Boxing News Thread
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I believe Devon has the skills to nullify Khan's speed.
Khan might look good the first couple of rounds as he always does, but from the 4th and on I beleive Alexander will figure it out and take over the fight.
Rooting for Amir Khan though.
This is just my hunch...
Khan might look good the first couple of rounds as he always does, but from the 4th and on I beleive Alexander will figure it out and take over the fight.
Rooting for Amir Khan though.
This is just my hunch...
Props:
2-0-Sixx and 2-0-Sixx
Cleverly-Bellew card on AWE in U.S.
The card headlined by the much-anticipated rematch between cruiserweights Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew -- who fought an exciting light heavyweight title bout won by then-defending titleholder Cleverly in 2011 -- will be on pay-per-view in the United Kingdom, but it will be televised for free on this side of the pond.
AWE -- the former WealthTV -- announced on Tuesday that it had secured American broadcast rights for the Nov. 22 card at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, Bellew’s hometown.
AWE plans to air the fight live and along with several of the undercard bouts, including junior featherweight titlist Scott Quigg’s defense against Hidenori Otake and bantamweight titlist Jamie McDonnell’s defense against Walberto Ramos.
A McDonnell victory will secure him a title unification bout with Tomoki Kameda in early 2015 in the United States.
The broadcast is also slated to include super middleweight contender George Groves against Denis Douglin, heavyweight prospect Anthony Joshua against Michael Sprott and super middleweight Callum Smith’s world title eliminator against Nikola Sjekloca.
Unfortunately, AWE has limited distribution, but the network will also stream the fights live on its website for those fans who have previously activated accounts.
The card headlined by the much-anticipated rematch between cruiserweights Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew -- who fought an exciting light heavyweight title bout won by then-defending titleholder Cleverly in 2011 -- will be on pay-per-view in the United Kingdom, but it will be televised for free on this side of the pond.
AWE -- the former WealthTV -- announced on Tuesday that it had secured American broadcast rights for the Nov. 22 card at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, Bellew’s hometown.
AWE plans to air the fight live and along with several of the undercard bouts, including junior featherweight titlist Scott Quigg’s defense against Hidenori Otake and bantamweight titlist Jamie McDonnell’s defense against Walberto Ramos.
A McDonnell victory will secure him a title unification bout with Tomoki Kameda in early 2015 in the United States.
The broadcast is also slated to include super middleweight contender George Groves against Denis Douglin, heavyweight prospect Anthony Joshua against Michael Sprott and super middleweight Callum Smith’s world title eliminator against Nikola Sjekloca.
Unfortunately, AWE has limited distribution, but the network will also stream the fights live on its website for those fans who have previously activated accounts.
VIRGIL HUNTER SAYS ANDRE WARD WILL BE BACK "VERY SOON"; TALKS POTENTIAL GENNADY GOLOVKIN CLASH
Props:
CZAR and CZAR
This is from two days ago. Virgil Hunter is talking about Andre Ward will have two tune ups and then maybe they can fight Golovkin in a year and a half or two years. So I hope now people can stop saying "GGG needs to fight Andre Ward!" when they aren't even trying to fight GGG anytime soon themselves.
Will Andre Ward go right into a big fight or do you think, you know, he needs some kind of tune up?
He'll be brought back the right way. We don't have to justify a tune up fight or a level of opponent that insures that he's able to get back into a fight groove and probably twice (tune ups). I'm looking to ease him back in and get him into a groove and then let him move on from there.
What are your thoughts on a Ward Golovkin fight and what do you think of Triple G as a fighter?
Overall as a fighter I think he is a tremendous fighter, I think he's proven that and his promoter K2 has done a fantastic job moving him and exposing him to the world. I understand they have plans for him at the middleweight division, just like we have plans at the Super Middleweight division so we have to respect that.
I mean yes a fight that's talked about a lot by boxing fans so I think rightfully that Golovkin and K2 should continue on with their journey and hopefully we'll get our train out the station and you know, at some point collide down the road, when the fight really matters and both fighters can benefit. There are no losers. So that's how it should go.
As a trainer, are you looking forward to that fight (with GGG)?
You want to fight the best, as a trainer you want to fight the best opponents so I believe it will come, I don't believe it will come in the near horizon, maybe about a year and a half, two years away...at some point I imagine they will have a fight.
Will Andre Ward go right into a big fight or do you think, you know, he needs some kind of tune up?
He'll be brought back the right way. We don't have to justify a tune up fight or a level of opponent that insures that he's able to get back into a fight groove and probably twice (tune ups). I'm looking to ease him back in and get him into a groove and then let him move on from there.
What are your thoughts on a Ward Golovkin fight and what do you think of Triple G as a fighter?
Overall as a fighter I think he is a tremendous fighter, I think he's proven that and his promoter K2 has done a fantastic job moving him and exposing him to the world. I understand they have plans for him at the middleweight division, just like we have plans at the Super Middleweight division so we have to respect that.
I mean yes a fight that's talked about a lot by boxing fans so I think rightfully that Golovkin and K2 should continue on with their journey and hopefully we'll get our train out the station and you know, at some point collide down the road, when the fight really matters and both fighters can benefit. There are no losers. So that's how it should go.
As a trainer, are you looking forward to that fight (with GGG)?
You want to fight the best, as a trainer you want to fight the best opponents so I believe it will come, I don't believe it will come in the near horizon, maybe about a year and a half, two years away...at some point I imagine they will have a fight.
ALIEN ENCOUNTERS: FORMER OPPONENTS OF BERNARD HOPKINS REFLECT ON THEIR FIGHTS WITH HIM
ROBERT ALLEN:
I remember he made me so mad before the first fight. I was so mad that he didn't want to be in the ring with me, so he jumped out. I was real angry that night. I wanted to kill him, you know what I mean? For the second fight, he made sure he didn't even talk to me. He never pissed me off again after that. Honestly, I was never prepared for the second or third fight anyway, but after the first fight, he made sure to never say anything to me. I thought he would try to use his mind games in the other two fights, but he never did. The first time we fought, I did my best. I was sharp, I was faster, and I didn't have a problem making the weight. I was able to match his speed, power, and strength. For the next two fights with Bernard, I couldn't really make the weight no more. I struggled to make the weight, but he just beat me in the next two fights. I was best prepared in the first fight. He had a time with me in that fight. In the next two fights, he didn't have no problem beating me. I am the only guy that can say I fought Bernard Hopkins 3 times.
Bernard is able to still compete at this level at almost 50 years of age because he keeps himself in great shape, he's very disciplined, and these guys aren't making him fight when he don't want to fight. They are letting him walk around the ring and pick his spots. He's been able to make his career like that. He's fighting at his pace and having fun, but what these guys don't understand is you gotta get lowdown and dirty in there and jump on him and beat him like he's an old man. You can't stand there and and admire him. You gotta get in there and kick him and dog him and elbow him; you got to be angry and you got to beat his ass. You can't try to box with him. You gotta go in there and hurt him. That's the only thing Bernard respects. If you don't do any of that, he's gonna beat you with the bullshit. If you go in there and use some of the tactics that he likes to use and turn it into a dog fight, he don't want that.
LUPE AQUINO:
Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter. He is very cagey and always stays fit. Middleweight wasn't my weight, but I admire this unique pugilist.
ENRIQUE ORNELAS:
I remember my fight with Bernard not being a hard fight, but more frustrating than anything. I was more tired afterwards from carrying his weight. My shoulders were heavy from him holding me and laying his weight on me to carry. Remember, I was coming from 160 pounds up to 175. To me, his legend was harder than the fight itself. He is amazing for his age and what he has done. He is very beatable boxing-wise, but he is also a very smart boxer that knows all of the tricks in the book, and more importantly, the judges and referees allow it and turn their eye to it.
KEITH HOLMES:
The mind games that Bernard plays before fights is a good strategy for him. He got me out of my game. If he can disturb peace, then he has basically won the game. He is really good at that and I have to commend him on his career and being that way. As far as our fight goes, I grew up in the streets and I was very aggressive growing up. When he did his pre-fight talk, it took me out of my game of boxing and it took me into a street mentality. He basically tricked me into that situation. But overall, that didn't deter me from wanting to destroy him in the fight. I was going through a lawsuit with Don King at the time. Me and Don King was arguing 2 nights before the fight. I wasn't even focused on the fight like that. It was a great opportunity for Bernard Hopkins at that time to fight me because I wasn't prepared mentally and my training camp wasn't that good. I had about 35 rounds of sparring and usually I go into every fight with at least 150 rounds of sparring. That fight right there was the most important fight of my life and it was the least effort I ever put into training. And that was very disappointing, especially right now. When you think about it, all people can remember is the Bernard Hopkins fight and that could be understood because Bernard Hopkins is a great legend today. But when you go back to my career, in 1993, I fought 8 fights and won 6 by knockout. In 1994, I fought 8 fights and won 6 by knockout, and then once I signed with Don King in 1995, the most I ever fought in one year was twice. Then I went 14-1, and also with the Bernard Hopkins fight at the end of the line, I hadn't fought in 14 to 15 months and Bernard Hopkins was just coming off of a fight. It was so much dealing with the situation and the Don King camp and all of that stuff. I became so inactive and that depletes your skills. I heard Andre Ward talk about it; if he can get 3 to 4 fights a year, you would see a different Andre Ward and I totally agree with that because timing is key and for Bernard Hopkins, it was great timing for him at that time. I have no excuses though, man. That was my mistake because I had those things occurring in my life. Even though sparring is different from boxing, when I go train with him and stuff, it's not the same. The fight would be totally different today than it was yesterday.
I'm not a person that gets caught up in the age thing because right now, I'm 45 years old and I'm doing things that I wasn't doing when I was 26 when I first won the world title. So I don't concentrate on Bernard's age so much. One thing for certain, you get wiser and that's why Bernard is escaping a lot of things. You are much more wiser and your skills are basically preserved. You know how to do this because of all of the fights you've had over the years. It really works to Bernard's favor, especially if you're looking at him because of his age because he's still a fighter. No matter what, he's still gonna fight you back. But he is intelligent in that ring. Until you get somebody that can really press him and not let him walk around that ring, he's gonna stay young. You gotta pull the old man out of him. He is preserving himself because if you look at the fights that he's in, he's walking around the ring a lot of the time. He's not fighting the whole fight. He ain't got nobody really pressing him like Maidana did Mayweather. You have to stay on top of him and make him expend energy and until that happens, Bernard is still gonna have his way. John David Jackson is right in everything that he is saying leading up to this fight, but he ain't the one in there. Kovalev is still a young cat. The question is, will Bernard get him out of his game? That's the key. Will he get touched more than he's ever been touched before and when that happens, do he change his game and fall into the game of Bernard Hopkins? That is the key. You have a very experienced fighter and then you have a guy that has never went a whole fight before. He has never fought an entire 12-round fight before. Boxing is a very mental game and Bernard Hopkins plays it well.
GILBERT BAPTIST:
Bernard and my bodyguard got into it before our fight. A guy named "JP" Jimmy Palmer. Him and Bernard had some words and Jimmy Palmer is the type of guy that would hit you, so I'm just glad they didn't get into it. That's part of the game. The person that originally started all that was Sonny Liston. He started the staring you down and looking you down. And Sonny's stare was so cold, a lot of guys would back down. That's why Ali talked crazy and acted crazy towards him. Ali went off screaming and yelling and going to his house and they went back and forth. Me and Bernard's fight was highly competitive. I don't think Bernard ever had anyone go to his body the way that I did. Butch Lewis and Michael Spinks was standing ringside holding up their left hand because I was hitting him with a beautiful left hook to the body. Bernard got to the point...he is a very smart fighter. His people promoted the fight. I would have to knock him out to win and he knew that too. So what Bernard did was in the 6th, 7th, and 8th round, Bernard saw he wasn't gonna knock me out and he boxed. I kept the fight coming to him, but he is a smart guy; very smart fighter. My biggest thing with Bernard is...fighters and athletes suffer from 3 different versions of trauma: insomnia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. I limp on my left side when I walk from trauma. Insomnia is the lesser of the three. Alzheimer's like Jerry Quarry had, he was gone at the end. Parkinson's is what Ali has. Ali knows what's going on, but he has no motor skills. I'm just hoping when Bernard retires that all of that stuff don't come down on him. Bernard took good care of himself. I have never heard of Bernard drinking or using drugs. You wouldn't believe the fighters in this game that really fuck with drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol and punches to the head don't work. I never drank a day of my life and I have damage from fighting. Punches and drugs and alcohol is not good. Out of respect for the game, you wouldn't believe the amount of fighters that can't put a conversation together or hold a sentence.
ROBERT ALLEN:
I remember he made me so mad before the first fight. I was so mad that he didn't want to be in the ring with me, so he jumped out. I was real angry that night. I wanted to kill him, you know what I mean? For the second fight, he made sure he didn't even talk to me. He never pissed me off again after that. Honestly, I was never prepared for the second or third fight anyway, but after the first fight, he made sure to never say anything to me. I thought he would try to use his mind games in the other two fights, but he never did. The first time we fought, I did my best. I was sharp, I was faster, and I didn't have a problem making the weight. I was able to match his speed, power, and strength. For the next two fights with Bernard, I couldn't really make the weight no more. I struggled to make the weight, but he just beat me in the next two fights. I was best prepared in the first fight. He had a time with me in that fight. In the next two fights, he didn't have no problem beating me. I am the only guy that can say I fought Bernard Hopkins 3 times.
Bernard is able to still compete at this level at almost 50 years of age because he keeps himself in great shape, he's very disciplined, and these guys aren't making him fight when he don't want to fight. They are letting him walk around the ring and pick his spots. He's been able to make his career like that. He's fighting at his pace and having fun, but what these guys don't understand is you gotta get lowdown and dirty in there and jump on him and beat him like he's an old man. You can't stand there and and admire him. You gotta get in there and kick him and dog him and elbow him; you got to be angry and you got to beat his ass. You can't try to box with him. You gotta go in there and hurt him. That's the only thing Bernard respects. If you don't do any of that, he's gonna beat you with the bullshit. If you go in there and use some of the tactics that he likes to use and turn it into a dog fight, he don't want that.
LUPE AQUINO:
Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter. He is very cagey and always stays fit. Middleweight wasn't my weight, but I admire this unique pugilist.
ENRIQUE ORNELAS:
I remember my fight with Bernard not being a hard fight, but more frustrating than anything. I was more tired afterwards from carrying his weight. My shoulders were heavy from him holding me and laying his weight on me to carry. Remember, I was coming from 160 pounds up to 175. To me, his legend was harder than the fight itself. He is amazing for his age and what he has done. He is very beatable boxing-wise, but he is also a very smart boxer that knows all of the tricks in the book, and more importantly, the judges and referees allow it and turn their eye to it.
KEITH HOLMES:
The mind games that Bernard plays before fights is a good strategy for him. He got me out of my game. If he can disturb peace, then he has basically won the game. He is really good at that and I have to commend him on his career and being that way. As far as our fight goes, I grew up in the streets and I was very aggressive growing up. When he did his pre-fight talk, it took me out of my game of boxing and it took me into a street mentality. He basically tricked me into that situation. But overall, that didn't deter me from wanting to destroy him in the fight. I was going through a lawsuit with Don King at the time. Me and Don King was arguing 2 nights before the fight. I wasn't even focused on the fight like that. It was a great opportunity for Bernard Hopkins at that time to fight me because I wasn't prepared mentally and my training camp wasn't that good. I had about 35 rounds of sparring and usually I go into every fight with at least 150 rounds of sparring. That fight right there was the most important fight of my life and it was the least effort I ever put into training. And that was very disappointing, especially right now. When you think about it, all people can remember is the Bernard Hopkins fight and that could be understood because Bernard Hopkins is a great legend today. But when you go back to my career, in 1993, I fought 8 fights and won 6 by knockout. In 1994, I fought 8 fights and won 6 by knockout, and then once I signed with Don King in 1995, the most I ever fought in one year was twice. Then I went 14-1, and also with the Bernard Hopkins fight at the end of the line, I hadn't fought in 14 to 15 months and Bernard Hopkins was just coming off of a fight. It was so much dealing with the situation and the Don King camp and all of that stuff. I became so inactive and that depletes your skills. I heard Andre Ward talk about it; if he can get 3 to 4 fights a year, you would see a different Andre Ward and I totally agree with that because timing is key and for Bernard Hopkins, it was great timing for him at that time. I have no excuses though, man. That was my mistake because I had those things occurring in my life. Even though sparring is different from boxing, when I go train with him and stuff, it's not the same. The fight would be totally different today than it was yesterday.
I'm not a person that gets caught up in the age thing because right now, I'm 45 years old and I'm doing things that I wasn't doing when I was 26 when I first won the world title. So I don't concentrate on Bernard's age so much. One thing for certain, you get wiser and that's why Bernard is escaping a lot of things. You are much more wiser and your skills are basically preserved. You know how to do this because of all of the fights you've had over the years. It really works to Bernard's favor, especially if you're looking at him because of his age because he's still a fighter. No matter what, he's still gonna fight you back. But he is intelligent in that ring. Until you get somebody that can really press him and not let him walk around that ring, he's gonna stay young. You gotta pull the old man out of him. He is preserving himself because if you look at the fights that he's in, he's walking around the ring a lot of the time. He's not fighting the whole fight. He ain't got nobody really pressing him like Maidana did Mayweather. You have to stay on top of him and make him expend energy and until that happens, Bernard is still gonna have his way. John David Jackson is right in everything that he is saying leading up to this fight, but he ain't the one in there. Kovalev is still a young cat. The question is, will Bernard get him out of his game? That's the key. Will he get touched more than he's ever been touched before and when that happens, do he change his game and fall into the game of Bernard Hopkins? That is the key. You have a very experienced fighter and then you have a guy that has never went a whole fight before. He has never fought an entire 12-round fight before. Boxing is a very mental game and Bernard Hopkins plays it well.
GILBERT BAPTIST:
Bernard and my bodyguard got into it before our fight. A guy named "JP" Jimmy Palmer. Him and Bernard had some words and Jimmy Palmer is the type of guy that would hit you, so I'm just glad they didn't get into it. That's part of the game. The person that originally started all that was Sonny Liston. He started the staring you down and looking you down. And Sonny's stare was so cold, a lot of guys would back down. That's why Ali talked crazy and acted crazy towards him. Ali went off screaming and yelling and going to his house and they went back and forth. Me and Bernard's fight was highly competitive. I don't think Bernard ever had anyone go to his body the way that I did. Butch Lewis and Michael Spinks was standing ringside holding up their left hand because I was hitting him with a beautiful left hook to the body. Bernard got to the point...he is a very smart fighter. His people promoted the fight. I would have to knock him out to win and he knew that too. So what Bernard did was in the 6th, 7th, and 8th round, Bernard saw he wasn't gonna knock me out and he boxed. I kept the fight coming to him, but he is a smart guy; very smart fighter. My biggest thing with Bernard is...fighters and athletes suffer from 3 different versions of trauma: insomnia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. I limp on my left side when I walk from trauma. Insomnia is the lesser of the three. Alzheimer's like Jerry Quarry had, he was gone at the end. Parkinson's is what Ali has. Ali knows what's going on, but he has no motor skills. I'm just hoping when Bernard retires that all of that stuff don't come down on him. Bernard took good care of himself. I have never heard of Bernard drinking or using drugs. You wouldn't believe the fighters in this game that really fuck with drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol and punches to the head don't work. I never drank a day of my life and I have damage from fighting. Punches and drugs and alcohol is not good. Out of respect for the game, you wouldn't believe the amount of fighters that can't put a conversation together or hold a sentence.
That last paragraph by Robert Allen is what I've been saying too. Bernard has been efficient in his last several fights. He's in great shape for a 50 year old, but make him work in there. Rough him up, hit him everywhere, he hates that crap. The small and subtle footwork works great for a guy that is confused by what he is doing. At this age, you can catch up to him pretty easy in my opinion, just don't get pot-shotted and rough him up every chance you get. BHop complains as much as any fighter I've ever seen when it starts getting rough in there, a good indicator that he doesn't handle it well.
Having said all of that, I'm picking Bhop to win an ugly decision. Wouldn't be surprised to see it go either way though.
Having said all of that, I'm picking Bhop to win an ugly decision. Wouldn't be surprised to see it go either way though.
Austin Trout: ‘If You Have a Belt, I Want That Belt’
Ryan O'Hara
By Ryan O'Hara November 6, 2014 11:58 pm
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download (1)It has been a tough road for the past couple of years for Austin “No Doubt” Trout.
After consecutive defeats to both Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara, Trout (27-2, 14 KO) found himself in a very peculiar situation, fighting on ESPN Friday Night Fights instead of pay-per-view.
In a fight that was supposed to showcase a Trout that was still a force at 154 pounds, Trout found himself picking himself off the canvas again and leaving more questions than answers about his boxing future against lightly-regarded Daniel Dawson (40-4-1, 26 KO).
Although Trout overcame the early calamity, Trout was unimpressive in a unanimous decision victory.
There is a new fighter appearing on the horizon that wants a shot at Trout. Julian “J Rock Williams is fresh off a unanimous decision victory against Eliezer Gonzalez.
There is one problem, however. Trout was unaware of Williams’s taunting.
“He constantly taunts me,” questioned Trout? “I did not even know. No one is scared of Julian Williams,” he added.
As far as champions are concerned, Austin Trout wants to fight all of the top fighters.
“If you have a belt, I want that belt,” stated Trout. “My goal is to be undisputed.”
If Trout wins his upcoming bout against the lightly-regarded Luis Grajeda (17-3, 13 KO), the former WBA Light Middleweight Champion would be interested in fighting fight Floyd Mayweather, Cornelius Bundrage, or a rematch with Erislandy Lara next.
Ryan O'Hara
By Ryan O'Hara November 6, 2014 11:58 pm
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Broner-Molina, Love-Periban Fill Out Mayweather-Maidana PPV 0 26.Mar
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download (1)It has been a tough road for the past couple of years for Austin “No Doubt” Trout.
After consecutive defeats to both Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara, Trout (27-2, 14 KO) found himself in a very peculiar situation, fighting on ESPN Friday Night Fights instead of pay-per-view.
In a fight that was supposed to showcase a Trout that was still a force at 154 pounds, Trout found himself picking himself off the canvas again and leaving more questions than answers about his boxing future against lightly-regarded Daniel Dawson (40-4-1, 26 KO).
Although Trout overcame the early calamity, Trout was unimpressive in a unanimous decision victory.
There is a new fighter appearing on the horizon that wants a shot at Trout. Julian “J Rock Williams is fresh off a unanimous decision victory against Eliezer Gonzalez.
There is one problem, however. Trout was unaware of Williams’s taunting.
“He constantly taunts me,” questioned Trout? “I did not even know. No one is scared of Julian Williams,” he added.
As far as champions are concerned, Austin Trout wants to fight all of the top fighters.
“If you have a belt, I want that belt,” stated Trout. “My goal is to be undisputed.”
If Trout wins his upcoming bout against the lightly-regarded Luis Grajeda (17-3, 13 KO), the former WBA Light Middleweight Champion would be interested in fighting fight Floyd Mayweather, Cornelius Bundrage, or a rematch with Erislandy Lara next.
Jessie Vargas: ‘I Will Take Out Antonio DeMarco’
Ryan O'Hara
By Ryan O'Hara November 6, 2014 11:48 pm
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demarco-vargasAs Jessie Vargas prepares to defend his WBA lightweight title on the Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri undercard, the undefeated world champion is already thinking about the future.
Jessie Vargas sees himself as one of the best and a threat to any of the top fighters around his weight class.
Vargas (25-0, 9 KO) will defend his title against former WBC lightweight titleholder, Antonio DeMarco on Saturday, November 22nd from The Venetian in Macau, China.
“I am one of the top guys and I want to prove that I am the best,” said Vargas. “I have no doubt that I will come out with the victory.”
Vargas is signed by Top Rank. Some of the notable Top Rank fighters include Timothy Bradley and Brandon Rios. Vargas has never been one to back down to a challenge.
“Without a doubt, I know them well and it would make a great matchup,” said Vargas. “I have a lot of respect for them as fighters.”
Some younger fighters get a little rambunctious trying to go for the knockout because they want to send a message. Vargas is confident that he will display no such flaw inside of the ring.
“I never get out of control, so I have no doubt in that,” added Vargas. “I have always kept my composure.” “I will start strong and finish strong,” he added.
Adrien Broner fought Antonio DeMarco and stopped him inside the eighth round. Vargas remains unfazed as he firmly believes he can knockout DeMarco for the count.
“That is the plan, to take him out,” said Vargas. “I have the guts and I have the heart.” “DeMarco does not have the same heart that I have,” he added.
Ryan O'Hara
By Ryan O'Hara November 6, 2014 11:48 pm
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demarco-vargasAs Jessie Vargas prepares to defend his WBA lightweight title on the Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri undercard, the undefeated world champion is already thinking about the future.
Jessie Vargas sees himself as one of the best and a threat to any of the top fighters around his weight class.
Vargas (25-0, 9 KO) will defend his title against former WBC lightweight titleholder, Antonio DeMarco on Saturday, November 22nd from The Venetian in Macau, China.
“I am one of the top guys and I want to prove that I am the best,” said Vargas. “I have no doubt that I will come out with the victory.”
Vargas is signed by Top Rank. Some of the notable Top Rank fighters include Timothy Bradley and Brandon Rios. Vargas has never been one to back down to a challenge.
“Without a doubt, I know them well and it would make a great matchup,” said Vargas. “I have a lot of respect for them as fighters.”
Some younger fighters get a little rambunctious trying to go for the knockout because they want to send a message. Vargas is confident that he will display no such flaw inside of the ring.
“I never get out of control, so I have no doubt in that,” added Vargas. “I have always kept my composure.” “I will start strong and finish strong,” he added.
Adrien Broner fought Antonio DeMarco and stopped him inside the eighth round. Vargas remains unfazed as he firmly believes he can knockout DeMarco for the count.
“That is the plan, to take him out,” said Vargas. “I have the guts and I have the heart.” “DeMarco does not have the same heart that I have,” he added.
ALIEN ENCOUNTERS: FORMER OPPONENTS OF BERNARD HOPKINS REFLECT ON THEIR FIGHTS WITH HIM
ROBERT ALLEN:
I remember he made me so mad before the first fight. I was so mad that he didn't want to be in the ring with me, so he jumped out. I was real angry that night. I wanted to kill him, you know what I mean? For the second fight, he made sure he didn't even talk to me. He never pissed me off again after that. Honestly, I was never prepared for the second or third fight anyway, but after the first fight, he made sure to never say anything to me. I thought he would try to use his mind games in the other two fights, but he never did. The first time we fought, I did my best. I was sharp, I was faster, and I didn't have a problem making the weight. I was able to match his speed, power, and strength. For the next two fights with Bernard, I couldn't really make the weight no more. I struggled to make the weight, but he just beat me in the next two fights. I was best prepared in the first fight. He had a time with me in that fight. In the next two fights, he didn't have no problem beating me. I am the only guy that can say I fought Bernard Hopkins 3 times.
Bernard is able to still compete at this level at almost 50 years of age because he keeps himself in great shape, he's very disciplined, and these guys aren't making him fight when he don't want to fight. They are letting him walk around the ring and pick his spots. He's been able to make his career like that. He's fighting at his pace and having fun, but what these guys don't understand is you gotta get lowdown and dirty in there and jump on him and beat him like he's an old man. You can't stand there and and admire him. You gotta get in there and kick him and dog him and elbow him; you got to be angry and you got to beat his ass. You can't try to box with him. You gotta go in there and hurt him. That's the only thing Bernard respects. If you don't do any of that, he's gonna beat you with the bullshit. If you go in there and use some of the tactics that he likes to use and turn it into a dog fight, he don't want that.
LUPE AQUINO:
Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter. He is very cagey and always stays fit. Middleweight wasn't my weight, but I admire this unique pugilist.
ENRIQUE ORNELAS:
I remember my fight with Bernard not being a hard fight, but more frustrating than anything. I was more tired afterwards from carrying his weight. My shoulders were heavy from him holding me and laying his weight on me to carry. Remember, I was coming from 160 pounds up to 175. To me, his legend was harder than the fight itself. He is amazing for his age and what he has done. He is very beatable boxing-wise, but he is also a very smart boxer that knows all of the tricks in the book, and more importantly, the judges and referees allow it and turn their eye to it.
KEITH HOLMES:
The mind games that Bernard plays before fights is a good strategy for him. He got me out of my game. If he can disturb peace, then he has basically won the game. He is really good at that and I have to commend him on his career and being that way. As far as our fight goes, I grew up in the streets and I was very aggressive growing up. When he did his pre-fight talk, it took me out of my game of boxing and it took me into a street mentality. He basically tricked me into that situation. But overall, that didn't deter me from wanting to destroy him in the fight. I was going through a lawsuit with Don King at the time. Me and Don King was arguing 2 nights before the fight. I wasn't even focused on the fight like that. It was a great opportunity for Bernard Hopkins at that time to fight me because I wasn't prepared mentally and my training camp wasn't that good. I had about 35 rounds of sparring and usually I go into every fight with at least 150 rounds of sparring. That fight right there was the most important fight of my life and it was the least effort I ever put into training. And that was very disappointing, especially right now. When you think about it, all people can remember is the Bernard Hopkins fight and that could be understood because Bernard Hopkins is a great legend today. But when you go back to my career, in 1993, I fought 8 fights and won 6 by knockout. In 1994, I fought 8 fights and won 6 by knockout, and then once I signed with Don King in 1995, the most I ever fought in one year was twice. Then I went 14-1, and also with the Bernard Hopkins fight at the end of the line, I hadn't fought in 14 to 15 months and Bernard Hopkins was just coming off of a fight. It was so much dealing with the situation and the Don King camp and all of that stuff. I became so inactive and that depletes your skills. I heard Andre Ward talk about it; if he can get 3 to 4 fights a year, you would see a different Andre Ward and I totally agree with that because timing is key and for Bernard Hopkins, it was great timing for him at that time. I have no excuses though, man. That was my mistake because I had those things occurring in my life. Even though sparring is different from boxing, when I go train with him and stuff, it's not the same. The fight would be totally different today than it was yesterday.
I'm not a person that gets caught up in the age thing because right now, I'm 45 years old and I'm doing things that I wasn't doing when I was 26 when I first won the world title. So I don't concentrate on Bernard's age so much. One thing for certain, you get wiser and that's why Bernard is escaping a lot of things. You are much more wiser and your skills are basically preserved. You know how to do this because of all of the fights you've had over the years. It really works to Bernard's favor, especially if you're looking at him because of his age because he's still a fighter. No matter what, he's still gonna fight you back. But he is intelligent in that ring. Until you get somebody that can really press him and not let him walk around that ring, he's gonna stay young. You gotta pull the old man out of him. He is preserving himself because if you look at the fights that he's in, he's walking around the ring a lot of the time. He's not fighting the whole fight. He ain't got nobody really pressing him like Maidana did Mayweather. You have to stay on top of him and make him expend energy and until that happens, Bernard is still gonna have his way. John David Jackson is right in everything that he is saying leading up to this fight, but he ain't the one in there. Kovalev is still a young cat. The question is, will Bernard get him out of his game? That's the key. Will he get touched more than he's ever been touched before and when that happens, do he change his game and fall into the game of Bernard Hopkins? That is the key. You have a very experienced fighter and then you have a guy that has never went a whole fight before. He has never fought an entire 12-round fight before. Boxing is a very mental game and Bernard Hopkins plays it well.
GILBERT BAPTIST:
Bernard and my bodyguard got into it before our fight. A guy named "JP" Jimmy Palmer. Him and Bernard had some words and Jimmy Palmer is the type of guy that would hit you, so I'm just glad they didn't get into it. That's part of the game. The person that originally started all that was Sonny Liston. He started the staring you down and looking you down. And Sonny's stare was so cold, a lot of guys would back down. That's why Ali talked crazy and acted crazy towards him. Ali went off screaming and yelling and going to his house and they went back and forth. Me and Bernard's fight was highly competitive. I don't think Bernard ever had anyone go to his body the way that I did. Butch Lewis and Michael Spinks was standing ringside holding up their left hand because I was hitting him with a beautiful left hook to the body. Bernard got to the point...he is a very smart fighter. His people promoted the fight. I would have to knock him out to win and he knew that too. So what Bernard did was in the 6th, 7th, and 8th round, Bernard saw he wasn't gonna knock me out and he boxed. I kept the fight coming to him, but he is a smart guy; very smart fighter. My biggest thing with Bernard is...fighters and athletes suffer from 3 different versions of trauma: insomnia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. I limp on my left side when I walk from trauma. Insomnia is the lesser of the three. Alzheimer's like Jerry Quarry had, he was gone at the end. Parkinson's is what Ali has. Ali knows what's going on, but he has no motor skills. I'm just hoping when Bernard retires that all of that stuff don't come down on him. Bernard took good care of himself. I have never heard of Bernard drinking or using drugs. You wouldn't believe the fighters in this game that really fuck with drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol and punches to the head don't work. I never drank a day of my life and I have damage from fighting. Punches and drugs and alcohol is not good. Out of respect for the game, you wouldn't believe the amount of fighters that can't put a conversation together or hold a sentence.
ROBERT ALLEN:
I remember he made me so mad before the first fight. I was so mad that he didn't want to be in the ring with me, so he jumped out. I was real angry that night. I wanted to kill him, you know what I mean? For the second fight, he made sure he didn't even talk to me. He never pissed me off again after that. Honestly, I was never prepared for the second or third fight anyway, but after the first fight, he made sure to never say anything to me. I thought he would try to use his mind games in the other two fights, but he never did. The first time we fought, I did my best. I was sharp, I was faster, and I didn't have a problem making the weight. I was able to match his speed, power, and strength. For the next two fights with Bernard, I couldn't really make the weight no more. I struggled to make the weight, but he just beat me in the next two fights. I was best prepared in the first fight. He had a time with me in that fight. In the next two fights, he didn't have no problem beating me. I am the only guy that can say I fought Bernard Hopkins 3 times.
Bernard is able to still compete at this level at almost 50 years of age because he keeps himself in great shape, he's very disciplined, and these guys aren't making him fight when he don't want to fight. They are letting him walk around the ring and pick his spots. He's been able to make his career like that. He's fighting at his pace and having fun, but what these guys don't understand is you gotta get lowdown and dirty in there and jump on him and beat him like he's an old man. You can't stand there and and admire him. You gotta get in there and kick him and dog him and elbow him; you got to be angry and you got to beat his ass. You can't try to box with him. You gotta go in there and hurt him. That's the only thing Bernard respects. If you don't do any of that, he's gonna beat you with the bullshit. If you go in there and use some of the tactics that he likes to use and turn it into a dog fight, he don't want that.
LUPE AQUINO:
Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter. He is very cagey and always stays fit. Middleweight wasn't my weight, but I admire this unique pugilist.
ENRIQUE ORNELAS:
I remember my fight with Bernard not being a hard fight, but more frustrating than anything. I was more tired afterwards from carrying his weight. My shoulders were heavy from him holding me and laying his weight on me to carry. Remember, I was coming from 160 pounds up to 175. To me, his legend was harder than the fight itself. He is amazing for his age and what he has done. He is very beatable boxing-wise, but he is also a very smart boxer that knows all of the tricks in the book, and more importantly, the judges and referees allow it and turn their eye to it.
KEITH HOLMES:
The mind games that Bernard plays before fights is a good strategy for him. He got me out of my game. If he can disturb peace, then he has basically won the game. He is really good at that and I have to commend him on his career and being that way. As far as our fight goes, I grew up in the streets and I was very aggressive growing up. When he did his pre-fight talk, it took me out of my game of boxing and it took me into a street mentality. He basically tricked me into that situation. But overall, that didn't deter me from wanting to destroy him in the fight. I was going through a lawsuit with Don King at the time. Me and Don King was arguing 2 nights before the fight. I wasn't even focused on the fight like that. It was a great opportunity for Bernard Hopkins at that time to fight me because I wasn't prepared mentally and my training camp wasn't that good. I had about 35 rounds of sparring and usually I go into every fight with at least 150 rounds of sparring. That fight right there was the most important fight of my life and it was the least effort I ever put into training. And that was very disappointing, especially right now. When you think about it, all people can remember is the Bernard Hopkins fight and that could be understood because Bernard Hopkins is a great legend today. But when you go back to my career, in 1993, I fought 8 fights and won 6 by knockout. In 1994, I fought 8 fights and won 6 by knockout, and then once I signed with Don King in 1995, the most I ever fought in one year was twice. Then I went 14-1, and also with the Bernard Hopkins fight at the end of the line, I hadn't fought in 14 to 15 months and Bernard Hopkins was just coming off of a fight. It was so much dealing with the situation and the Don King camp and all of that stuff. I became so inactive and that depletes your skills. I heard Andre Ward talk about it; if he can get 3 to 4 fights a year, you would see a different Andre Ward and I totally agree with that because timing is key and for Bernard Hopkins, it was great timing for him at that time. I have no excuses though, man. That was my mistake because I had those things occurring in my life. Even though sparring is different from boxing, when I go train with him and stuff, it's not the same. The fight would be totally different today than it was yesterday.
I'm not a person that gets caught up in the age thing because right now, I'm 45 years old and I'm doing things that I wasn't doing when I was 26 when I first won the world title. So I don't concentrate on Bernard's age so much. One thing for certain, you get wiser and that's why Bernard is escaping a lot of things. You are much more wiser and your skills are basically preserved. You know how to do this because of all of the fights you've had over the years. It really works to Bernard's favor, especially if you're looking at him because of his age because he's still a fighter. No matter what, he's still gonna fight you back. But he is intelligent in that ring. Until you get somebody that can really press him and not let him walk around that ring, he's gonna stay young. You gotta pull the old man out of him. He is preserving himself because if you look at the fights that he's in, he's walking around the ring a lot of the time. He's not fighting the whole fight. He ain't got nobody really pressing him like Maidana did Mayweather. You have to stay on top of him and make him expend energy and until that happens, Bernard is still gonna have his way. John David Jackson is right in everything that he is saying leading up to this fight, but he ain't the one in there. Kovalev is still a young cat. The question is, will Bernard get him out of his game? That's the key. Will he get touched more than he's ever been touched before and when that happens, do he change his game and fall into the game of Bernard Hopkins? That is the key. You have a very experienced fighter and then you have a guy that has never went a whole fight before. He has never fought an entire 12-round fight before. Boxing is a very mental game and Bernard Hopkins plays it well.
GILBERT BAPTIST:
Bernard and my bodyguard got into it before our fight. A guy named "JP" Jimmy Palmer. Him and Bernard had some words and Jimmy Palmer is the type of guy that would hit you, so I'm just glad they didn't get into it. That's part of the game. The person that originally started all that was Sonny Liston. He started the staring you down and looking you down. And Sonny's stare was so cold, a lot of guys would back down. That's why Ali talked crazy and acted crazy towards him. Ali went off screaming and yelling and going to his house and they went back and forth. Me and Bernard's fight was highly competitive. I don't think Bernard ever had anyone go to his body the way that I did. Butch Lewis and Michael Spinks was standing ringside holding up their left hand because I was hitting him with a beautiful left hook to the body. Bernard got to the point...he is a very smart fighter. His people promoted the fight. I would have to knock him out to win and he knew that too. So what Bernard did was in the 6th, 7th, and 8th round, Bernard saw he wasn't gonna knock me out and he boxed. I kept the fight coming to him, but he is a smart guy; very smart fighter. My biggest thing with Bernard is...fighters and athletes suffer from 3 different versions of trauma: insomnia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. I limp on my left side when I walk from trauma. Insomnia is the lesser of the three. Alzheimer's like Jerry Quarry had, he was gone at the end. Parkinson's is what Ali has. Ali knows what's going on, but he has no motor skills. I'm just hoping when Bernard retires that all of that stuff don't come down on him. Bernard took good care of himself. I have never heard of Bernard drinking or using drugs. You wouldn't believe the fighters in this game that really fuck with drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol and punches to the head don't work. I never drank a day of my life and I have damage from fighting. Punches and drugs and alcohol is not good. Out of respect for the game, you wouldn't believe the amount of fighters that can't put a conversation together or hold a sentence.
Most people absolutely hate Hopkins after they fight him because of all the shit he talks to them before the fight, no one says anything nice about him only Johnson and his partner Oscar.
Bernard Hopkins to seek bout with Gennady Golovkin if he wins Saturday
Kevin Iole
By Kevin Iole 3 hours ago Boxing
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HOPKINS AND OSCAR
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Promoter Oscar De La Hoya (R) says if Bernard Hopkins (L) defeats Sergey Kovalev Saturday, he'll try to match him with middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
ATLANTIC CITY -- Bernard Hopkins (173 1/2) and Sergey Kovalev (174 1/2) each easily made weight Friday at Caesars Atlantic City for their light heavyweight title bout Saturday at Boardwalk Hall, but it was far from the biggest news of the day.
Hopkins' promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, said Hopkins wants a match with the highly popular middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in his next bout, when he'd be 50 years old. Golovkin's trainer said he would be interested in the fight for his man.
"If Hopkins wins Saturday -- I mean, when he wins Saturday -- he wants Golovkin next," De La Hoya exclusively told Yahoo Sports. "I'm serious. He wants big fights and that's a huge fight."
Golovkin's promoter, Tom Loeffler, said he has great interest in the fight, but weight would be a big issue.
“I think it would be an interesting fight, one of the biggest fights of the next year, but there are a lot of things that would need to be agreed to,” Loeffler said. “I don’t think it would be realistic for Gennady to fight above 168. Other than that, it would be a huge fight."
Golovkin has a planned February fight in Monte Carlo against Martin Murray, but Hopkins-Golovkin would make for a big pay-per-view main event in the spring.
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Gennady Golovkin is 31-0 with 28 KOs. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)
Gennady Golovkin is 31-0 with 28 KOs. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)
Abel Sanchez, Golovkin's trainer, said he would have no problem with the fight for his man, even though it's two weight classes about where he normally competes. He said it would be up to Golovkin's management and promotional team to decide if they want to fight Hopkins, but he said he thought it would be a good fight for Golovkin.
"From my standpoint, I would love it," said Sanchez, who turns 59 on Saturday. "I think it's a good fight for Gennady. We'd like to negotiate and hopefully get it at 169, 170, but if we have to fight full light heavyweight [175 pounds], no problem. That all has to be talked about and negotiated and everything, but if they ask me as his trainer 'Can he do it?' and 'Do you like the fight?' I'd say yes to both of them. No question."
Peter Nelson, the vice president of programming for HBO Sports, confirmed to Yahoo Sports that Hopkins wants the fight. Asked if HBO was interested in the bout, he grinned.
"Who wouldn't want to see that fight?" Nelson said.
Golovkin is 31-0 with 28 knockouts and is rapidly garnering attention as one of boxing's best overall fighters. But he's fought no one nearly as good or nearly as slick as Hopkins.
Hopkins needs first to get past the power-punching Kovalev on Saturday, which is no sure thing. Kovalev is about a 2-1 favorite.
But should Hopkins prevail, it could set up one of the most intriguing bouts for the first part of 2015.
"Absolutely, we'll try to do that," De La Hoya said. "Bernard wants Golovkin and it's my job to deliver the big fights, so we'll do everything we can to make it."
Kevin Iole
By Kevin Iole 3 hours ago Boxing
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HOPKINS AND OSCAR
.
View photo
Promoter Oscar De La Hoya (R) says if Bernard Hopkins (L) defeats Sergey Kovalev Saturday, he'll try to match him with middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
ATLANTIC CITY -- Bernard Hopkins (173 1/2) and Sergey Kovalev (174 1/2) each easily made weight Friday at Caesars Atlantic City for their light heavyweight title bout Saturday at Boardwalk Hall, but it was far from the biggest news of the day.
Hopkins' promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, said Hopkins wants a match with the highly popular middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in his next bout, when he'd be 50 years old. Golovkin's trainer said he would be interested in the fight for his man.
"If Hopkins wins Saturday -- I mean, when he wins Saturday -- he wants Golovkin next," De La Hoya exclusively told Yahoo Sports. "I'm serious. He wants big fights and that's a huge fight."
Golovkin's promoter, Tom Loeffler, said he has great interest in the fight, but weight would be a big issue.
“I think it would be an interesting fight, one of the biggest fights of the next year, but there are a lot of things that would need to be agreed to,” Loeffler said. “I don’t think it would be realistic for Gennady to fight above 168. Other than that, it would be a huge fight."
Golovkin has a planned February fight in Monte Carlo against Martin Murray, but Hopkins-Golovkin would make for a big pay-per-view main event in the spring.
View photo
.
Gennady Golovkin is 31-0 with 28 KOs. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)
Gennady Golovkin is 31-0 with 28 KOs. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)
Abel Sanchez, Golovkin's trainer, said he would have no problem with the fight for his man, even though it's two weight classes about where he normally competes. He said it would be up to Golovkin's management and promotional team to decide if they want to fight Hopkins, but he said he thought it would be a good fight for Golovkin.
"From my standpoint, I would love it," said Sanchez, who turns 59 on Saturday. "I think it's a good fight for Gennady. We'd like to negotiate and hopefully get it at 169, 170, but if we have to fight full light heavyweight [175 pounds], no problem. That all has to be talked about and negotiated and everything, but if they ask me as his trainer 'Can he do it?' and 'Do you like the fight?' I'd say yes to both of them. No question."
Peter Nelson, the vice president of programming for HBO Sports, confirmed to Yahoo Sports that Hopkins wants the fight. Asked if HBO was interested in the bout, he grinned.
"Who wouldn't want to see that fight?" Nelson said.
Golovkin is 31-0 with 28 knockouts and is rapidly garnering attention as one of boxing's best overall fighters. But he's fought no one nearly as good or nearly as slick as Hopkins.
Hopkins needs first to get past the power-punching Kovalev on Saturday, which is no sure thing. Kovalev is about a 2-1 favorite.
But should Hopkins prevail, it could set up one of the most intriguing bouts for the first part of 2015.
"Absolutely, we'll try to do that," De La Hoya said. "Bernard wants Golovkin and it's my job to deliver the big fights, so we'll do everything we can to make it."
How Bernard Hopkins uses talk of race to turn the spotlight on himself
Kevin Iole
By Kevin Iole 3 hours ago Yahoo Sports
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – In 1993, a few days before Tommy Morrison defeated George Foreman for the WBO heavyweight title, a longtime boxing official was marveling at the crowd that surrounded Morrison.
Foreman was by far the bigger name, but Morrison had attracted a far larger throng of reporters and autograph seekers.
"See that," the official said to me, knowingly, as Morrison made his way through a sea of people who were looking to shake his hand, pat him on the back or simply be in his presence. "Never forget that. There is nothing more valuable in boxing than a white heavyweight champion."
I thought of that conversation several times this week, most recently after chatting with IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins.
Hopkins will face Sergey Kovalev, who holds the WBO title, on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in an HBO-televised bout that will occur about two months before his 50th birthday.
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Bernard Hopkins is focused on his quest to be a world champ at age 50. (AP)
Bernard Hopkins is focused on his quest to be a world champ at age 50. (AP)
No fighter is more aware of his place in history than Hopkins, who made things extraordinarily uncomfortable for some reporters this week by making many of his pre-fight remarks about race and its impact upon the perception of the bout.
The bout is a virtual sellout. Rest assured that by the time the first bell rings, the fire marshal will be holding his breath because Boardwalk Hall will be packed.
Hopkins-Kovalev will also likely garner the highest rating for a match on HBO this year.
Hopkins knows that, but it's not enough to satisfy him. He's said repeatedly that the reason his quest to extend his own record as the oldest man to ever win a major world championship hasn't gotten more attention is because of his race.
Hopkins is black, Kovalev is white, and Hopkins believes that his race, in particular, is a reason for what he sees as a less-than-spectacular reaction to his title run.
"I want you to think about this for a minute," Hopkins said. "Think real carefully about this: Imagine what the reaction would be if I was this age and playing for the Yankees and hitting all these home runs and breaking these records. Think about that. What would be happening?"
It would be monster wall-to-wall coverage, of course, but that probably has more to do with the relative place of Major League Baseball vs. boxing in today's society than it does with race.
But is there some validity to Hopkins' viewpoint? Are racial undertones playing a role in the reaction to his feat?
Well, race plays as big a factor in boxing as it does in any sport.
Boxing has always used race to promote fights. Caucasians are often dubbed "The Great White Hope," particularly if they're heavyweights. And it is no secret that promoters would routinely pit white fighters against black ones in big televised fights to try to drive up ratings.
We've all heard trainers, promoters, fighters and managers talk about fighting styles in racial terms. But the simple question we must confront is whether Hopkins' achievement would be treated the same way if he were white.
When Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played mark in baseball in 1995, it got about as much attention in the media as coverage of a presidential election.
Ripken was a respected, beloved figure in the sport and playing in 2,131 consecutive games was a mind-boggling feat. But let's be honest: It didn't hurt the coverage that he was white and agreeable.
Boxing for a world title a few weeks short of one's 50th birthday against the No. 1 guy in the division is parallel, in many ways, to Ripken's baseball record. But Hopkins isn't perceived as a lovable character like Ripken was.
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Bernard Hopkins believes race plays a role in his title run not being properly appreciated. (Getty)
Bernard Hopkins believes race plays a role in his title run not being properly appreciated. (Getty)
Hopkins is a convicted felon who served time in Pennsylvania's Graterford State Prison on a strong-arm robbery conviction. That he's turned around his life and been a role model of sorts is lost on many.
He's become a clean-living, savvy and brilliant businessman. He has also built an impressive financial empire with major real estate investments in his native Philadelphia.
Yet he's outspoken and controversial, so despite the good he's done, the perception of him has been slow to change.
But never forget he’s a calculating, cunning man, and he does everything for a reason.
There is indeed some truth to his comments about race, but this is also Hopkins shrewdly finding a way to turn the spotlight in his direction. Tell a reporter for a major website, newspaper or network that you're being overlooked because of your race and, voila, you've created a major national story.
Hopkins is a master, both in and out of the ring.
He uses the philosophy of the late, great Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll, who would always say, "Whatever it takes." That became a catchphrase for the Steelers' dynasty teams that won four Super Bowl titles in a six-year span in the 1970s.
Like the Steelers of the '70s, Hopkins does whatever it takes.
No question, he'd be more celebrated if he were more like Ripken in his quest to win a title at 50. But it's also unquestionably true that Hopkins shrewdly used the bully pulpit to shine a light on the issue to hype interest and drive ratings for the fight.
He's not wrong when he says race is a factor in the perception of his record pursuit. But it's just like Hopkins to find a negative and turn it into something that helps him.
Kevin Iole
By Kevin Iole 3 hours ago Yahoo Sports
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – In 1993, a few days before Tommy Morrison defeated George Foreman for the WBO heavyweight title, a longtime boxing official was marveling at the crowd that surrounded Morrison.
Foreman was by far the bigger name, but Morrison had attracted a far larger throng of reporters and autograph seekers.
"See that," the official said to me, knowingly, as Morrison made his way through a sea of people who were looking to shake his hand, pat him on the back or simply be in his presence. "Never forget that. There is nothing more valuable in boxing than a white heavyweight champion."
I thought of that conversation several times this week, most recently after chatting with IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins.
Hopkins will face Sergey Kovalev, who holds the WBO title, on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in an HBO-televised bout that will occur about two months before his 50th birthday.
View gallery
.
Bernard Hopkins is focused on his quest to be a world champ at age 50. (AP)
Bernard Hopkins is focused on his quest to be a world champ at age 50. (AP)
No fighter is more aware of his place in history than Hopkins, who made things extraordinarily uncomfortable for some reporters this week by making many of his pre-fight remarks about race and its impact upon the perception of the bout.
The bout is a virtual sellout. Rest assured that by the time the first bell rings, the fire marshal will be holding his breath because Boardwalk Hall will be packed.
Hopkins-Kovalev will also likely garner the highest rating for a match on HBO this year.
Hopkins knows that, but it's not enough to satisfy him. He's said repeatedly that the reason his quest to extend his own record as the oldest man to ever win a major world championship hasn't gotten more attention is because of his race.
Hopkins is black, Kovalev is white, and Hopkins believes that his race, in particular, is a reason for what he sees as a less-than-spectacular reaction to his title run.
"I want you to think about this for a minute," Hopkins said. "Think real carefully about this: Imagine what the reaction would be if I was this age and playing for the Yankees and hitting all these home runs and breaking these records. Think about that. What would be happening?"
It would be monster wall-to-wall coverage, of course, but that probably has more to do with the relative place of Major League Baseball vs. boxing in today's society than it does with race.
But is there some validity to Hopkins' viewpoint? Are racial undertones playing a role in the reaction to his feat?
Well, race plays as big a factor in boxing as it does in any sport.
Boxing has always used race to promote fights. Caucasians are often dubbed "The Great White Hope," particularly if they're heavyweights. And it is no secret that promoters would routinely pit white fighters against black ones in big televised fights to try to drive up ratings.
We've all heard trainers, promoters, fighters and managers talk about fighting styles in racial terms. But the simple question we must confront is whether Hopkins' achievement would be treated the same way if he were white.
When Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played mark in baseball in 1995, it got about as much attention in the media as coverage of a presidential election.
Ripken was a respected, beloved figure in the sport and playing in 2,131 consecutive games was a mind-boggling feat. But let's be honest: It didn't hurt the coverage that he was white and agreeable.
Boxing for a world title a few weeks short of one's 50th birthday against the No. 1 guy in the division is parallel, in many ways, to Ripken's baseball record. But Hopkins isn't perceived as a lovable character like Ripken was.
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Bernard Hopkins believes race plays a role in his title run not being properly appreciated. (Getty)
Bernard Hopkins believes race plays a role in his title run not being properly appreciated. (Getty)
Hopkins is a convicted felon who served time in Pennsylvania's Graterford State Prison on a strong-arm robbery conviction. That he's turned around his life and been a role model of sorts is lost on many.
He's become a clean-living, savvy and brilliant businessman. He has also built an impressive financial empire with major real estate investments in his native Philadelphia.
Yet he's outspoken and controversial, so despite the good he's done, the perception of him has been slow to change.
But never forget he’s a calculating, cunning man, and he does everything for a reason.
There is indeed some truth to his comments about race, but this is also Hopkins shrewdly finding a way to turn the spotlight in his direction. Tell a reporter for a major website, newspaper or network that you're being overlooked because of your race and, voila, you've created a major national story.
Hopkins is a master, both in and out of the ring.
He uses the philosophy of the late, great Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll, who would always say, "Whatever it takes." That became a catchphrase for the Steelers' dynasty teams that won four Super Bowl titles in a six-year span in the 1970s.
Like the Steelers of the '70s, Hopkins does whatever it takes.
No question, he'd be more celebrated if he were more like Ripken in his quest to win a title at 50. But it's also unquestionably true that Hopkins shrewdly used the bully pulpit to shine a light on the issue to hype interest and drive ratings for the fight.
He's not wrong when he says race is a factor in the perception of his record pursuit. But it's just like Hopkins to find a negative and turn it into something that helps him.
