Comments Thread For: Joe Smith Continues To Overcome Odds, Exceed Expectations

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Thomas Gerbasi - The magic finally ran out for Bernard Hopkins last Saturday night. Whatever hocus pocus the Philadelphia legend used to hypnotize, baffle and then beat younger opponents over the latter part of a storied career that ended at the age of 51 in Inglewood, California, just didn't work on Joe Smith Jr. The proud member of Local 66, expected to be competitive cannon fodder for...
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[rojo45]

Smith is 27 he knockout a 52 year old man big deal!! he done noting!!

[Mexican_Puppet]

Smith is 27 he knockout a 52 year old man big deal!! he done noting!!

But he k.o'ed a top-ten of the division in one fu.cking round:,Fonfara.

Smith is a great guy and he is a entertaining fighter to watch.

[ShoulderRoll]

Joe Smith is made in America.

I'm proud of the guy, he shows that with a little hard work and determination you can change your life around in the land of opportunity.

[rojo45]

Proud of what? he knockout a 52 man! that senior abuse!

[rojo45]

First decent young fighter smith fights he KO mark my words!

[BoxingFan82]

Forget that Hopkins was 51 years old. There was no sudden drop in Hopkins’ reflexes, skill set or ring IQ. He fought the way he had been fighting for years. Draw you in, pot shot you, hold, foul, break, repeat. Along the way, perform the magic only Harry Potter and company can muster, fooling opponents into fighting this fight for as long as it lasts.

Bernard Hopkins has been my favorite fighter since I saw him fight Antwun Echols and I'll be the first to acknowledge that Smith beat Hopkins fair and square. Nobody can take that away from him. With upset victories over Fonfara and Hopkins, Smith has a great opportunity in front of him and it will be interesting to see how he develops.

But the idea that Hopkins was the same fighter Saturday is asinine. I watched the fight ringside and it was apparent to me by the second round that his legs weren't the same, something that the HBO commentators also noted in the telecast. Bernard was able to hit Smith with some well-timed shots, but they lacked pop. He was also hit with shots that he was rarely hit with in the past, suggesting that indeed his reflexes had declined.

Let's look at the facts:

• Bernard is nearly 52 years of age and was coming off of two-year layoff, the longest of his career I believe.
• Hopkins had never been knocked out over the course of a career spanning three decades.
• Hopkins made a valiant effort against Kovalev, but was dominated for the first time in his career at the age of 50.
• Smith entered the ring as a 27 year-old in his physical prime but only the ninth-ranked light heavyweight.

Occam's razor states that the more assumptions you have to make, the more unlikely an explanation is.

So what's more likely: that the future Hall of Fame quinquagenarian entered the ring on Saturday capable of fighting the way he did as a quadragenarian, making him the only human known to completely defy aging, or that Father Time finally caught up with Bernard to the point that his experience and ring IQ couldn't make up for the physical declines that every human being experiences as they age, leaving him vulnerable to a young fighter who is strong and has punching power but isn't a particularly skilled boxer?

Again, Smith beat Hopkins fair and square. Hopkins took a risk in challenging Smith (and Father Time) and he came up short in his farewell fight. So nobody has the right to minimize Smith's accomplishment. He did what he needed to do.

But pretending that a guy who is nearly 52 years old should be able to fight the same way he had been "for years" is an argument only a fool or a person with an axe to grind could put forward with a straight face.

Ironically, while the author refers to Bernard's ability to "[fool] opponents," it appears Bernard was also able to fool the author into believing that he's totally immune to the effects of aging, which are well-documented by science. So in some sense, the author gave Bernard the highest compliment without apparently even realizing it.

[GMAN SUPREME]

Proud of what? he knockout a 52 man! that senior abuse!

smith knocked out a top 5 light heavy in fonfara he's the first to ko hopkins all while holding down a full time job in construction.you damn right he should be proud.

[rojo45]

still the first decent fighter young he fight he KO and Hopkins was past he prime big deal full time job? a lot fighter done this!

[rojo45]

when Smith is 38 he will be long retired might dead before he 52!