|
|
In the sport of boxing, it's crazy to have stellar careers that last as long as Roy Jones Jr's. and Bernard Hopkins' careers. It's incredible to me that these two fighters are still fighting at a high level. Jones you could say not as high of a level as Hopkins but he still tests himself. He'll have to face Danny Green for a title and win before this rematch can happen in 2010. I don't see him having any issue with beating Green, so more than likely we'll get to see Hopkins Jones II. I'm not sure if this fight has any real meaning at this stage to people, other than the fighters themselves, but I know many people believe it'll be Hopkins who takes it this time around. What do you think of this rematch? It's significance and everything else about it?
|
Posts:
744
Registered:
5/13/06
|
|
(10 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 27, 2009 12:34 AM
|
|
that prediction is very, very possible. Jones had detoriated much more than Hopkins.... Hopkins will have to pressure though.. If he stays back and tries to outbox Jones he could lose.
|
|
|
Posts:
948
Registered:
5/7/07
|
|
(9 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 10:22 PM
|
Quick prediction
Jones is going to get beaten really really really badly
|
|
|
Posts:
3,101
Registered:
3/20/06
|
|
(8 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 7:03 PM
|
If Hopkins wants to fight approximately the same time as Jones, why then doesn't he tell Schaefer to put him on the undercard of Pavlik-Williams on December 5 in Atlantic City if he's only looking to do a tune-up fight? He's not going to be fighting a headline opponent anyway, unless of course he wants to fight Yusef Mack. Then a fight in Philadelphia not on the December 5 Atlantic City card would make good sense, and of course, dollars. 
|
|
|
Posts:
744
Registered:
5/13/06
|
|
(7 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 5:10 PM
|
For the last couple of years i had thought Hopkins would dominate Jones in a rematch because of Jone's reduced performanc levels as his career went sour. But actually with Hopkins's less than aggressive style Jones has a chance. The ony way to beat Jones even now is to pressure him. If Hopkins sits back and trades single punch for single punch he may lose again. THe hand speed difference is enormous, maybe even more than it was 18 years ago. Hopkins will have to pressure Roy to win... Roy is still gun shy to the big punch and Hopkins could knock him out if he applies himself. Hopkins is very crafty, Jones is still very fast.. I think it will be a very defensive and boring fight... If hopkins wins, he gets not revenge because the fight is too long overdue..
--
Edited by dougeedoug at 09/26/2009 2:11 PM PDT
|
|
|
Posts:
51
Registered:
9/13/08
|
|
(6 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 4:44 PM
|
|
i wonder if they'll walk to ring with canes or maybe a wheelchair cuz their soo old...i'm sure they use geritol.
|
|
|
Posts:
2,107
Registered:
11/11/04
|
|
(5 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 2:36 PM
|
|
Nice read Tszyu, thanx for posting that article.
|
|
|
Posts:
3,101
Registered:
3/20/06
|
|
(4 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 2:12 PM
|
Jones, Hopkins sign deal for 2010 bout
LOS ANGELES -- Sixteen years after they first met, Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins will finally fight again.
For years, they talked on and off about a rematch, but the negotiations always fell apart over how they would split the money.
But with both men now past their 40th birthdays and no significant fights looming for either, they finally nailed down the elusive deal, signing an agreement Friday for a light heavyweight fight sometime in the first quarter of 2010, both sides told ESPN.com.
It will be televised on HBO PPV.
"Sixteen years ago they fought each other and went on and made history in their own way," said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, Hopkins' promoter. "Each one is considered today as ring royalty. That's why I think when those two guys are going to fight it will be to determine who will be king of the ring. We went back and forth for so long, but we finally pulled it off. They both signed and they will fight. It will be a truly historic showdown. A lot of people didn't believe it would ever happen. But guess what? It's going to happen."
However, the deal is contingent on Jones' first winning a Dec. 2 fight in Australia against Australian cruiserweight Danny Green, which has been planned for a couple of months.
Also as part of their deal, Hopkins is allowed to take an interim fight before the end of the year. In an interview at Schaefer's downtown Los Angeles office, he said Hopkins, who hasn't fought since easily outpointing Kelly Pavlik 11 months ago, was inclined to fight a tune-up bout. Schaefer said he was working on a plan under which Hopkins would fight in his hometown of Philadelphia against an opponent to be determined on the same day as Jones' fight in Australia.
Under the terms of the agreement, Jones (54-5, 40 KOs) and Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs) agreed to split the revenue 50-50, which had always been the sticking point. If there is a knockout or a TKO, the winner of the fight will get 60 percent and the loser 40 percent.
"I don't like that at all," Jones, 40, said of the knockout provision. "I love it. I absolutely love it. Love it. That is all I can say. I'm definitely looking forward to this fight. The fans have wanted to see it for a long time. For the longest time, he wouldn't take it. Now he's taking it. I'm ecstatic. I can't wait."
Jones said he thought about pulling out of the Green fight but won't because he had given his word and signed a contract. John Wirt, CEO of Jones' promotional company, said Jones was receiving a "multimillion dollar payday" for the fight with Green.
"I'm in a very difficult situation," said Jones, who would be 41 for the Hopkins fight. "I respect Green. I know we signed and I thought maybe I should just pull out. But I can't deny Danny. This is one of the biggest fights in the history of his country. This is how it is. So I'll give him the biggest fight in his country and that will get me ready for Hopkins and the biggest fight in my country. I'd rather let the Green fight go, but I'm a man of my word. It wouldn't be fair to back out on him now.
"It's time to take care of my business and then come back here and beat Bernard Hopkins."
Before either man became a star, they met for a vacant middleweight title on May 22, 1993 with Jones winning a clear unanimous decision. Jones would go on to dominate the sport as the pound-for-pound king for about a decade and win titles in four divisions. Hopkins would later claim the middleweight title after Jones left the division and go on to make a division-record 20 defenses before moving up and claiming the light heavyweight championship.
"I beat him with one hand the first time," Jones said of their first fight, in which he fought with a damaged right hand. "What am I worried about?"
The sides have other smaller issues to work out, such as which fighter gets first billing, who walks to the ring first and who is announced first.
Wirt said the sides agreed to settle all of the outstanding issues with a coin flip.
"This is a straight up 50-50 deal," Wirt said. "We'll settle everything with a coin flip. We're going to have a commemorative coin made with Roy's face on one side and Bernard's on the other and use it to decide everything. We'd like to get that televised on ESPN. It would be fun."
Schaefer and Wirt gave a lot of credit to HBO's Mark Taffet for bringing the sides together. Jones had been on board with a 50-50 deal. Getting Hopkins, who would be 45 for the fight, was more difficult, but they made a lot of progress during a meeting in Las Vegas last week among between Schaefer, Hopkins and Taffet.
"There have been a lot of people who worked very hard, but a lot of credit goes to Mark, who shepherded this thing through and really helped make it happen," Wirt said.
Schaefer said there is no site yet for the fight, but that he and Wirt would speak to venues in Las Vegas, New York and Atlantic City, N.J., although they preferred Las Vegas.
|
|
|
Posts:
3,101
Registered:
3/20/06
|
|
(3 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 1:57 PM
|
|
I thought eight years between match and rematch was remarkable and unusual for Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns, but nearly 17 years for Jones and Hopkins (by the time they face off next year) is probably unprecedented and unmatched in the history of boxing. I really wonder what the record is if Jones and Hopkins aren't about to set it?
|
|
|
Posts:
2,107
Registered:
11/11/04
|
|
(2 of 10)
Re: 16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 1:13 PM
|
Steve,
IMO, "Better late than never". As a fan of both, this fight has relevance for me. This is a fight I've been waiting for since B.Hop KO'd Tito..........
At this point in their career, Hopkins by UD.
|
|
|
Posts:
1,543
Registered:
1/17/08
|
|
(1 of 10)
16 years of waiting for this rematch, how unusual is that!
Sep 26, 2009 9:36 AM
|
|
In the sport of boxing, it's crazy to have stellar careers that last as long as Roy Jones Jr's. and Bernard Hopkins' careers. It's incredible to me that these two fighters are still fighting at a high level. Jones you could say not as high of a level as Hopkins but he still tests himself. He'll have to face Danny Green for a title and win before this rematch can happen in 2010. I don't see him having any issue with beating Green, so more than likely we'll get to see Hopkins Jones II. I'm not sure if this fight has any real meaning at this stage to people, other than the fighters themselves, but I know many people believe it'll be Hopkins who takes it this time around. What do you think of this rematch? It's significance and everything else about it?
|
|
|
|
|
