Taylor vs Hopkins Betting Preview

Little Rock, Arkansas has not produced a lot of great boxing champions over the years, but that could all change this Saturday at the MGM Grand. Twenty six year old Jermain Taylor will face the Philadelphian "Executioner" 40-year old Bernard Hopkins in a battle of experience versus hard core talent.Very few can argue with Hopkins incredible twenty straight title defenses and no one will ever question the obstacles that this peoples champion has had to overcome in his life. In 1982 at the tender age of 17, Hopkins came to a crossroads in his life, as he was incarcerated in the Graterford State Penitentiary and instead of feeling sorry for himself, he turned to boxing to get through the difficult times.In 1988 at the age of twenty three he was released after 56 months in prison and fought and loss his first professional fight on October 11th to Clinton Mitchell. Discouraged he returned to his job working in a hotel and in fact did not fight again to February, 1990 when he defeated Greg Paige. He quickly reeled off 19 straight victories and the boxing world was beginning to take notice of the Philadelphian warrior.Hopkins won the USBA championship and was motoring along when a world title shot came courtesy of superstar Roy Jones Jr. After 12 hard fought rounds, Jones won a unanimous decision over Hopkins, who suffered the second loss of his career. He hasn't lost since. "I made a vow to myself which I've held up for 11 years now, that I'll never lose on my feet again," Hopkins told a reporter in 2004. "I train that way, I think that way, and it's been 11 years. Some people don't think that's important. I think it's very important to make a statement and to work hard to live by it."Disappointed but not discouraged, Hopkins immediately went back into the gym and four months after losing to Jones he defended his USBA crown with a TKO win over then-unbeaten Roy Ritchie. Two more defenses followed, and on December 17, 1994, Hopkins got a second shot at a world title against Segundo Mercado. Fighting in oppressive conditions in Ecuador, Hopkins was knocked down twice by Mercado but still was able to gain a draw.Five months later, on April 29, 1995, there would be no questions as Hopkins dispatched of Mercado in seven rounds. Finally, the dream had come true and Bernard Hopkins was a world champion.Now the veteran Hopkins awaits the younger, bigger and stronger Taylor and Hopkins has stated he will retire on his 41st birthday, but has no intentions of losing again in his career.For Taylor it has been 13 long years of schooling by his surrogate father and trainer Ozell Nelson. A typical boxing scenario had Taylor's father abandoning his mother and three younger sisters when he was five. Jermain had to change diapers, cook dinner and babysit while his mother held down a few jobs. His mother refused to let him fight and Taylor when he eventually did get in the gym was badly beaten by Nelson's son.The highlight for Nelson was being able to go to another state in Missouri for a boxing tournament, as needless to say, kids from Little Rock do not do a lot of traveling. His grandmother was murdered just after he had won a medal at the Goodwill Games, so the road has not been an easy one for Jermain.While most experts suggest that Taylor can ill afford to fight on the inside with the cunning and ruthless Hopkins, I feel boxing experts are failing to acknowledge the huge size and strength advantage of the youngster. A three inch reach advantage, five inches bigger in the chest, three inches bigger in the biceps and forearms, as well as an extraordinary seven inch advantage in the thighs, where all the power for punches comes from.The line has Hopkins at -170 while Taylor is just +140, and this tells me that Vegas respects the younger Taylor. Look for a new champion come Saturday night!