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cnnWriteBotNav_transition(); </script> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> $('.hiddenNav').hover(function() { $('.globalNav').show(); }, function(){ $('.globalNav').delay(3000).hide(); }); </script> <div id="banner"> <script language="JavaScript"> siAds.render('mma_boxing/top.728x90', 728, 90); </script> </div>  <div id="content"> <div class="left-column"> <h1 class="pagetitle">Posts Tagged ‘Bernard Hopkins’</h1> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-4983"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/04/25/quick-jabs-russian-promoter-shells-out-big-bucks-for-wladimir-klitschko-fight/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Quick Jabs: Russian promoter shells out big bucks for Wladimir Klitschko fight">Quick Jabs: Russian promoter shells out big bucks for Wladimir Klitschko fight</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/04/25/quick-jabs-russian-promoter-shells-out-big-bucks-for-wladimir-klitschko-fight/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2013/04/25/quick-jabs-russian-promoter-shells-out-big-bucks-for-wladimir-klitschko-fight/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_4988" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 610px"><img class="size-full wp-image-4988 " alt="Wladimir Klitschko is expected to face Alexander Povetkin in August. (Nadine Rupp/Bongarts/Getty Images)" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/wladimir-klitschko-t21.jpg?w=600&h=400" width="600" height="400"/><p class="wp-caption-text">Wladimir Klitschko is expected to face Alexander Povetkin in August. (Nadine Rupp/Bongarts/Getty Images)</p></div> <p>• In a shocker, Russian promoter Vladimir Hryunov won a purse bid for the right to promote Wladimir Klitschko’s future heavyweight title defense against Alexander Povetkin with a whopping $23.3 million bid, far more than K2 Promotions ($7.1 million) or Sauerland Event ($6.01 million) put up. Assuming both Klitschko and Povetkin make it through their upcoming bouts, the fight will take place August 31 in either Moscow, Berlin or Las Vegas. Under the terms of the bid, Klitschko would receive $17.5 million with Povetkin entitled to $5.8 million. As big as Hryunov’s bid was, it falls well short of the $32.1 million Las Vegas businessman Steve Wynn put up to secure the rights to Buster Douglas’s title defense against Evander Holyfield in 1990.</p> <p>The obvious question: Can Hryunov come up with the cash? Occasionally, a promoter will come in and submit an outlandish bid for a fight, and then default. Don King has done it twice in the last year, first with a $1.1 million bid for the right to promote a heavyweight fight between Cris Arreola and Bermane Stiverne and later with a $1.5 million bid for Marco Huck and Ola Afolabi. King would default on both, losing the ten percent deposit he was required to put down. Sources involved with the bid told SI.com that Hryunov, who is being backed by a Russian-based businessman and real estate developer, will spend the next few weeks exploring ways to monetize the fight.</p> <p>• Some numbers from a busy boxing weekend: Last Saturday’s Showtime-televised fight between Saul Alvarez and Austin Trout peaked at 734,000 households and 1.061 million viewers, a modest increase from the 1.031 viewers Alvarez attracted for his September fight with Josesito Lopez. Meanwhile Saturday afternoon’s fight on NBC, headlined by heavyweights Tyson Fury and Steve Cunningham, did a strong overnight rating that translated to 1.2 million viewers. Expectations are that when the full numbers come in later in the week, peak viewership will exceed 1.8 million.</p> <p>• I love Juan Manuel Marquez-Tim Bradley. Like most, I was surprised that Marquez didn’t take a fifth fight with Pacquiao. Despite all the rhetoric, I figured Marquez would go for the biggest check. But in fighting Bradley, Marquez can still cash a big check and give himself a chance at history by becoming the first Mexican to win titles in five weight classes. And if he beats Bradley — and Pacquiao gets past either Mike Alvarado or Brandon Rios — a Pacquiao fight will still be there.</p> <p>• I don’t think I’ve ever been less interested in a notable fight than this Saturday’s heavyweight bout between Deontay Wilder and Audley Harrison. It’s another absolute joke of a fight for Wilder, a 2008 bronze medalist whose résumé as a pro is pathetic.</p> <p>• If Danny Garcia beats Zab Judah on Saturday, I think he becomes the favorite to face Floyd Mayweather in the fall. Mayweather clearly isn’t overly interested in facing Saul Alvarez; if he were, he would have agreed to face him already and fought together on the May 4th pay per view. I’ve been told that during negotiations with HBO and Showtime Mayweather’s representatives mentioned Garcia often as a possible opponent.</p> <p>• Ishe Smith-Carlos Molina: The very definition of not-made-for-TV.</p> <p>• Golden Boy’s ability to get Bernard Hopkins’ upcoming title defense against Karo Murat on premium television could get interesting. The fight stinks. Murat (25-0-1) is not a particularly big puncher and a complete unknown in the U.S. And everyone knows that at this stage of his career Hopkins (53-6-2) needs a certain type of opponent (Tavoris Cloud, Jean Pascal) to look impressive. I’m told Showtime is interested in showing the fight, but will require a strong co-main event to make it worth their while.</p> <p>• There is still nothing to make me think that a fight between Nathan Cleverly and Bernard Hopkins will be anything but dull.</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><em><strong>– Chris Mannix</strong></em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Apr 25, 2013</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/04/25/quick-jabs-russian-promoter-shells-out-big-bucks-for-wladimir-klitschko-fight/#comments" title="Comment on Quick Jabs: Russian promoter shells out big bucks for Wladimir Klitschko fight"><span data-lf-article-id="4983" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Read 4 Comments</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-4725"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/18/golden-boy-promotions-hbo-officially-sever-ties/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to HBO announces it won’t televise Golden Boy Promotions’ fights">HBO announces it won’t televise Golden Boy Promotions’ fights</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/18/golden-boy-promotions-hbo-officially-sever-ties/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2013/03/18/golden-boy-promotions-hbo-officially-sever-ties/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_4739" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 610px"><img class="size-full wp-image-4739" alt="Rising star Adrien Broner, right, will no longer be featured on HBO after Monday's announcement." src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/adrien-broner-blog1.jpg?w=600&h=375" width="600" height="375"/><p class="wp-caption-text">Rising star Adrien Broner, right, will no longer be featured on HBO after Monday’s announcement. [Richard Vogel/AP]</p></div> <p>For the last year, HBO has watched as Golden Boy Promotions has moved many of its top fighters from HBO to Showtime. On Monday, HBO struck back: The network announced that it would no longer buy any fights from Golden Boy Promotions.</p> <p>“In order to achieve our goal of the best fighters in the most compelling matchups we’ve decided to focus our efforts and resources on those strategic relationships where we better share common goals and business philosophies,” HBO Sports President Ken Hershman said in a statement.</p> <p>The decision is a decisive move from HBO to strike back at Golden Boy. Since Stephen Espinoza — a former Golden Boy attorney — took over as the head of the sports department at Showtime, Golden Boy has pulled several of its top fighters including Danny Garcia, Amir Khan, Canelo Alavarez and Andre Berto off of HBO and onto Showtime. Last month, Floyd Mayweather — who works closely with Golden Boy —announced he was leaving HBO, his broadcast partner for virtually his entire career, to sign a lucrative deal with Showtime.</p> <p>Among the casualties of HBO’s decision is Adrien Broner, a rising star who has been a staple on HBO. HBO sources made it clear that it was nothing against Broner, but they will not put him on the network as long as Golden Boy represents him. Likewise for Bernard Hopkins, a longtime HBO fighter who last week became the oldest man to win a major title when he defeated Tavoris Cloud on HBO.</p> <p>The decision to stop doing business with Golden Boy is being called indefinite.</p> <p>Golden Boy CEO called the decision “retaliation” and “ill advised.”</p> <p>I’m not really surprised,” Schaefer told SI.com. “I have not had a conversation with Ken Hershman since last November or December. They are upset at me, I’m sure they are upset at Al Haymon. But the ones getting hurt are the subscribers. Whether you like Golden Boy or you don’t, our stable is second to none. I wished them well. (HBO Vice President) Kery Davis, (VP) Mart Taffet, (CEO) Richard Plepler, I consider them friends. But there are people making decisions in the HBO sports department that don’t know the difference between Floyd Mayweather and Jessie Vargas.”</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><em><strong>— Chris Mannix</strong></em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Mar 18, 2013</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/18/golden-boy-promotions-hbo-officially-sever-ties/#comments" title="Comment on HBO announces it won’t televise Golden Boy Promotions’ fights"><span data-lf-article-id="4725" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Read 11 Comments</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-4597"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/11/bernard-hopkins-fight-50-years-old/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Who 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins could fight next">Who 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins could fight next</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/11/bernard-hopkins-fight-50-years-old/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2013/03/11/bernard-hopkins-fight-50-years-old/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_4598" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 610px"><img class="size-full wp-image-4598 " alt="The ageless Bernard Hopkins, 48, vowed to fight until he's 50 years old after beating Tavoris Cloud. (Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports)" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/bernard-hopkins-fight-50.jpg?w=600&h=420" width="600" height="420"/><p class="wp-caption-text">The ageless Bernard Hopkins, 48, vowed to fight until he’s 50 years old after beating Tavoris Cloud. (Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports)</p></div> <p>The inimitable Bernard Hopkins made history Saturday night, outpointing Tavoris Cloud to win the IBF light heavyweight belt and become (again) the oldest man to win a major title. Hopkins has no intention of hanging ‘em up, joking (we think) that he plans to fight until he is 50. The 175-pound division is loaded with possibilities. Here’s one list:</p> <p><strong>The winner of Jean Pascal/Lucian Bute</strong><br/> Understand this: Hopkins needs the right opponent. fighter that will stay on the outside and pepper Hopkins with jabs (see Dawson, Chad) is a bad matchup. Pascal has fought Hopkins twice, battling him to a draw and losing a decision in 2011. Both fights were close and, more importantly, entertaining. Bute is more of a wild card: He’s known for his stiff jab but in a knockout loss to Carl Froch last year showed a willingness to engage. Though neither are native Canadians, Bute-Pascal–tentatively scheduled for May–will be the biggest fight in Canadian boxing history due to their close ties to the country. And the winner will get a big bounce coming out of it. Pascal was in the ring after Hopkins win over Cloud and was vocal about his desire for a third fight. To me, it’s the best option out there.</p> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/11/bernard-hopkins-fight-50-years-old/#more-4597" class="more-link">Read More…</a></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Mar 11, 2013</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/11/bernard-hopkins-fight-50-years-old/#comments" title="Comment on Who 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins could fight next"><span data-lf-article-id="4597" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Read 3 Comments</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-4590"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/10/what-to-take-away-from-bernard-hopkins-win-over-tavoris-cloud/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to What to take away from Bernard Hopkins’ win over Tavoris Cloud">What to take away from Bernard Hopkins’ win over Tavoris Cloud</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/10/what-to-take-away-from-bernard-hopkins-win-over-tavoris-cloud/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2013/03/10/what-to-take-away-from-bernard-hopkins-win-over-tavoris-cloud/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_4591" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 620px"><img class="size-full wp-image-4591" alt="Bernard Hopkins defeated Tavoris Cloud in a unanimous decision for the IBF light heavyweight title. (Frank Franklin II/AP)" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/hopkins_counterpunch_031013_final.jpg?w=610&h=380" width="610" height="380"/><p class="wp-caption-text">Bernard Hopkins beat Tavoris Cloud in a unanimous decision for the IBF light heavyweight title. (Frank Franklin II/AP)</p></div> <p>NEW YORK — Three thoughts form Bernard Hopkins’ historic win over Tavoris Cloud:</p> <p><strong>History</strong></p> <p>Say what you want about Hopkins: Say he’s dull, say he takes too many cheap shots, say he talks tougher than he fights. But Hopkins, at 48 years old, made history Saturday night, out-pointing Tavoris Cloud to win the IBF light heavyweight title and become, again, the oldest man to win a major championship. Hopkins did it his way: He tagged Cloud with a flurry of combinations, moved in and out, kept his chin down to avoid big punches, and refused to let Cloud land more than one shot. It was a quintessential Hopkins performance. He was the better boxer and, astonishingly, the man in better shape. It was, simply, a clear win.</p> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/10/what-to-take-away-from-bernard-hopkins-win-over-tavoris-cloud/#more-4590" class="more-link">Read More…</a></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Mar 10, 2013</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/10/what-to-take-away-from-bernard-hopkins-win-over-tavoris-cloud/#comments" title="Comment on What to take away from Bernard Hopkins’ win over Tavoris Cloud"><span data-lf-article-id="4590" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Read 2 Comments</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-4576"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/06/keith-thurman-jan-zaveck-hbo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to In prime time, Keith Thurman hopes knockouts beget respect">In prime time, Keith Thurman hopes knockouts beget respect</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/06/keith-thurman-jan-zaveck-hbo/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2013/03/06/keith-thurman-jan-zaveck-hbo/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_4578" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 620px"><img class="size-full wp-image-4578" alt="AP Photo/Jae C. Hong" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/keith-thurman.jpg?w=610&h=450" width="610" height="450"/><p class="wp-caption-text">Keith Thurman lands a punch in his TKO victory over Carlos Quintana last November. (Jae C. Hong/AP)</p></div> <p>NEW YORK — Over the last year, Keith Thurman has become a poster boy for what’s wrong with boxing. Here was a young, unknown, inexperienced prospect with no resumé to speak of being gift wrapped prime HBO slots. Why? Because his manager is Al Haymon, the shadowy power broker who networks bend over backwards to appease. When Thurman was added to a show, promoters and managers howled at the unfairness of it.</p> <p>On Saturday, Thurman (19-0) is back on the network, matched up with Jan Zaveck (32-2) on the undercard of Tavoris Cloud’s light heavyweight title defense against Bernard Hopkins at the Barclays Center (9:30 ET, HBO). It will be his third straight fight on HBO and while Thurman says he understands the criticism of him, he believes his performances–back-to-back knockouts–should be weighed into opinions.</p> <p>“To a certain extent [the criticism] is fair because people didn’t know much about me,” Thurman told SI.com. “But I’m a rare fighter. I’m 19-0 with 18 knockouts. The reason I’m on HBO is because I have knockout potential. I’m here to give everybody a great, tremendous fight. I’m always trying to dismantle my opponent. That deserves respect.”</p> <p>“My plan is to gather as many fans with every fight, to get more respect with every fight and more recognition. Pretty soon, we’re going to turn some of the critics. I believe I do belong here.”</p> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/06/keith-thurman-jan-zaveck-hbo/#more-4576" class="more-link">Read More…</a></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Mar 06, 2013</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/06/keith-thurman-jan-zaveck-hbo/#respond" title="Comment on In prime time, Keith Thurman hopes knockouts beget respect"><span data-lf-article-id="4576" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Add A Comment</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-4189"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/12/18/quick-jabs-bernard-hopkins-return-sergio-martinezs-homecoming-fight-and-more/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Quick Jabs: Bernard Hopkins’ return, Sergio Martinez’s homecoming fight and more">Quick Jabs: Bernard Hopkins’ return, Sergio Martinez’s homecoming fight and more</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/12/18/quick-jabs-bernard-hopkins-return-sergio-martinezs-homecoming-fight-and-more/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2012/12/18/quick-jabs-bernard-hopkins-return-sergio-martinezs-homecoming-fight-and-more/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_4190" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-full wp-image-4190" alt="Bernard Hopkins (above) could return to action in March in an attempt to break his record as the oldest boxer to win a major world title. (Al Bello/Getty Images)" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/bernard-hopkins-jabs.jpg?w=300&h=428" width="300" height="428"/><p class="wp-caption-text">Bernard Hopkins (above) could return to action in March in an attempt to break his record as the oldest boxer to win a major world title. (Al Bello/Getty Images)</p></div> <p>Some quick jabs …</p> <p>• All indications are Bernard Hopkins — who will celebrate his 48th birthday next month — will return to the ring in March against IBF light heavyweight titleholder Tavoris Cloud at the Barclays Center. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told SI.com that Hopkins, who was wiped out by Chad Dawson last April, called him “out of the blue” a few months ago and told him, “I know I can still fight, I know I can still win.”</p> <p>“Cloud-Hopkins is an interesting fight,” Schaefer said. “He’s a young, undefeated guy going up against legend like Bernard Hopkins. Bernard feels like it [Cloud] is the perfect style for him. He feels confident he can beat his own record and win another title. Stylistically, it’s an interesting matchup.”</p> <p>According to Schaefer, the last remaining obstacle in making the fight is the IBF. Cloud has a mandatory title defense due against Karo Murat. Schaefer says he has submitted a request to the IBF, with the blessing of Sauerland Event (which promotes Murat) and Don King (Cloud), that outlines a scenario where the winner of Hopkins-Cloud will defend the title against Murat in the next fight.</p> <p>• Wondering why Sergio Martinez is fighting Martin Murray in Argentina next month? Money, a truckload of it. According to sources familiar with the situation, the Argentine government is paying Martinez $5 million to hold his next fight in his home country. Martinez’s popularity in Argentina has grown exponentially in recent years, but monetizing a fight there, where a live gate wouldn’t generate much income, has been considered problematic. With the government offering that kind of guarantee, it becomes worth it.</p> <p>• Schaefer said he hoped to resolve the futures of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Robert Guerrero by the first week in January. Both Alvarez and Guerrero are candidates to face Floyd Mayweather in May. Recently, Alvarez, on his official Facebook page, posted that a Mayweather fight was close to being completed.</p> <p>“Canelo is very much pushing for a Mayweather fight,” Schaefer said. “I’m working on it. I have to see what i can deliver for Canelo. There is a lot of work still to be done.”</p> <p>The most appealing option, from Golden Boy’s perspective, is to match Mayweather with Guerrero, Alvarez with Austin Trout or Alfredo Angulo and if both win make Mayweather-Alvarez in September.</p> <p>• The California State Athletic commission is reaching out to boxers who may be eligible for a $5.1 million pension fund. To qualify, a boxer must be at least 50 years old, have fought at least 10 rounds a year for four years without more than a three-year break, and had a minimum of 75 scheduled professional rounds without a break of three years or more.</p> <p>“The Athletic Commission wants to locate eligible boxers in order to pay them the benefits they have rightfully accrued,” said State Athletic Commission executive officer Andy Foster. “Any assistance in getting the word out would be greatly appreciated and would be a service to the athletes who gave so much to entertain the people of the State of California.”</p> <p>• The assault on Getty Images photographer Al Bello by two members of Manny Pacquiao’s team — advisor Michael Koncz and assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez — was despicable. Photographs clearly show Bello, carrying two cameras, being grabbed and kicked by Koncz and Fernandez while in a precarious position outside the ring. Getty Images has requested further action be taken against Koncz and Fernandez, and I agree with them. A fine and/or a suspension is in order. What I don’t agree with is Getty seeking sanctions against Pacquiao, who had just been knocked out when the assault happened and clearly had nothing to do with it.</p> <p>• Don’t be surprised if Andre Ward’s super middleweight title defense against Kelly Pavlik gets pushed into early or mid-March. Indications I’m getting are that Ward’s shoulder, while not torn, is pretty bad and could require extended time to heal.</p> <p>• Farewell, Larry Merchant. For 35 years you were a credit to the sport. Here’s hoping you stay in it, in some capacity.</p> <p>• As long as Nonito Donaire is represented by Top Rank and Abner Mares by Golden Boy, that fight will never, ever happen.</p> <p>• Schaefer said he spoke to promoter Frank Warren again on Monday and that negotiations continue for a February matchup between lightweights Adrien Broner and Ricky Burns. Schaefer called the talks with Warren “promising.”</p> <p>• On the undercard of Broner-Burns, Schaefer said, would be the rematch between Seth Mitchell and Johnathan Banks. Last month, Banks knocked out the undefeated Mitchell in the second round. When I asked Schaefer if there had been internal discussions about taking Mitchell easing his way back into the ring, he indicated the decision to take the immediate rematch was Mitchell’s decision.</p> <p>“Seth and his team pushed for the rematch,” Schaefer said. “It’s obviously not an easy fight. For Seth, it’s do or die. He needs to show he can beat a guy like Banks. if he can’t win against Banks, it tells you a lot.”</p> <p>• Schaefer confirmed that 41-year old Shane Mosley — who has not won a fight since 2009 and has been retired since taking a lopsided beating from Alvarez last May — is a candidate to face WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi. If that fight is made, it shouldn’t come anywhere near a television network.</p> <p>• Boxing’s return to network TV last Saturday was a success. According to Golden Boy, the CBS card headlined by Leo Santa Cruz’s bantamweight title defense against Alberto Guevara did an overnight rating of 1.3, retaining 90 percent of the audience that watched Butler’s overtime win over Indiana before it. Boxing will be back on network TV this week, this time on NBC, with the rematch between Tomasz Adamek and Steve Cunningham.</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><em><strong>– Chris Mannix</strong></em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Dec 18, 2012</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/12/18/quick-jabs-bernard-hopkins-return-sergio-martinezs-homecoming-fight-and-more/#comments" title="Comment on Quick Jabs: Bernard Hopkins’ return, Sergio Martinez’s homecoming fight and more"><span data-lf-article-id="4189" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Read 4 Comments</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-2131"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/05/01/roundtable-should-bernard-hopkins-retire-after-saturdays-defeat/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Roundtable: Should Bernard Hopkins retire after Saturday’s defeat?">Roundtable: Should Bernard Hopkins retire after Saturday’s defeat?</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/05/01/roundtable-should-bernard-hopkins-retire-after-saturdays-defeat/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2012/05/01/roundtable-should-bernard-hopkins-retire-after-saturdays-defeat/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_2135" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/bernard-hopkins.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2135 " title="bernard-hopkins" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/bernard-hopkins.jpg?w=300&h=415" alt="" width="300" height="415"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Bernard Hopkins (above), 47, remains marketable after Saturday's loss to Chad Dawson, but <em>should</em> he continue to fight? (Al Bello/Getty Images)</p></div> <p><strong>Should 47-year-old Bernard Hopkins retire after Saturday’s loss to Chad Dawson?</strong></p> <p><strong>CHRIS MANNIX:</strong> It has been an illustrious, Hall of Fame-caliber career for Hopkins, full of age-defying moments (should have trusted you about Kelly Pavlik, Bernard) and incredible highlights (an 11-year reign atop the middleweight division). But it’s over. There are still certain opponents Hopkins can beat; the Pavliks, the Jean Pascals, the straight-ahead brawlers Hopkins can out-think in the ring. But his days as an elite, or even a very good fighter are over. He is financially secure with a nice stake in Golden Boy Promotions. It’s time to walk away.</p> <p>Do I think Hopkins will listen to me? No. I think he will fight on. As I said, there are far too many options out there for him. The winner of the Lucian Bute-Carl Froch fight interests Hopkins and the winner of the Pascal-Tavoris Cloud fight will probably be interested in him. Hopkins still does solid ratings on network TV, so for the time being he will be marketable.</p> <p>My fear is that Hopkins will fight until he is 50 and tarnish one of the greatest legacies in boxing history. He didn’t beat Chad Dawson last Saturday, but he didn’t embarrass himself, either. He can take pride with the way he went out. He is a wealthy man with all of his faculties intact. He can retire from boxing and not say boxing retired him. Because at some point, it will.</p> <p><strong>RICHARD O’BRIEN:</strong> Only if he wants to. I realize I might be in the minority here, but I get great pleasure out of watching the guy work. And once Hopkins is gone, there’ll be no one in boxing with anywhere near as comprehensive a skill set.</p> <p>For now, against the right opponent (really almost any opponent), he is in no danger of getting hurt. Dawson’s no monster, but he’s young, strong, disciplined and has great length and speed and he didn’t exactly blow Hopkins out. (Those two 117-111 scores were excessive and, while the 114-114 call was probably technically insupportable, it had a certain rightness to it, given the expectations going in.) I keep reading that Dawson “made Hopkins look his age,” but I didn’t really see it — at least no more his age than Hopkins has looked for the past few years. B-Hop kept busy and did all the little things he always does, giving Dawson some rough work to the body and reaching him now and then. True, he was never able to slow Dawson down enough, or get him close enough long enough to do any substantial scoring, but to his credit, he finished strong. You get the feeling that he could do at least as well every time out for as long as he wants.</p> <p>Of course, there’s the question of how much drawing power Hopkins has at this point. He’s hardly at the “aged trial horse” stage yet. Certainly if I were bringing up a young fighter, I’d do pretty much anything to avoid putting him in with Hopkins. But a bout against, say, Lucian Bute or up-and-coming Welshman Nathan Cleverly could make commercial sense.</p> <p><strong>BRYAN ARMEN GRAHAM:</strong> There’s not much I can offer on the Hopkins retirement debate that I didn’t <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/bryan_armen_graham/04/30/bernard.hopkins/index.html" target="_blank">pour into yesterday’s column</a>. To sum it up: Hopkins is still fighting at a very high level, regardless of wins and losses. He’s never been beaten up or cut in a fight, much less knocked out, and employs a cagey, intelligent style that should keep it that way for the foreseeable future. If he wants to keep fighting, he should keep fighting.</p> <p>Whether Hopkins is compromising his legacy is a valid question, but it’s my opinion an athlete cannot tarnish what he’s already accomplished. Rocky Marciano retired undefeated (56 years ago last Friday) but no one rates him ahead of Joe Louis; everyone recognizes a 37-year-old Louis should have been retired by the time Marciano knocked him out in 1951. Sugar Ray Robinson is widely regarded as boxing’s GOAT because of his peak record of 128-1-2; no one downgrades him for the 16 of his 19 losses that came after his first comeback (at age 34, when he was merely “very good”). If you don’t think Hopkins is willing to risk another loss or two for the chance of cheating time yet again and building on an already towering legacy, well, you don’t know Hopkins.</p> <p>Until Hopkins finds himself on the wrong end of a legitimate beatdown — something worse than a majority-decision loss to a prime opponent who couldn’t have been worse stylistic matchup for him — I don’t have any problem watching him compete at what he loves to do.</p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>May 01, 2012</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/05/01/roundtable-should-bernard-hopkins-retire-after-saturdays-defeat/#respond" title="Comment on Roundtable: Should Bernard Hopkins retire after Saturday’s defeat?"><span data-lf-article-id="2131" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Add A Comment</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-2103"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/04/27/experts-predictions-for-bernard-hopkins-chad-dawson-ii/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Experts’ predictions for Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson II">Experts’ predictions for Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson II</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/04/27/experts-predictions-for-bernard-hopkins-chad-dawson-ii/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2012/04/27/experts-predictions-for-bernard-hopkins-chad-dawson-ii/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_2105" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hopkins-dawson.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2105 " title="hopkins-dawson" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hopkins-dawson.jpg?w=300&h=334" alt="" width="300" height="334"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Bernard Hopkins (left) and Chad Dawson (right) finally get the opportunity to settle their score Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. (AP)</p></div> <p><em>SI.com’s boxing experts predict Saturday’s light heavyweight title fight between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson (10:15 p.m. ET, HBO). Share your prediction in the comments below.</em></p> <p><strong>CHRIS MANNIX</strong></p> <p>Betting against Hopkins has proven hazardous, as the 47-year old tactician has repeatedly defied the odds. But there is a certain type of fighter Hopkins can still take — big, bruising, brawlers — and Dawson isn’t one of them. This won’t be the most exciting fight, with Dawson snapping that long jab from a distance and Hopkins rushing in head-first to get on the inside. But it won’t be controversial, either. Dawson is on a different level than Hopkins and should cruise to a comfortable points win. <strong>Dawson by unanimous decision.</strong></p> <p><strong>RICHARD O’BRIEN</strong></p> <p>To make a prediction about a rematch you usually start with the first fight, but the initial encounter between Hopkins and Dawson was so truncated and the ending so ambiguous that it’s really almost as if this is the first bout. The same questions remain: Can Hopkins use his bottomless bag of tricks, his ring smarts and his patience to nullify Dawson’s youth and athleticism? Can he take the younger fighter deep into the bout without taking too much damage along the way and then start to score with his own, always, careful offense?</p> <p>A lot depends on how focused Dawson is; he has a tendency to look brilliant for stretches in fights and then let down for stretches. His trainer, John Scully, is intent on having Dawson put it all together this time, and for his part, Dawson sounds determined to make a definitive statement about his place in the pound-for-pound standings. “I don’t want to just beat Bernard,” he has said. “I want to make him look stupid and make him look old.”</p> <p>Well, I can see the “make him look old” part, but I don’t think anyone can make Bernard Hopkins look stupid. The fight goes longer this time — all 12 rounds. Hopkins will have his moments, but Dawson’s work rate — led by that long jab — will wear down the old champion and allow Dawson to shine in the later rounds. <strong>Dawson by unanimous decision.</strong></p> <p><strong>BRYAN ARMEN GRAHAM</strong></p> <p>It was back in 2007 when Dawson (then a light heavyweight beltholder) first emerged as a logical opponent for Hopkins, who at 41 had just upset Antonio Tarver for the recognized 175-pound championship — a ceiling his idol, Sugar Ray Robinson, could never crack. It was billed as Hopkins going out on top, yet more than five years later he’s still here, a legitimate world champion taking on opponents in or around the pound-for-pound top 15 and making history with every outing. But styles make fights, and a rangy, technically sound boxer-puncher is simply a problematic matchup for the 47-year-old marvel. It’s no wonder a fighter as schooled as B-Hop wasn’t in a hurry to fight him; Dawson was, and is, tailor-made to end Hopkins’ career.</p> <p>All logic indicates the younger, primer challenger presses his advantages in size, reach and athleticism to cruise to a points victory over Hopkins, a 3-to-1 underdog, not least because the 29-year-old Dawson has thus far proven impervious to the Philadelphian’s psychological tactics. This is his moment. Yet something about this scenario must feel comfortable to the champion: he was the spoiler in aborted coronations against Tarver (he was 3-to-1 underdog), Winky Wright (2-to-1) and Kelly Pavlik (4-to-1) — and was a 2-to-1 longshot in his first fight with Jean Pascal, a draw many thought Hopkins won. Dawson’s public mockery of the injury that led to a no-contest in October’s first meeting cast doubt on the professionalism and warrior’s spirit that are Hopkins’ essence. You’d never know it due to the effective vow of silence he took throughout the promotion — HBO must have been thrilled — but the blow to Hopkins’ reputation stings worse than any head shot and he’ll be motivated by redemption. It says here the cagey veteran — blending the economical offense, slippery defense and unmatched ring intelligence — conjures one last time-cheating performance on the boardwalk where he began his career (with a loss!) nearly a quarter-century ago. <strong>Hopkins by split decision.</strong></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Apr 27, 2012</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/04/27/experts-predictions-for-bernard-hopkins-chad-dawson-ii/#comments" title="Comment on Experts’ predictions for Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson II"><span data-lf-article-id="2103" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Read 2 Comments</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-1440"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/12/13/csac-overturns-dawson-hopkins-ruling/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to CSAC overturns Dawson-Hopkins ruling">CSAC overturns Dawson-Hopkins ruling</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/12/13/csac-overturns-dawson-hopkins-ruling/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2011/12/13/csac-overturns-dawson-hopkins-ruling/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_1442" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/hopkins.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1442" title="hopkins" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/hopkins.jpg?w=300&h=350" alt="" width="300" height="350"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Chad Dawson's controversial TKO was overturned and ruled a no contest. (Gene Blevins/ZUMAPRESS.com)</p></div> <p>The California State Athletic Commission has overturned Chad Dawson’s technical knockout win over Bernard Hopkins and ruled the fight a no contest. On Tuesday the commission, by a vote of 5-1, elected to overturn the referees decision in October, restoring Hopkins’s status as the lineal light heavyweight champion.</p> <p>“Justice was served today,” Hopkins said. “I am thrilled that the California State Athletic Commission did the right thing and removed that loss from my record. Mistakes happen, but what you do to fix those mistakes is what counts.”</p> <p>A key figure in overturning the decision was the referee, Pat Russell. In the second round Dawson appeared to lift Hopkins up and push him to the ground. The fall injured Hopkins shoulder, ending the fight. At the time Russell ruled that since Hopkins was the one who initiated the contact, Dawson could not be disqualified and the fight could not be ruled a no-contest. At the hearing Russell reportedly flipped, informing the commission that he had made the wrong decision.</p> <p>“The footage of the fight that was reviewed over and over again, proved to be the key testimony,” Hopkins said. “I think it came down to the tape. Both of our sides were making good points, but it was a dinner without a turkey. The tape was the turkey. I am happy this ordeal is over. Now I can focus on continuing to rehab my shoulder and get ready to fight again, hopefully early next year. I will start my usual boxing routine in a couple of weeks and get ready to defend my titles again.”</p> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/12/13/csac-overturns-dawson-hopkins-ruling/#more-1440" class="more-link">Read More…</a></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Dec 13, 2011</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/12/13/csac-overturns-dawson-hopkins-ruling/#comments" title="Comment on CSAC overturns Dawson-Hopkins ruling"><span data-lf-article-id="1440" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Read 1 Comment</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-614"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/10/16/three-thoughts-from-dawson-hopkins/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Three thoughts from Dawson-Hopkins">Three thoughts from Dawson-Hopkins</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/10/16/three-thoughts-from-dawson-hopkins/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2011/10/16/three-thoughts-from-dawson-hopkins/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_622" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/hopkins-shoulder.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-622 " title="hopkins-shoulder" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/hopkins-shoulder.jpg?w=300&h=235" alt="" width="300" height="235"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Bernard Hopkins was unable to continue after separating his shoulder in the second round of his light heavyweight title fight with Chad Dawson. (AP)</p></div> <p>Three thoughts from Chad Dawson’s controversial second-round TKO of Bernard Hopkins for the light heavyweight title Saturday in Los Angeles:</p> <p><strong>1. It should have been ruled a no decision.</strong> Never in 60 pro fights had Hopkins been stopped inside the distance. No longer. When the 46-year-old Philadelphian leaned over Dawson after uncoiling an overhand right early in the second round, the 29-year-old challenger lifted Hopkins into the air and dumped him onto the canvas — a move that appeared to separate the champion’s left shoulder. (X-rays taken at California Hospital Medical Center later confirmed Hopkins separated the acromioclavicular joint which connects the collar bone and shoulder blade.) According to the unified rules of boxing, a fight should be ruled a no decision if an accidental foul causes an injury before the end of four rounds. (Not a no contest, but essentially the same thing.) Still, referee Pat Russell immediately ruled it a technical knockout, denying <em>any</em> foul and never even giving Hopkins the opportunity to continue fighting. “Today’s what’s makes boxing wrong,” said a despondent Hopkins (52-6-3, 32 KOs), who lost his WBC and <em>Ring</em> magazine titles. “They want me out of boxing, this is one of the ways to do it.”</p> <p><strong>2. Dawson’s championship is subject to scrutiny.</strong> Dawson (31-1, 18 KOs) said “I’m the champion” so many times after the official ruling was announced to cascades of boos from the 8,421 at Staples Center, it seemed as if he were trying to convince himself. The New Haven, Conn., native was happy to posture as if he’d been blowing Hopkins out, when really Hopkins had been forcing the challenger to fight at his methodical pace through the first five minutes. “He says he a gangsta,” Dawson taunted. “A gangsta would have got up and fought like a man.” The new champion laughed off the mere suggestion of a rematch. That he’d be so content to rob Hopkins of a belt so he can move on to a return match with Jean Pascal (his lone conqueror) is unfortunate. Not boxing’s finest night.</p> <p><strong>3. This will be overturned. </strong>What the sanctioning bodies can or can’t do is subject to perpetual debate, but it seems hard to imagine the result will stand given the photographic evidence in Hopkins’ favor. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer promised a protest will be filed, which could potentially supersede the ruling of Russell, who was scurried away before he could be grilled by the media. The entire episode evoked memories of Hopkins’ second fight with Antwun Echols, when he was thrown down to the canvas in the sixth round. In that 2000 match, Hopkins could have retired with the victory; instead he fought on and knocked out Echols in the 10th. The resolution of Saturday’s fight offered far less clarity. “He picked me off my feet,” Hopkins groused. “This ain’t the UFC. Football come up tomorrow.”</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><em><strong>– Bryan Armen Graham</strong></em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Oct 16, 2011</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130517023611/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/10/16/three-thoughts-from-dawson-hopkins/#respond" title="Comment on Three thoughts from Dawson-Hopkins"><span data-lf-article-id="614" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">Add A Comment</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="navigation"> <div class="alignleft"></div> <div class="alignright"></div> </div> </div> <div class="sidebar test"> <div id="ad300x250" class="rightbox"> <script language="JavaScript"> siAds.render('mma_boxing/rgt.300x250', 300, 250); </script> </div> <div class="rightbox"><div class="list"> <h2>Recent Posts</h2> <ul> <li> <a 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