Bernard Hopkins fought a number of boxing legends throughout his illustrious career.
Hopkins is widely regarded as one of the most successful boxers of recent times, becoming undisputed champion at middleweight before going on to claim world honours at light heavyweight too.
He holds the record as the oldest world champion in history at the age of 49, and picked up victories over fellow greats such as Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad and Winky Wright.
It is another man that stands out as the best though, with Hopkins once telling Ring Magazine that he views Roy Jones Jr as his greatest opponent.
“He was smart enough to neutralise my best weapons and smart enough to not get hit by my big shots. Even though I got my shots in he wouldn’t get hit by more than one. Like if I got one in … and that’s the thing about fighting unique guys … if a guy lands that one shot, normally there’s another coming behind that.
“He was an all-around thing – best boxer, best defence, offence.
“Early career Roy Jones Jr. – speed, reflexes, unorthodox, that type of thing. No one, no one would have beat Roy Jones at that level, where he was at right there and then.”
Hopkins and Jones met on two occasions, with the first coming in May 1993, when Jones won by unanimous decision to win the vacant IBF middleweight title.
Their rematch took place nearly 20 years later in April 2010, with Hopkins gaining revenge and earning a unanimous decision victory of his own.
It is no surprise that Hopkins views Jones as the best he fought, with the boxing legend having won world titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight during his own iconic career.
