By Dan Ambrose: IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KO’s) says he would still see himself as the undisputed champion at 175 even if he never gets a chance to fight WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KO’s), who fights on Showtime’s rival HBO.
Hopkins wants to fight WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson next, and if he beats him then Hopkins will proclaim himself the undisputed champion at 175 without facing Kovalev. The Hopkins-Kovalev fight can only take place if Kovalev leaves HBO and comes over to Showtime to face Hopkins.
“You have to ask Richard Schaefer. I’m a Showtimer,” Hopkins said after his win over WBA light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov last Saturday night. “I’m loyal to Showtime, and I’m loyal to Richard Schaefer. Unless Kovalev comes here and crosses the street, I’ve got a bed for you; we’ll let him in the house. Who cares about the WBO belt? If the chances comes that I don’t have the WBO belt, the person who beat the man who beat the man becomes the guy. You got the Ring belt, you got the WBC, you got the IBF, and you got the WBA. You are the man. You guys know that.”
It would be one of those situations where boxing fans would never know who the best fighter is in the light heavyweight division. Hopkins, who is promoted by Golden Boy, would get the Ring title and the other belts, but unless he beat Kovalev, there would still be a lot of fans would feel that Hopkins wasn’t the undisputed champion at 175. Of course, none of this will matter one big if Hopkins can get past WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson later this year in a fight that will likely be staged in Canada.
Hopkins’ economical fighting style won’t help him against Adonis Stevenson because he won’t get the better of the exchanges like he did against the much slower Beibut Shumenov last Saturday. The guy that will be landing first most of the time will be Stevenson. The only way Hopkins can beat Stevenson will be to knock him out. Hopkins won’t be able to outwork him because he doesn’t throw enough punches.
“After I become the undisputed light heavyweight champion, I’m not going to defend it,” Hopkins said. “If I do fight it’s going to be the biggest fight in the world – 50-50. I know someone who wants to get 50 wins to break Marciano’s record, and we’ll name the promotion ’50-50.’ We’ll do that at Yankee Stadium or a stadium somewhere in front of 60,000 people. You know for $50 million.”
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