Will Bute send Bernard Hopkins into retirement?
April 20th, 2010
By Sean McDaniel: IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (26-0, 21 KO’s) mentioned being interested in fighting light heavyweight Bernard Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KO’s) last Saturday night following Bute’s impressive 3rd round TKO win over Edison Miranda at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Canada. This is a fight that some boxing fans might not be interested in due to the age of the 45-year-old Hopkins.
However, there would be a lot of interest from the majority of fans to see this fight simply because Bute is considered to be the best fighter in the super middleweight division and is thought to be one of the top fighters in the light heavyweight division. Hopkins may or may not be still the number #1 guy at light heavyweight now that Chad Dawson keeps getting better and better.
Some people feel that Hopkins was acting in a move to either get a needed rest break or to try and get Jones disqualified. Fans also think that Hopkins was flopping around on the canvas in his 12 round split decision loss to Joe Calzaghe in April 2008. Whatever the case, Hopkins is still fighting well enough to be considered one of the top fighters in the light heavyweight division. However, Bute is a very tough fighter as he’s shown in his last thee fights, stopping all three of them early in the fight. Bute is showing better power now than he did earlier in his career, and with his hit and run style of fighting, he’s not easy to hit with shots.
Hopkins, in his last two fights since his impressive win over Kelly Pavlik in October 2008, he’s done more clinching and less punching than he normally does. Could this be age creeping in with Hopkins or just a case of him not being properly motivated in both of the fights. Neither Hopkins’ win over Enrique Ornelas or his 12 round decision win over Roy Jones Jr. were all that close.
Bute would be throwing a lot more punches with better power than what Hopkins has faced in a long time. At 45, the question would be whether Hopkins could handle the speed and fire power that Bute would be unleashing on him for 12 rounds. If Hopkins has been flopping around on the canvas to get needed rest breaks, then he’d have to flop a lot more against Bute because the Romanian fighter sets a faster pace than most fighters do. Hopkins could find himself getting worn out by the youth and work rate from Bute and unable to fight him the way he’s done in the past against his opposition.
Unlike Hopkins’s recent opponents who weren’t that good on the inside, Bute is very good at close quarters and capable of knocking out his opponents with shots at a very short range. Will Hopkins retire if he becomes yet another knockout victim for Bute. It could be. A knockout loss would be a huge blow to the career of Hopkins and it’s hard to see him wanting to continue after a loss like that.
Tags: 28 Responses to “Will Bute send Bernard Hopkins into retirement?”
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hopkins is the best pound for pound fighter ever 51-5 43 ko is pretty good knowing your 45 beating up these younger fighters is unreal but its a fact and bernard has never been knocked out or knocked down and hes been fighting nothing but ranked fighters and beating them up. i would like to see hopkins fight mayweather and knock him out and take his money . now that would be a way to end your career.lol
bernard hopkins is a true fighter with good skills to even say bute would destroy hopkins would be a myth in some little boys world bute hasnt fought anyone like hopkins so why even mention anything about it even though you could say it would be an easy victory for hopkins. bute would have to beat calzaghe to even step in the ring with hopkins. in my book for a 45 year old man to be lightheavyweight champ and still kicking ass is unheard of so go look at hopkins fight with pavlik and a fight he should have won against calzaghe . and you tell me……lol
Joppy was a champion… not a great one, but a CHAMPION
hey co’mon guys hopkins is old,imagine that,a monster ko,hopkins risking his life in the ring with bute,did you see bute knocking miranda with a left upercut and the third round,hopkins are available to go at the hospitals,a wish for you bernard hopkins,go on retirement.
I forgot one thing in my previous comment. Bute has not yet fought a champion. Thats food for thought.
Bute is too young for the aged great middleweight,while both have very good talent.,the younger fighter could be the one to realy damage the once great Hopkins. What more can be said?
All you people that say bhop will be destroyed are simply idiots that know nothing about boxing! You same morons probally said it before the pavlik fight and will continue to say it cuss you dont learn, when will you realise that its not all about speed power or stamina, hopkins is simply a genius in the ring, So what if sometimes its not always exiting how he does it. I mean when was the last time u saw the guys face really marked in a fight. And you say he should retire?
Finn
I have to agree,Bhop is now a borring fighter but still a handfull as he’s a master of fighting ugly!
That aside your right about history,it’s NOT linear and is repeating itself as we speak!
I just hope the masses wake up soon!
P.S. Check out Thge Reality Report!
Bute will destroy Hopkins just like Pavlik was going too…uh, I mean… seriously it would be a boring fight based in bernards style, I love Bernard but his fights can be tough too watch at times but dude is a Legend, he´s almost 50 and still boxing and still has a bit in the tank, say what you want but that´s nuts!
BUTE will destroy Bhop.. Bute is just like Calazghe but he can punch.. Bhop has no offense, he slow n cant punch. BHop is old, Bute will stop him
bute looked spectacular in his last two outings but lets be real. andrade and miranda are no defensive wiz by any means. bute isn’t calzaghe busy so he’ll have to rely on crisp punching which is hard to do against hopkins. hopkins is gonna nullify bute’s left hand and that would be his downfall. i’ll take hopkins right over bute’s left anyday.
Long live BHOP the Executioner!!!!
yes but Ward, Dirrel and Froch are unavailable until next year. Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter, one of the greatest but i think is too old now for such an oponent like Bute. In his prime i think Hopkins would have beat Bute any day of the week and twice on sunday. But i still want to see this fight but i think now Bute is to much for Hopkins.
Mike,
You’re right, change can be facinating, and there’s lots of it. But there’s also constancy. History moves in cycles not in a straight line. Civilizations rise and fall, The Roman Empire—Dark Ages. Human nature and the problem of evil are still with us. Wait until they launch the missiles in the next war, you’ll see some real changes. B-hop can fight until he’s 80, but don’t expect me to watch him. I find him boring, and I’d like to see the young wariors in the spot light instead.
IM sure Bute will beat B-Hop by KO .
Mr Clinch and headbutts= B-Hop
Mike
No one is capable of destroying Hopkins?? Are you having a laugh?
Hopkins is shooting his mouth off about fighting David Haye and if that fight ever comes off which I can’t see happening that is exactly what would happen to Hopkins – He would be destroyed. Haye wouldn’t even have to connect flush as any type of glancing blow from a savage puncher like Haye would leave Hopkins flat out on his back!!!
Hopkins should have retired after the Pavlik fight!!!
I`m not sure bute will send B-hop to retirement but I wish someone would before b-hop gets realy hurt a great fighter he was. don`t spoil it like jones jnr has, TIME DOES CATCH UP WITH YOU and haye, bute, ect have got plenty.
What does Bute gain from this fight? Seems to me if he wants to boost his standing, he’d take on better fights than one with a good but aging fighter. Makes sense that BHop may find the fight appealing, but Bute has nothing to gain. Even with a win, his critics will only point to the fact that BHop was past his prime. Why not go after Chad Dawson if he wants to go up in weight?
I’m not sure beating BHop will prove anything for Bute,while still a crafty fighter,BHop is past his prime…Bute should test his skills againt the likes of Ward and Dirrell…it’s one thing to look impressive againt a pretty static Andrade/clumsy Miranda etc…it’s another thing to test yourself against the best in your division,fighters with equal or greater speed/timing/ring intelligence etc…
Bute reminds me of Calzaghe in his early days when he sat down on his punches and hit hard…maybe Bute vs Calzaghe,if Joe can sort himself out…
Never,ever,underestimate a long time world champion,who has ALWAYS been in fantastic shape.
The ONLY way to aquire 15 years boxing experience and knowledge is one round at a time,and Bernard has done just that.
Bute will kill hopkins if the fight.you know what will get to hopkins if he fights bute if bute comes to the ring with a mask like hopkins wear.it will totaly take him out of the fight and will ko him.talking about mind games.
why isnt bute in the super six?
Finn
Don’t you find it fascinating that Bhop can keep going at his “age?”
We are entering into a new way of thinking,(human beings) and the way we have all been programmed to think is being washed away!
Age as we know it is wwwaaaayyyyy off the truth.
All will see huge changes in the next few years.Changes that will make most realize that we all live in a matrix for real and that the various leaders around the world are hidding the truth from us!
Hopkins is a geriatric spoiler who should retire and give younger fighters a spot in the limelight. It’s the same old act every time he fights. Boxing needs new blood and exciting new champions. Bute should ignore Hopkins and take on legitimate contenders from his own weight division including Ward, Dirrell, Abraham, or Froch.
NO ONE,I REPEAT,NO ONE is cabable in todays boxing world of destroying Bhop!!! Bhop may loose but he is too good and ugly a fighter to get whooped! Man,how many times have you guys spouted off about how Bhop is going to get beat,he’s too old,blah blah blah! When are you going to learn the “rules” that apply to most people DO NOT apply to someone like Bhop.The main reason:it’s how Bhop thinks! He does NOT think old and takes excellent care of himself.
Bute would have his hands full and then some!
Calzaghe’s a coke-head now.If he gets in the ring he will be awfully off-form.
I’d like to see hopkins fight bute,i think he could really test him.
dont think so
I have a feeling Calzaghe might come back and fight Hopkins. I have heard rumours over last coouple of weeks.
Bute now would destroy Hopkins