Does Bernard Hopkins get a pass for pricing himself out against Calzaghe and RJJ?

I'm grateful for your information, but it doesn't make sense to me. I get that he tried to bait Roy into a fight, but it sounds ridiculous to me. It's very interesting though, and I've never heard of it before. When did you first hear of it?

Regards, Loudon.

 

Yes Bernard's a strange character.

 

I read it years back, but I can't remember what websites. There were a few of them that I read it on. That fight card happened in Florida somewhere. It may have been in Jones' hometown.

 

Roy did go when he needed the payday after GBP became a powerful company and he had to earn some. The fight was proposed to him and he went after it just like Calzaghe, just like Dawson, just like Pavlik, just like Pascal and so on.

Regards, Dorf

 

I agree with the 60-40 being fair, being that Jones beat him somewhat easily when they fought. I disagree with the second, as Hopkins deserved at least 50/50 with what Calzaghe was getting.

 

Good post!

I wasn't aware that Oscar was a possible opponent for Bernard in 2002?

I don't think Trinidad wanted a rematch either.

Also Bernard wasn't a big draw. It was Oscar and Trinidad who were the huge draws. Oscar really was the Golden Boy back then, and Trinidad had a whole country backing him.

I respect your opinion. You have great knowledge. You're right about Roy's poor PPV. But at the end of the day, Roy was considered the best fighter in the world, and he had the win. It doesn't really matter what the circumstances were anyway, because the fighter that won the first fight, is never going to accept 50/50 for the rematch. It's not happening. If Bernard had the win in 93 and Roy wanted 50/50, what do you think Bernard would have said?

Roy wasn't bothered about the rematch. He only considered it because of the demand from the fans. He didn't want to come down in weight at that point of his career. He was the unified 175 champ and was looking to fight Tyson or Ruiz.

The Trinidad win was a huge win for Hopkins, because Tito was a huge name in boxing. But really he had no business fighting at that weight. Beating Tito at middleweight doesn't give you the right to ask for 50/50 against the P4P no.1 fighter in the world who's already beaten you. Not in my opinion.

Apart from the fight with Oscar 2 years later in 2004, Bernard continued to do poor PPV, just like Roy, until he fought Ruiz and Tarver.

Great debate!

Regards, Loudon.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Bernard teamed up with Oscar, and they offered Roy the rematch and he took it. But Roy didn't chase Bernard for that fight. It was Bernard who was desperate for the rematch. It had been on his mind for 17 years, and he considered that his only real clear cut loss.

He even dismissed Danny Green's first round knockout over Roy. He said it was a premature stoppage and a fight between the two was still relevant. So yes, Roy took the payday, but he didn't go after Bernard. If Bernard hadn't have pushed for the fight like he did, they'd never have fought again.

Incidentally, it was reported that Roy hardly made a penny from the fight. The PPV was terrible, and he'd agreed some sort of percentage with Oscar for it, and in the end he got practically nothing. The purse split was supposedly 60% to the winner by knockout or a stoppage, but there was no way Roy was ever going to get that.

Regards, Loudon.

 

Roy wasn't a big PPV draw, but he was a very very good live gate draw all around the country, particularly the South.

 

Hopkins completely ruined the Calzaghe fight with his holding, clinching, wrestling, grabbing, faking low blows, etc.

What should have been a good fight for the fans was absolutely ruined by him because he was scared to fight Calzaghe straight up. :-(

 

Correct

HBO did not want to buy his fight against Hakkar, which was seen as a mismatch. So King shopped the fight to Showtime who agreed to buy it as part of a 3 fight deal. If he took the deal he would of been away from HBO for at leat 2 years. So Hopkins turned the offer down and kKing then repackaged the hHakkar fight with some hw rahamn fights and sold it to HBO.

Warrren was never in a position to offer him 3m either. Hopkins was not a draw and calzaghe was unknown in America.

 

neither hopkins or jones were ppv draws.

a 60/40 split was fair.

 

So wait....are you saying there was never a solid offer from the Calzaghe camp that guaranteed $3mill?

 

I have respect for Hopkins and his achievements, but he should get criticised for ducking Calzaghe in 2002.

 

it is very very difficult to believe a fight with Cal in 2002 would hand Bhop £3m. Calzaghe was so unknown back then it was painful, he'd done nothing and people in england didnt even know who he was. He was a Nathan Cleverly back then, except without much of the extra media coverage that websites inevitably generate these days, Nath cant even get close to generating million fights now, no way cal does it in 2002.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/2511439.stm

Calzaghe eyes Hopkins showdown
WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins would step up to Calzaghe's weight
The prospect of Joe Calzaghe fighting Bernard Hopkins moved a step closer to reality on Monday with the news that negotiations are underway.

Calzaghe must first defeat American challenger Thomas Tate in Newcastle next month, but his next fight could then be the biggest of his career.

"This is brilliant news and is just the incentive I need to put on a top performance against Thomas Tate," Calzaghe said.


Joe has agreed to it and it is now up to Hopkins to agree
Boxing promoter Frank ******

"I have been chasing a super-fight against the likes of Hopkins for a long time.

"I want to prove that not only am I the best super-middle but also the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world."

World Boxing Organisation super-middleweight champion Calzaghe has long wanted a lucrative fight against one of the big American names.

Roy Jones Jr has made encouraging noises but done little else to suggest he will ever test himself against the Newbridge fighter.

Tate ready for 'Brit bashing'

But Hopkins - the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation middleweight champ - appears to have at least looked seriously at a match-up.

Calzaghe revealed that his promoter, Frank ******, met with opposite number Don King in London on Monday to negotiate the details of a fight to take place next year.

Both camps are confident that the fight will take place next summer, with Cardiff's 72,500-seater Millennium Stadium the favoured venue.

However, for the Calzaghe v Hopkins fight to take place, both have to come through title defences first.

Welshman Calzaghe makes his 12th defence against Tate on 14 December at the Telewest Arena in Newcastle.

Joe Calzaghe is the WBO super-middleweight champion
Only Calzaghe's world title would be on the line

Then Hopkins defends his titles on 11 January in his hometown of Philadelphia against Frenchman Morrade Hakker.

Providing both come out winners then the duo should meet in a summer extravaganza, with Hopkins stepping up a division to challenge for Calzaghe's crown.

"Don and myself are set on making this fight happen," ****** said.

"Joe has agreed to it and it is now up to Hopkins to agree. The fight can take place next year providing both men come through their forthcoming defences.

"We have been working a long time for this fight to take place and finally all the hard work is bearing fruit.

"Boxing fans can look forward to a sensational showdown in 2003."