COMPUBOX POST-FIGHT ANALYSIS:
BERNARD HOPKINS W 12 ANTONIO TARVER

June 13, 2006
- by Bob Canobbio/Compubox

Bernard Hopkins' boxing career has come full circle.

Fighting as a light heavyweight, Hopkins lost his professional debut on October 11, 1988, dropping a majority, four round decision to Clinton Mitchell. He layed off 16 months, returned as a middleweight, and the rest as they say, is history. Hopkins lost a decision to Roy Jones in 1993, then went undefeated for more than 12 years before losing his middleweight title on a controversial decision to Jermain Taylor last July.

After winning the middleweight title in April of 1995, Hopkins defended that belt a record 20 times. He held the middleweight title for more than 10 years. Only Joe Louis (heavyweight title, 11 yrs., 254 days) and Johnny Kilbane (featherweight 11 yrs., 103 days) held titles longer. Then came the rematch with Taylor last December and another close, controversial decision loss. He couldn't hang up the gloves in that fashion, despite promising his mother he wouldn't fight beyond his 40th birthday. He sought out one last challenge and found it in Roy Jones-conqueror Antonio Tarver, regarded as the best current light heavyweight in the business. There was also a historical angle as well. Hopkins' boxing idol was Ray Robinson. We all know what happened to Sugar Ray in his attempt to win the light heavyweight title vs. Joey Maxim one steamy June evening in 1952.

Hopkins hired fitness guru (who doesn't come cheaply the frugal Hopkins reminded everyone) Mackey Shilstone, who transformed Michael Spinks from a light heavyweight to a heavyweight prior to his upset win over Larry Holmes in 1985. Shilstone also guided Roy Jones' weight gain and conditioning before his decision win over John Ruiz in March of 2003. Hopkins weighed in at 174 1/2 pounds - looking every bit the light heavyweight that Tarver was. (Tarver had to shed more than 35 pounds after starring as Mason Dixon in Rocky 6.)

Hopkins, who referred to Tarver as Milli Vanilli (as in one-hit wonder, Jones KO 2), felt he was mentally tougher than Tarver and proved it from the opening bell, taking the fight to Antonio all night.

How dominant was Hopkins? Tarver landed less than 10 total punches in 10 of the 12 rounds. Tarver landed in single digits in power shots in ALL 12 rounds. Those are the kind of numbers Floyd Mayweather put up against Diego Corrales and Roy Jones vs. Reggie Johnson.

Hopkins, as he does against all his opponents, totally took away Tarver's jab. The listless Tarver managed to land just 30 of 226 jabs (13%). Tarver never carried the fight to Hopkins and as a result, Bernard needed to throw just 35 total punches per round, landing 32%. He also landed 37% of his power shots (126 of 343), throwing 132 more than the bewildered Tarver (48 of 211), who landed just 23% of his non-jabs. Overall, Hopkins landed 133 of 417 total punches to just 78 of 437 (18%) for Tarver.

After watching Hopkins perform the way he did after gaining 14 1/2 pounds, one has to wonder if maybe light heavyweight was the right weight for Hopkins to be at the last few years? Financially no (he would not have made the paydays vs. Trinidad, delaHoya & Taylor), but physically yes.

Hopkins says his retiring...done...no more fights...nothing left to prove, but after watching himself totally dominate Tarver, you know he's thinking he's got one more good fight left. Remember Roy Jones is fighting some prince in July and we all know how much Bernard values money. Easy fight vs. Roy? When asked by HBO's Larry Merchant if he would come out of retirement if offered $20 million, Hopkins replied, "I'd come out of my grave for that kind of money." It would probably take half that amount to make the Jones fight happen. Stay tuned.