Why Wont Anybody Fight Hopkins?
July 4th, 2009
By Liam Santiago: After giving Kelly Pavlik a boxing lesson over twelve rounds, Bernard Hopkins should have a queue of the worlds top fighters waiting to fight him. Sadly, this is not the case. Even at the late boxing age of 44, Hopkins is still proving too much of a risk for the young up-coming boxers today. His unique tricky style, along with a granite chin, fearful power and a great desire to win make him one of the best pound for pound fighters around today.
When the fight between Hopkins and Pavlik was arranged, it was supposed to be an easy one for Pavlik just to keep him ticking over. Pavlik was unbeaten and ranked somewhere in the top ten pound for pound best but when he met Hopkins he was in a completely different league. He was schooled. Hopkins beat him to every punch and managed to take away his right hand, his most powerful asset. This might have been his best achievement but it certainly wasn’t his only one. In 2001 he knocked-out unbeaten Felix Trinidad and went on to do the same to Oscar De La Hoya in 2004, which takes a lot of doing. Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright have also recently tasted defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia warrior. However, in April 2008, Hopkins tasted a bitter, unconvincing defeat by split decision to Joe Calzaghe. Hopkins knocked the Welshman down in the first round and boxed well through the fight but Calzaghe did enough to edge it. Even though he suffered defeat to Calzaghe, the fact that he came so close to beating the legend proves Hopkins undoubted talent.
As a British boxing fan and writer many will find it hard to understand why I would write such a positive article on Hopkins, who isn’t really respected in Britain at all. But however cocky he seems, or however arrogant, it can’t be denied how talented he is, how hard to beat he is and how much courage he displays by fighting the very best even at the age of 44, which can’t be said for all fighters including Calzaghe.
After these huge wins, or close wins, surely Hopkins deserves one last fight against one of the ‘up-comers’. Chad Dawson would be the obvious option but he seems to prefer a pointless rematch with Glen Johnson. It is a common fact in boxing that Dawson struggles to sell a lot of tickets and gain a large fan base, this is one of the main reasons why. Who wants to see him fight Johnson again? Even his few die-hard fans would struggle to stay awake through this one while Bad Chad outpoints the Jamaican for the second time. The same thing happened with his last fight, another rematch with Antonio Tarver. Why fight him again. But Tarver’s in the past, the main issue now is why fight Johnson again when the best pound for pound fighter in the world (arguably) is in your division without a fight? Will this fight ever happen? I very much doubt it. If Dawson is not ready for an old 44 year old Hopkins now, he never will be.
British undefeated world champion, Carl Froch is also an option for Hopkins. Froch did look set to fight Lucian Bute but Bute now looks set for a rematch with Librado Andrade. Froch also has other options, he may want Kessler and it is well known he wants to tempt Calzaghe out of retirement. Unlike Dawson, Froch displays a 100% desire to fight the best. To come to America for the first time in his last fight and knock Jermaine Taylor out the way he did was fantastic. He has a huge heart, a granite chin and great power but again I don’t think he could beat Hopkins. He has a good chance but I think he would come up short. However, Froch has shown no real desire to want to fight Hopkins, instead he has shown intrest in Pavlik, the man who was took to school by BHop. Instead of going after Pavlik, why not go for the man who beat him?
It might be a long shot but if he can come up with the money he might tempt Joe Calzaghe out of retirement. Calzaghe stated recently he would return to the ring for a stupid amount of £10 million. Although Calzaghe beat him, it was unconvincing, Joe was knocked down and one of the judges had Hopkins as a winner. I personally thought Calzaghe won but it was close. Will there be a rematch? Only if Calzaghe believes he has quit and left un-finished business. Why not have one last fight in Cardiff to settle everything. After all, it’s not a question of Joe being past it now as Hopkins is six years his senior. This fight happening is very unlikely but if Joe has anything left to prove, it is against Hopkins.
Mikkel Kessler’s name can also be thrown into the mix. Having only tasted defeat to Calzaghe, Kessler has all the credentials, on paper, to beat Hopkins, granite chin, power and heart. Again the fight is unlikely due to Kessler either fighting his mandatorys or the ‘up-comers’. Another fight for Hopkins in Roy Jones Jnr in a very late rematch. Although both are legends of the ring the bout would not have all the hype and glory of these others.
In my eyes the only person out there that can beat Hopkins today has just retired. Joe Calzaghe. Almost certainly, the two will not fight again but Hopkins can take pride in how close he came to beating the Welsh Legend. Hopkins may not be the most exiting fighter in the world, and he may lose his temper and make a fool of himself in pre fight footage (ask Steve Bunce), but at 44 he has certainly cemented his name in boxing history. Something that other fighters will not do if they keep ducking the best. The fight I really want to see for Hopkins, and I’m sure many boxing fans will agree with me is Hopkins vs Froch.
Tags: 30 Responses to “Why Wont Anybody Fight Hopkins?”
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Some people can be bought and paid for and some cannot. Tomasz Adamek cannot be bought so there will be no fight.
Stop making excuses for B-hop. If he wants to fight with the young lions then he has to fight like a lion. I was bored to death in his fight with Wright and Calzaghe. He fought well against Tarver but Tarver looked more drained than Super Roy looked against him. Recall he said Super Roy was making excuses, yet he made the same excuse when B-hop made him look silly.
Again B-hop made Pavlik look silly but Pavlik was up against the master & allowed B-hop to choose the pace. But at least he fought and moved. I was quite impressed in both fights. But against Winky and Calzaghe, I was bored to tears.
Come on I found it impossible to watch that fight as it was clutch, grab, wrestle, feint, paw, paw, grab, wrestle, feint and paw and then a sneaky rt hand. Calzaghe tried to fight but B-hop did not want to, so he slapped and slapped and slapped some more.
That was almost as bad as the Spinks vs Quawi showdown back in 83 or so. Like I said, I respect B-hop but if he can’t fight with the young lions, retire and not tarnish what he has worked so hard for…a HOF career.
Roy Jones Jr call’em him out B-Hop you want ur rematch and then Get the Title from Tomasz should be the talk of the boxing world.
frist of all joe aint no legend al this time he has been fighting in brit the money and the sport is in the u.s thats what happend hitman he had never seen ant thing pbf and he got his ass wooped so he was 44-0 untill they met so get yo ass from overseas and fight someone. joe has not made alot in his caeer because of that i like don king because he made boxing international the thrilla in manilla the rumbel in the jungel and so on .joe didnt do enough to beat hop joe played pittiy pat boxing didnt was tired of bhop so thats how j.taylor became a champion now look @ him in the words of ric flair 2 b the man u hav 2beat the man bhop was in his 40s when he fought joe why not sonner so keep that fake ass record
Hopkins needs to fight Tomasz or the winner of the Glen vs. Dawson.
bla bla de bla bla look he can ask for what he wants hes 44 for christs sake, id like to see you people try and run a mile at that age let alone hop in a ring for 12 rounds getting as good as your giving from people half your age!! pay the man some respect. So what hes trying to get himself a retirement fund hes still got the goods any young boxer is just stupid for not paying up and having a go, you wanna be the best then beat the best theyre all to worried about the didgit in the loss column. because alot more people would pay to see a fight against hopkins then all those other no namers. Its embarrasing reading all your comments downing this man saying hes greedy….you have baseball players earning 100s of millions of dollars for swinging a bat!! here is a guy in the most brutal sport there is trying to get just rewards for sacraficing all the luxurys most couldnt live without to be where he is. i say ease up on bhop
i love jo but the hopkins fight was too close i thought a draw! even at his age he is a top fighter and pavlick found that out the hard way! no one in super midle or light heavy could beat hopkins 2 day and that says something about the comitment he has given 2 this sport that we all love!
It’s because Hopkins is too greedy
Wow your brainwashing everyone with your biased article. Adamek and dawson both have called hopkins out. Doesnt sound like no body wants to fight the old guy.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Get your shit straight your obviously a biased hopkins fan idiot. Dawson wanted to fight hopkins but hopkins wanted no part of him or admek (500k offer yeah he really wanted to fight adamek) thats why dawson has to fight a stupid rematch cause YOUR BOY is too SCARED of everyone he wants to fight washed up trinidad which is even more pointless than dawson fighting johnson. IDIOT>
ye good article. everyone duck hopkins including chad.
Well Calzaghe wont dare fight him again,cuz he know Hopkins beat him,and knoes if he fights him a second time he would get knocked out and def lose!!
Nobody will fight Hopkins because of his ridiclous purse demands (80% sometimes 90%) and with him closing in on his career he wont take a reasonable cut ever again
I like Hopkins for what he has achieved and respect that as an older man, he still keeps himself in shape. He also has re-adjusted his style to get the max out of his old legs and frustrate the young guys e.g. Pavlik. That’s it!
I do not enjoy watching as he sucks the life out of a boxing match. I am sorry, but his punch count in the Calzaghe fight was pathetic. He overwhelmed Calzaghe only in the categeory of grabbing, feinting, clutching, walking away & circling back, pretending to fight.
If that is what people want to see then go ahead and make his fights. Did anyone actually watch the whole fight with Winky? If I was a boxer, I would not fight B-hop cuz unless someone carries the action, there will be no fight. And as I am trying to fight, he will octopus me.
Yes, I already said he grabs and clutches and holds on like an octopus. The most action in his fights is the referees separating him than from actual punches. He makes fighters look bad but none of the established commentators will come out and say that. No writer will say it either.
Why? Cuz they are all old and they are living their lives vicariously thru him, like a father does a son. I understand it is his strategy as an old man. I am an old man too but I gave up sports at that level. This is the legacy that Foreman’s success in his old age has leftus. If B-hop is allowed to keep “no-fighting”, it will encourage oldtimers to keep fighting.
If B-hop wants to fight, let him fight. He also asks for too much $ which he is not worth. Did anyone read what I said before? Let me put it differently, there is more action in a chess match and I would rather watch paint dry than watch him fight. Just go away!
don juan is a retard and dfanny wats your surname
Paul Williams wanted to fight B-Hop and B-Hop wasn’t interested. So, let’s stop with the bull shit
good article, why wont anyone face him???
all these top young names run from hopkins after seeing what he did tovpavlik. GREAT ARTICLE.
bernard is the one hiding. hopkins should retire.
these would be a list to see if he has still got it :
carl froch
chad dawson
jean pascal
glen johnson
antonio tarver
gugo garay
zslot erdei
Froch has said he will fight hopkins on bunces boxing hour a while ago after the taylor fight, hopkins wants to much money according to things i have read and hennesey wont or cant pay it.
Chad Dawson asked him for a fight, all he said was an absurd answer… give him 5 Million to tango with Dawson, he’s outpricing himself out, he’s the one who doesn’t want to fight a dangerous opponent.
bhop give tito his rematch!!
What is Hopkins?
What weight is he? What titles does he hold?
Hes nothing, hes a very dangerous dirty fighter that will demand too much money to put a big dent in somebody elses career with out them being given too much money or rewards if they win.
Pavlik took him on cuz he underestmiated him and thought hed be a great name on his resumee. Well he got that wrong.
Hes 44 but hes a warrior, he is a greedy prick and a big risk with no belts to use as temptation.
No wonder nobody wants to fight him, and those that do are put off by his bollocks financial demands.
This article is entirely fictional.
Just a few months ago, Hopkins turned down a 4 million dollars offer fo fight Mikkel Kessler.
“Even though he suffered defeat to Calzaghe, the fact that he came so close to beating the legend proves Hopkins undoubted talent”.
“After these huge wins, or close wins”.
What is this writer on about? You either win or lose!
And in one sentence rates Calzaghe a legend in another says Calzaghe avoided the best!
Also saying Calzaghe has something to prove against Hopkins errr wake up he already did it!
Just about the worst article ever produced on this site.
EDWIN VALERO will fight HOPKINS for sure…
velero wants big fight and big money.
the next in line would be CALDERON after
he beat GAYWEATHER.
This is the worst article I have ever read. Liam Santiago is an absolute moron. 1st off Dawson has been dying to fight hopkins, but BERNARD turned it down. 2nd Adamek called him out and then b-hop low balled him because BERNARD did not want the fight. 3rd Paul Williams is willing to move up to 170 and fight B_HOP, a fight that Bernard sounded very interested in until he saw Pwill Dismantle Winky in April. Bottom line is Hopkins has over Half a Dozen pretty big names calling him out and he is ignoring them to hold out for some big payday that doesn’t actually exist. He needs to realize these are the biggest names in boxing around his weight class. P.S. Whoever runs this website should fire Liam Santiago and give me his job because this article is garbage.
Pacquiao will take on B-Hop if he is willing to come down to 145. LoL.
dawson did ask to fight hopkins but hopkins said no because he did not have enough experience yet to face him .