The World Boxing Association (WBA) had presented an intriguing hypothetical matchup: who would emerge victorious in a clash between Bernard Hopkins and Gennady Golovkin? Though both are celebrated world champions and near-contemporaries, their paths never crossed. ‘B-Hop’ dominated the middleweight division before finding further success as a light heavyweight. ‘Triple G’, on the other hand, built his legacy primarily in the middleweight and super middleweight categories.

The absence of a clash between Hopkins and Golovkin could be primarily pinned on circumstances. Despite his record-breaking championship win at age 49, Hopkins had been largely out of his prime by the middle of the last decade. By that time, Golovkin had incidentally started to peak. His fights, especially the ones against Canelo Alvarez, went on to become one of the biggest draws of the time. Nevertheless, there’s no harm in positing how a fight between the two legends would have evolved. Picking sides, fans promptly jumped into the fray.

Bernard Hopkins and Gennady Golovkin: Clash of defensive mastery and offensive ferocity

“Who would win? 🤔,” the poser on WBA’s Instagram post read. The poster featured a prime Bernard Hopkins and a prime Gennady Golovkin. ‘B-Hop’ retired around the time ‘Triple D’ had been preparing himself for a middleweight title unification defense against Daniel Jacobs.

Bernard Hopkins is often regarded as one of boxing’s best defensive boxers. He joined the star cast of the 1990s and 2000s, producing some of the most memorable fights of the era. Many diehards continue to watch his fights against Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, and Felix Trinidad.

Following his Olympic medal win, Gennady Golovkin, on the other hand, a relatively new entrant, gradually worked his way up. Soon he established a fearsome reputation as one of the sport’s foremost punchers. No wonder, his name surfaced during discussions of another hypothetical matchup—against the world’s strongest man, Hafthor Bjornsson.

Weighing In: Who would win?

A fight with Hopkins would have been a dream come true for many purists. They would have loved watching Hopkins display his renowned ring IQ and swift counterpunches while responding back to the bone-breaking body shots from Golovkin. Let’s check what some of the fans had to say.

This fan seemed sure that Golovkin would have won the fight. “Prime GGG constant pressure, throws from all angles, rock solid chin, and power 💪,” they said, highlighting the Olympic silver medalist’s formidable punching power and a granite chin.

For the next one too, it was ‘Triple D’ standing at the top of the podium: “GGG with 0 doubts in my mind 🥇” However, the following user felt otherwise. “The [B-Hop] that showed up against Tito wins a close UD,” they said. They felt Golovkin would have lost by a narrow margin had he faced a version of Hopkins, who scored a career-defining win over Felix Trinidad.

For the following fan, Hopkins’ slick boxing move stood out. “MW [Hopkins] at any stage of his career had too many tricks for any boxer, including GGG,” they said. ‘B-Hop’s tricks would have overwhelmed Golovkin way too easily, perhaps.

Finally a compromise. Echoing the thoughts of many, this fan felt that it would have been a tightly contested fight. Hence, it is very difficult to judge who would have emerged as the winner. They said, “I say it’s a 50/50 on both fighting at their peak; it’s even.”

Perhaps the last observation might have been the closest possible outcome.

Where Hopkins displayed masterful skills in defense, Gennady Golovkin outshone most of his contemporaries with his formidable punches and stone-like resilience. Nevertheless, it would have been one of the best instances where styles made a fight.

What about you? What’s your take on the fight between Bernard Hopkins and Gennady Golovkin?