Eugene ” Cyclone ” Hart, Bobby ” Boogaloo ” Watts, Willie ” The Worm ” Monroe and possibly he toughest of them all, ” Bad ” Bennie Briscoe.

When people talk of Hopkins now they compare him to Stanley Ketchel, Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson and his more recent contemporaries, Carlos Monzon and Marvin Hagler. Did someone forget a classy and fine middleweight named Rodrigo Valdez ?

Valdez was a world class fighter who suffered from the ” De Jesus ” syndrome. That is like the outstanding Esteban DeJesus was overshadowed in his career by the skill of Roberto Duran. So too was Rodrigo Valdez overshadowed by Monzon . Take Duran And Monzon out of the picture and DeJesus and Valdez mght be in the Hall Of Fame. Continue reading RODRIGO VALDEZ

Hopkins Wins

By Tom Donelson

( Member of Boxing Writers Association and International Boxing Research Organization )

 

In their last bout Bernard Hopkins fought Jean Pascal to a draw or maybe we should say Pascal fought Hopkins to a draw.  Hopkins lost his shot at a title when he hit the canvas twice against Pascal in the first three rounds and went into the final nine rounds; five points down on the judges’ scorecard.  The wily veteran Hopkins found a way to turn the fight around and Pascal helped by not putting on the afterburner and allowed Hopkins to set the pace.

 

Hopkins wanted to become the oldest man to win a title and at 46, he still had the skills but he faced a younger opponent but the real issue was did he face a hungrier opponent? ESPN Teddy Atlas concluded that this was Pascal fight to lose; that at 26, he could do more things and push the issue.  Pascal did not do that in the last fight despite having Hopkins in trouble over the opening three rounds.  The key to the fight would be if Pascal would force Hopkins to fight at a more intense level, round after round.  With the advantage of hand speed and power, he held the upper hand.  Hopkins advantage laid in his ability to out think and take advantage of Pascal’s lapses.

 

Before the main event, Chad Dawson fought Adrian Diaconu an important bout in the light heavyweight division as both men have been victim of Jean Pascal.   Dawson, now trained by Emanuel Steward, looked to get a shot at the winner of the Hopkins-Pascal fight and be back at top of the light heavyweight division.

 

In the first round, Dawson used his jab to keep distance and pick his shots as Diaconu did very little throughout the round.  Dawson looked relaxed in the second round as his jab maintained the distance and this allowed Dawson to strike combinations while Diaconu had to lunge with his power shots but of no avail.

Continue reading Hopkins Wins

RING TRIVIA “answers” for June 2010

1) When Kenny Lane KO’ed Elmer Lakotas, July 28, 1955 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin … what former heavyweight champion refereed their lightweight bout  ?
answer is – Jack Dempsey

2) Former welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight champion Felix Trinidad was undefeated (40-0) when he lost his first” professional fight … to who ?
answer is – Bernard Hopkins
Continue reading RING TRIVIA “answers” for June 2010