Bernard Hopkins vs. James Toney who wins?

Question

Middleweights. At their best at this weight. 12 rounds.

Thanks Lovely Lady Vette for the inspiration for all the matches I've just posted!

Answer 1

Interesting match sir! Hopkins in my opinion will go down as one of the greatest middleweights in history and is as tough as they come. He has an iron jaw, is very clever and elusive when he needs to be, can box and slug and knows what he is doing inside the ring. Toney is very clever too, very strong and a great inside fighter. I believe that Hopkins would keep this fight mostly on the outside using his boxing skills against the aggressive Toney who would land some good punches especially when he got inside. Toney probably would land the harder punches in this fight but I believe that Hopkins would be able to take it and land the higher volume of punches and win a very close decision. Good question Brent!

Answer 2

This is a great match up, the Lovely Lady Vette has shot to the top of the Blogbaba's cool list with this one. I was at the Roy Jones/James Toney fight, and know James did a lot better than people in the press gave him credit for. At the time Roy's speed was truly amazing and if not for a hip check leaping in with a quick hook, would not have scored the questionable knock down he got. Based on James's performance that night, and the lackluster loss by Hopkins to Roy, I gotta go with James Toney.

No knock on Hopkins, with the exception Ray Robinson and maybe Hagler, Bernard earned the respect of being in the top three or four middleweights of all time. His victory over Tarver only put an extra footnote on a slam dunk hall of fame career and no one with any boxing sense will deny Bernard's greatness.

But if both he and Toney met in their prime, at around 160 James would have been much stronger, just as difficult to hit and just as quick. Roy Jones may not be a good comparison, because Roy was a phenom, with never before, or since seen reflexes, but in losing to Roy, Toney acquitted himself with a far more competitive effort that Hopkins.

Man, I wish those to would have squared off, it would have been an instant classic.

Thanks for a spectacular question.

Answer 3

This would be a boxer's dream. Actually, this match lamost came to terms 4 years ago. I just don't know what happened with the negotiations. Thay were suppsoed to meet in super middleweight. I think Toney didn't want to shed that much pounds or he would be doomed for sure. Prime-to-prime, however, in the middleweight division, I think Hopkins would have an edge in Toney in speed and stamina. They have equal chin and power. Toney will have a very small edge in defense.
It's easy to pick Hopkins here because he's been around the division virtually his whole career. He knew just how to dispose of any style in the middleweight division. He knew what he had to do. Taylor beat Hopkins(very controversial) because of his youth. I think Hopkins will beat Toney via unanimous decision. I see the scorecards reading: 118-109, 119-108,Hopkins, 120-108 all for Hopkins.

Answer 4

very stable tournament up even though it won't be a robust combat. the two adult men are ornery as hell and confusing. The combat would desire to ensue anyehere between center and Lt. Heavyweight. Toney has an side in means yet Bernard takes a punch extremely nicely. Bernard has the greater powerful chin yet no longer the means to harm Toney. i'd bypass with Hopkins for one basic reason. the two guy would desire to difficulty everyone. yet Toney has consistently struggled to make weight in each type he has fought in decrease than Cruiserweight. He by no ability ought to have been a Heavyweight first of all, nonetheless he did fairly nicely in that branch. The combat would have boiled right down to conditioning. Hopkins is by no ability out of shape. Thats why he has been waiting to combat close to social secruity age. he's, via some distance, the greater disciplined guy.

Answer 5

James Toney would have probably knocked out Hopkins in the later rounds. If not by decision. Hopkins is good but not James Toney.

Answer 6

i think bernard hopkins would win a close decision. james toney was good at middleweight, but sometimes didn't throw enough punches. bernard hopkins in his prime, did throw a lot of punches, check out some of his earlier fights on youtube, and you can see that he threw punches constantly, to the head and the body. he would break fighters down with his workrate. i think he would outwork james toney, both fighters have great chins, but in their middleweight primes, hopkins had the better stamina.

Answer 7

Toney would beat Bernard badly! Bernard was not busy enough even in his prime to really land cleanly on Toney and toney's inside fighting would have picked bernard clean inside of 8 rounds. Although the best toney I saw was not at middleweight it was at cruiserwieght.

Answer 8

The Executioner Bernard Hopkins would have annihilated James "racist, overrated" Toney now or then. James Toney??? Have you seen such an ignorant boxer in all of boxing history?

Answer 9

These two fighters are two of the toughest and technically talented boxers I have ever seen. Either one could potentially take it, it would be a close fight, and realistically I see it ending in an inconclusive draw. That match-up is so close that the only to know who would have actually won, would be for the fight to have actually happened. Both men have impecable defense, great chins, and good punching ability. I could see Bernard outworking James, but I could also see James letting Bernard outwork himself while picking perfect shots to end up with the edge. I'm definitely going with draw.

Answer 10

The mighty James Toney would punch him a new eye socket