By Steven Lienert
The Phanatic Magazine
A source close to Bernard Hopkins told The Phanatic Magazine that after Hopkins dropped a split decision to “Super” Joe Calzaghe last Saturday night, he got a phone call from Don King.
According to the source, Hopkins said King want to gage how interested Hopkins would be in a rematch of his September 29, 2001 bout with Felix Trinidad.
Just weeks after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Hopkins started slow but eventually got the better of Trinidad with a 12th-round TKO.
Hopkins, however, is now 43 and his record fell to 48-5- after a gut-wrenching loss to the undefeated Calzaghe. Trinidad, who has twice come out of retirement, last fought Roy Jones Jr. in January, 2008. Trinidad lost by unanimous decision but pocketed nearly 14 million for the fight.
Obviously, King smells one last big payday for both boxers (and, perhaps most importantly, himself). As of Wednesday night, Hopkins hasn't committed to anything. Stay tuned to The Phanatic Magazine for further details.
2 comments:
Hopkins isn't lowering himself to that. Trinidad has been a shot fighter since the night Hopkins beat him, and Hopkins was never interested in that rematch or any other fight that was only about the money. Tito is whoring himself out in fights he knows he can't win. Hopkins should retire, and probably has, but if he was going to come back it would have to be for something better than Tito.
King actually contacted Golden Boy CEO (or CFO) Richard Schaefer BEFORE Hopkins/Calzaghe, and Hopkins did take the attitude that Josh mentioned. Hopkins was always of the opinion that Trinidad was a dead man walking since September 2001, and that there was really no point in beating him up. That said, Hopkins might be persuaded to take a "victory lap" in the form of a Trinidad Euthanization for $15M or so. I think it would have to be at least that amount, or no less than guaranteed $12M for Bernard to lower himself to that fight.
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