STYLES MAKE FIGHTS By Jeff Mayweather

This is one of the oldest and most used cliches in boxing, but it also holds true and will forever stand the test of time.

The way we put it in boxing terms is Fighter A. may can beat Fighter B. but Fighter C. can beat fighter B. can beat fighter A. but Fighter B. can beat Fighter C. Confusing enough for you? Well, let me put it to you this way. Shane Mosley recently lost to Winky Wright, that doesn't mean that Winky Wright can automatically beat, let's say Oscar de la Hoya.

Vernon Forest beat Shane Mosley twice yet turned around and lost to Ricardo Mayorga twice, who  was then beaten by Cory Spinks and that doesn't guarantee him a win over Vernon Forrest or Shane Mosley; that just means that if a guy can come up with the right game plan and execute it inside that ring on a particular night he may have just been the better fighter that night.

For instance the upcoming fight between Oscar de la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins is a very hard fight to pick. Most people I have talked to feel that Bernard Hopkins will beat Oscar de la Hoya very easily,  yet most of their assessment comes from one fight in which Hopkins looked spectacular when he pummeled Felix Trinidad en-route to an eleventh round stoppage. Yet  De la Hoya lost to Trinidad, be it somewhat controversial, as De la Hoya clearly won most of the rounds and gave away the last three.

Hopkins in his last fight beat William Joppy via unanimous decision who was totally destroyed by Trinidad within four rounds yet fought gallantly against Hopkins and finished on his feet.

I take nothing form Bernard Hopkins; he's a great fighter and is certainly one of the best pound for pound, but other than Trinidad and William Joppy you would have to go to BoxRec.Com to find out who are these other guys he has fought are.

I think Hopkins is a true Champion yet to just take a win over Trinidad and those who think that he's automatically going to beat De la Hoya that easily are sadly mistaken. Trinidad is a fighter who  comes to fight, meaning I get you or you get me, which may have also lead to the numbers of knockdowns he has faced in his career. He fought Hopkins Mano-Mano, and he was the smaller guy and got overpowered.

De la Hoya will not be in there trying to mix it up with Bernard Hopkins. He will be on his toes making Hopkins earn every single punch he lands. He also has extremely fast hands, which will also present a problem that Trinidad couldn't have. Trinidad came straight at Hopkins and was forced to move back by Bernard, who will have to find De la Hoya.

I think it will be a great fight and I think that it could easily go either way. If fight fans are looking for Hopkins to do to De la Hoya what he did to Trinidad they have no knowledge of the concept that Styles make Fights. I'm not pro De la Hoya or anti-Hopkins, I just think that so many people get caught up in what a fighter does to one fighter, assuming that he will do the same to the next fighter.

I won't say that Hopkins is overrated but I will say that it's hard for anyone to remember the names of the guys he's beaten unless you are solely a Hopkins fan. He may win and it won't be a surprise and he very well could lose but it won't be nothing like the Trinidad fight... At the end of the night it boils down to Styles makes Fights...