By Dan Ambrose: With the latest ruling by the World Boxing Council mandating that WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins must fight an immediate rematch against Chad Dawson, it was hoped that boxing fans could see whether Hopkins could handle the younger Dawson without falling down with some kind of injury.

But we may not be seeing this fight after all, as Hopkins is talking about wanting to take on IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute next instead of giving Dawson a well-deserved rematch. Hopkins and Dawson fought last October after years of Dawson chasing Hopkins and trying to get a fight with him.

Dawson got the better of Hopkins in the 1st round and was continuing to look good in the second when Hopkins fell on top of Dawson’s back, and fell to the floor when Dawsons straightened up. Instead of continuing to fight, Hopkins laid on the canvas clutching his left arm and claiming he was injured.

Antonio Tarver, who has fought both guys, is skeptical about the injury, saying to eastsideboxing.com’s On the Ropes Boxing Radio “He [Hopkins] didn’t make an attempt to fight [after the injury]. He tried to sell it to the world that the arm was immobile…If you’re feeling a little pain, at least attempt, and if you can’t go on than okay. America would have more respect for that rather than him lying on the canvas and looking like he faked the injury.”

As for a Hopkins-Dawson rematch, Tarver doesn’t see the logic in it from Hopkins’ stand point, saying “I don’t know if that fight sells…Right now Hopkins is looking to cash out and Lucian Bute is a big fight over in Canada. He’s looking to fight the biggest fight that’s available to him.”

In other words, the soon to be 47-year-old Hopkins is looking to get as much money he can before getting out of the sport. A dangerous fight with Dawson, one that Hopkins likely can’t win, isn’t an attractive fight for him because it won’t make him the same kind of money he can get for a Bute bout – if Hopkins can get that fight negotiated. From Bute’s perspective, it might be an interesting fight because Hopkins has been visible with his two fights in Canada against Jean Pascal. Bute could show how much better he is compared to Pascal by beating Hopkins. It’s still not likely to be an entertaining fight if Hopkins flops a lot or uses his grab and clinch fighting style.