Bernard Hopkins: 1980, Today, 1995
B-HOP STINKS OUT HBO AGAIN!
San Francisco, CA– When I sat down last week and looked at the Bernard Hopkins-Tavoris Cloud pairing at 175 lbs. for the sake of handicapping and setting a line, I just couldn’t stomach the prospect of another Hopkins hug fest. But that is what it was, an easily predictable (win or lose) match involving a man who is stealing the spotlight from the “next” generation because Bernard, truth be told, will never have enough money or fights to satisfy his unquenchable thirst for money and notoriety.
CLOUD’S MAMA SHOULD’VE FAINTED HERE!
As for Tavoris Cloud at 31, his losing to a 48 year old man will be his legacy. We saw in his “gift” win over Gabriel Campillo in 2012 that Cloud had Titanic-like leaks in his boxing hull. That being said, Tavoris didn’t deserve being champion as the score in Cloud’s favor was so shocking his mother passed out. Even with fans and media screaming aloud, the IBF refused to mandate a rematch. I spent about as much time on the radio this past weekend on this fight (sic) as I have in here in print. Scores were 117-111 & 116-112 twice for the Philadelphian who is now
53-6-2, 32 KOs. When Floyd Patterson lost the World heavyweight championship to Sonny Liston in 1962 he wore a disguise in public that included a fake beard. Cloud (29-1, 19 KOs) should do the same.
THURMAN THUMPS ZAVECK IN ROUT!
Keith Thurman is a raw puncher who is garnering a lot of attention at welterweight (147). Handled by the “H” in HBO, Al Heyman, Thurman improved to 20-0, 18 KOs with a 12 round dismantling of Jan Zaveck (32-2, 18 KOs) with shutout scores across the board at 120-108. Stuck in a quagmire of sorts, Thurman isn’t quite ready to swim in the deep end of the 147 lb. pool, nor can he fight stiffs. That being said, expect a few more Zaveck types in Thurman’s future. What do I mean? Non-threatening guys with good records.
Pedro Fernandez