You think so? My buddies from Philly from his age group, said he was only a tourney player, and players like Jimmy Fusco would have beaten him for the cash.
Oh, I guess Hopkins would have been an 800 level or above also.
Jimmy Fusco was a good friend of mine and a damn good player, His strongest game was actually Banks with Straight Pool and 9-Ball his next two best. He was worshiped in Philly where he reigned supreme for decades. Not too many players wanted any part of him playing on his home court - Boulevard Billiards, or anywhere else in South Philly for that matter. But get him on a neutral court and he was vulnerable. Not soft by any means, but vulnerable.
Rempe meanwhile could play anywhere and be right at home. He handled different conditions well. Not so many people know that Jimmy R. made his bones traveling all around the East and Midwest as a youngster playing anyone who wanted a game, and playing all games! He was already a legendary gambler when he was a teenager!
I think there was mutual respect between Rempe and Fusco, two old school warriors. But did Fusco want to gamble with Rempe, I doubt it. Jimmy R. was the superior player at Straight Pool and One Pocket and it was a toss up at 9-Ball (I'd have to bet Rempe though). Only in Banks did Jimmy F. have an advantage.
There is a reason that Rempe had such a stellar tournament record. He was a great pool player. Jimmy Fusco was also very good but never reached those heights, more by choice than anything else. Jimmy F. chose not to travel all over the country and follow the tournament circuit everywhere. He was content to stay close to home and let players come to him. A pretty smart decision I would say. When he did travel though he had some surprisingly good results. He won the Sands tourney with all the top players the one year he went all the way to Reno, and he won quite a few of the big regional events on the East Coast. He was Eastern States champion more than once.
In conclusion it's not clear cut who would win if they played, but I have a feeling any time they matched up in a tournament (9-Ball, 14.1 or One Pocket) the line had Rempe favored slightly. Maybe he was a 6-5 (or 7-5) choice to win. Bottom line you are talking about two of the best players of their generation. But one of them was an International champion (Rempe), winning tournaments all over the globe (he was several times the English Eight Ball champion and went further in Snooker than any other American before or since). His record speaks for itself. It's no accident he is in the billiards Hall of Fame.