By Lucian Parfitt

Bernard Hopkins successfully defended his undisputed middleweight title for the 20th time in a fight that did not seem to match the grandeur a 20th title defense should have. None the less the fight was interesting match up, with Hopkins taking more clean punches than in any recent outings. However, for the most part the fight followed the pattern of a countless number Hopkins previous defenses. In the early going both men were cautious; both men are known counter punchers, but as the fight went on Hopkins’ straight right and especially the left hook were tattooing Eastman’s alarmingly unguarded face. What was different about this defense from many others was that Hopkins was willing to cautiously box, which in the past has been a sign of respect, having done so with feared punchers Felix Trinidad and Antwun Echols (in their second fight).

Hopkins may have respected Eastman’s power, but Eastman rarely had the speed of hand or fleet of foot to deliver it with any real menace. But he did produce more anxious moments for EX than any recent opponents have, notably in round 8 when Hopkins’ incredibly disciplined game plan fell apart and a real fight broke out. In fact the referee Raul Caiz Jr. was forced to separate them as the bell sounded. As Hopkins returned to his corner, veteran trainer Bouie Fisher repeated "you’re the boss, calm down" wisely knowing that with more lucrative options in front of him, he would preserve his body and take less punishment by continuing to outbox his opponent. Despite the crowds protestations Hopkins continued to circle and jab the seemingly impatient Eastman for the remaining rounds en route to comfortable decision with fairly accurate scores of 119-110, 117-111 and 116-112.

I actually thought that if Eastman was as good at adapting to any style as he claimed in the pre-fight build up he would have been more aggressive, and more importantly let his hands go when in range. Eastman seemed wary to do this as he was often picked off when coming in illustrated by the fact he noticeably winced away from Hopkins’ feints. However Eastman’s best asset is perhaps his chin, so why not use it if it gets you in the position where you’ve gained most success. This is where the phrase ‘dare to be great’ becomes prevalent to me; perhaps if Eastman had been willing to take a few more punches he might have come much closer to the title. This may be unfair as Eastman did press the action, but put truthfully, Eastman did not have the hand speed to really trouble Hopkins from the outside so merely stalking Hopkins around the ring left him open for Hopkins crisper punches.

It is undoubtedly a sign that we are talking about a true great in Hopkins that critics ponder how and why Eastman managed to land more clean shots than you can count on one hand (god forbid). But it has to be asked how Eastman landed more clean shots than Felix Trinidad or Oscar De La Hoya ever did. Was it age or the high-quality of his awkward opponent that allowed this to happen?

Against Eastman, Hopkins consistently showed himself to be the sharper, more accurate puncher, but I thought his timing was slightly off compared to previous outings, an awkward opponent like Eastman can give this illusion though. Hopkins reflexes seemed to be as sharp as ever but the fact he took a few clean shots (a shocking sight for anyone who watches him regularly) has to make you wonder if his age is finally taking its inevitable toll. Especially as Eastman, although powerful, has at best average hand speed, and judging by his post fight comments Jermain Taylor took note "I feel I’m ready for him. I’ll fight him whenever". But the truth is Bernard Hopkins won comfortably, and as I heard one of his handlers state between rounds, assumingly regarding the ease of which he handles middleweight challengers, "Nobody does this like you"…..indeed.