Comment by John Lumpkin: How many times over the years have we picked against Hopkins? This time we thought it was different. We had proof that he was declining and that age was catching up with the old man. In his last fight against Joe Calzaghe, we observed as he pulled every trick in the book to gain a rest and reenergize for just a few more minutes.

By John Lumpkin

This past Saturday night in Houston was a bit strange. In the first televised contest between Jorge Barrios and Rocky Juarez, we were left what appeared to be a come-from-behind dramatic and sensational TKO victory by Juarez. It is the kind of story that we love in boxing, but when we look at the facts, we realize things were somewhat inconsistent with that line.

By John Lumpkin: This past Friday, we witnessed something new in boxing. The fight between Anthony Thompson and Ishmail Arvin was officially ruled as a TKO stoppage victory for Arvin due to a cut on Thompson that prevented him from continuing.

By John Lumpkin

Whenever a fighter reaches the tail end of their career, the natural inclination of the fans is to discuss how we might view their accomplishments at some point in the future.

By John Lumpkin: How is it that so many boxers that make literally millions of dollars during their career end up penniless? In one sense, the answer is obvious: they simply spent more money than they made. But, how does it happen and why does it happen so consistently?

By John Lumpkin: One of the great things about undefeated fighters who have passed many tests is that they cannot conceive of losing. This hardened boldness can sometimes translate into fight plans that seemingly make little sense when faced with a challenge.

By John Lumpkin: Boxing is a tough sport if you are a fan and live in the USA. The vast majority of us are relegated to witnessing our sport through the rather limited TV programs willing to air it, so it is difficult for many fans to get behind the prospects.

By John Lumpkin

Wladimir Klitschko defeated Tony Thompson this past weekend in a manner that can best be described as a relatively good performance.

By John Lumpkin: If each fighter lands exactly one clean punch in a round, the winner is often judged to be the one that lands the harder punch.

By John Lumpkin: Manny Pacquiao is now the number one fighter in the world and all that it took for us to recognize this was the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr. There are, of course, detractors from this opinion who can readily cite the technical flaws with Pacquaio’s game or just prefer one of their more favored top fighters.