ALL things must pass. Even the good ones.
It’s happened a lot of times. Max Schmeling. Rocky Marciano. Joe Louis. Floyd Patterson. Muhammad Ali. George Foreman. Sugar Ray Robinson. Sugar Ray Leonard. Roberto Duran. Jake La Motta. Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Thomas Hearns. Alexis Arguello. Felix Trinidad. Even Oscar De La Hoya. And, yes, Pancho Villa. And, of course, Flash Elorde.
They all had their day. They were the best among the best, the greatest among the greatest.
But no one lasts forever. Not even Manny Pacquiao.
Everything, everyone among us, is temporary.
However, the way Bernard Hopkins went on Sunday was something out of this world. This one “good one” had been given a raw deal.
The undisputed middleweight champion of the world lost his crown in a not-so-convincing fashion: split decision.
It’s happened before. Boxing isn’t the red-light district of sports for nothing.
Okay, Jermain Taylor won the first three rounds, and only because Hopkins refused to fight.
But starting the fourth, Hopkins started fighting. Still, I’d say he still fought defensively up to the seventh. In fact, he lost the seventh.
Hopkins came back strong, though, in the eighth. Although he lost the ninth by a hair, 10, 11 and 12 were easily Hopkins’.
Judge Jerry Roth scored the fight 116-112 for Hopkins, but judges Duane Ford and Paul Smith both had it 115-113 for Taylor. The AP scored it 114-113 for Hopkins.
I had Hopkins the winner, 115-113.
It would have been 114-113 like the AP. But I have stopped the practice of scoring it even in any particular round. Somewhere along a 3-minute brawl — or non-brawl — of any round, I believe one guy must have sneaked in a punch or two to the other for the so-called marginal shot.
There is no doubt that Taylor, who has knocked out 17 foes in an undefeated string of 23 fights before he fought Hopkins, would proceed to become a great boxer. At 26, he has the world virtually on his lap.
But this Sunday against Hopkins, he didn’t look like a worthy champion.
He was mostly fighting defensively. He never really landed a big one.
In the 10th, Taylor got hit twice by huge, bone-jarring rights from someone who should be too tired fighting at that stage. At age 40, Hopkins should now be seated in a rocking chair, sipping wine, watching the sunset.
But no, Hopkins still got some power left in his fists, particularly his right hand. Had he decided to put more heat in the 10th, or even in the 11th, 12th, who knows Taylor would have gone down on all fours in any of those rounds.
Maybe, Hopkins thought he was ahead that’s why he chose the safer path — win on points?
Maybe, Hopkins was more preoccupied about keeping his winning streak of 20 title-defenses than beating Taylor by knockout?
Knockout or not, it would have still counted anyway as a victory?
Or, has time dulled his guts, if not his instincts?
Sometimes, even the best falter.
It was Hopkins’ first loss since he lost to Roy Jones Jr. 12 years ago.
But it wasn’t really a loss in the realm of things.
It was close, yes, but only because Hopkins had made it so.
Taylor, being the challenger, wasn’t really that aggressive all the way, that’s why I’m surprised why the two judges had judged the fight the way they did.
Hopkins’ 20 consecutive successful defenses built over a decade had been snapped, yes, but, in my mind, Hopkins’ reign hasn’t really been that thoroughly, if not decisively, shattered.
A rematch should therefore be a must?
Maybe, but at age 40, Hopkins should think of retiring.
Maybe, the split decision loss was a blessing in disguise, a hint that quitting while ahead would be the best option now, given the length of time that Hopkins had stayed at the top?
All things must pass. Even a good one. Like Bernard Hopkins.
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