A: because Murat is ranked and not a threat. :conf Perfect tuneup for Hopkins. He gets to keep his name in the mix without being criticized for picking a total bum, yet with utmost assurance that Murat will bring no surprises. Hopkins could UD Murat in his sleep. (and will UD him in ours...:-(()
Espinosa at Showtime already rejected Kovalev for Hopkins, and HBO rejected Hopkins for Stevenson. This bull**** network politics, as well as the Top Rank vs Golden Boy politics is really ****ing up boxing.
I always used to think that Hopkins would eventually "look old" when he faced an unsuspecting guy, kind of like a Murat. Now I'm not saying I disagree with you - quite the contrary I agree, and think Hopkins will win this comfortably. But, at age 48, and I feel like a broken record saying this, but nothing would surprise me with a fighter that old.
People have been waiting for Hopkins to falter for years. I doubt Murat makes him falter. Sooner or later age will catch up though. Hopkins will be fine as long as he steers clear of Ward.
GBP are separate from the sanctioning belt. The IBF appear to be the strictest about fighting mandatories. Alexander was being forced to fight Alexander right away. Miguel Vasquez is fighting his mandatory next too.
I know they're separate. I just tend to think B Hop, being the fourty eight year old wonder and GBP exec, that he would have been able to easily finagle his way around a mandatory fight. I mean, it's not like GBP wouldn't have been able to pay sanctioning fees. Smaller promotional companies are the ones whose fighters tend to get pigeonholed into fighting mandatories. look at all the examples of fighters who didn't have to face mandatories, deserving or undeserving. the IBF may seem more strict, but ultimately, like all the other bodies, it's about sanctioning fees, which is why there is such mass confusion and frivolous champions in the sport as we speak. I think B Hop had no one of note to fight, so he just said "**** it, i'll fight this dude while something more appealing comes together"
agree with what every1 has said. but tbh who would even wanna fight bhop? you are never gonna be able to look good against him and will never dominate him. he will almost always win at least 4 rounds against you .
The way Hopkins fights, he can get in the ring against Murat types when he's 60 and get decisions just by posing, laughing, and sticking his tongue out. Nowdays thats called boxing, did'nt you know?