Top Rank has signed unbeaten, world-rated Demetrius Hopkins, a top 28-0-1 contender in the junior welterweight division. Bob Arum made the announcement today. Hopkins, handled by Cameron Dunkin who works with world champions and star attractions including Kelly Pavlik, Nonito Donair and Steven Luevano, said “…we think Top Rank is the best promoter to take Demetrius right to the top..”
Arum noted Hopkins will soon be in action and an announcement regarding his first bout with Top Rank will soon be announced.
Hopkins is a major, exciting signing for Top Rank which in the last month has signed the Peterson brothers – Anthony and Lamont, and Donair. Top Rank has also signed a number of young prospects.
Here is a look at Hopkins:
DEMETRIUS “Dynamite” HOPKINS (28-0-1, 11 KOs)…
Ranked WBC #5, WBO #6, The Ring #10, IBF #13 at 140 pounds…
Former USBA jr. welterweight champion…
1999 National Golden Gloves amateur champion, 139 pounds…
1999 Pennsylvania State Golden Gloves amateur champion, 139 pounds…
At the age of 27, Demetrius is a seven-year pro. Demetrius has stepped up in class of opposition several times and has a number of impressive wins to his credit, the most notable against Steve Forbes (W12), Ernesto Zepeda (TKO9), Jesse Feliciano (KO4), Al Gonzales (TW7), and Andre Eason (W10).
He is the nephew of former undisputed middleweight world champion Bernard Hopkins
Also today:
World middleweight champion and the wildly popular Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown has been nominated for a 2008 ESPY Award…
On Friday night, two hot Texas prospects – hometown hero Jerry Belmontes, a 2-0 featherweight from Corpus Christi, and unbeaten Roberto Marroquin, a 2-0 bantamweight from Dallas – will box on the Top Rank-promoted Solo Boxeo Tecate fight card at the American Bank Centre in Corpus Christi……Belmontes was a 2007 U.S National champion at 132 pounds. As a pro, he fights at featherweight…The main event features Miguel Angel Huerta vs. Juan Ramon Cruz. Telefutura will televise….
J.C. Chavez Jr. is in action Saturday night, taking on tough Matt Vanda in Hermosillo, Mexico. Top Rank’s Ricardo Jimenez will be off to Mexico on Wednesday and will be at ringside on fight night….
Heavyweight Hasim Rahman is training in Phoenix. Chief trainer Marshall Kauffman reports The Rock is in “excellent shape” for the upcoming fight against James Toney on July 16…Ray Sanchez III of Albuquerque is scheduled to fight as a headliner Sept. 5 at the Isleta Hotel-Casino in Albuquerque, N.M. …
Weekend wrap: Julio Cesar Chavez, Iron Mike Tyson, Paris Hilton and Steve Lawrence were among the celebrities at the Ricardo Torres v Kendall Holt historical three-knockdown, 61-second slugfest Saturday night….Holt is trained by Aroz Gist and is managed by Henry Cortes….Gist, 37, has been training Holt since 2003…Showtime’s Steve Farhood told fight writer Keith Idec “….that was one of the wildest fights I’ve ever seen.”….Holt to Idec: “…I go down…so what? I always get back up, don’t I?”….NY Giant running back Brandon Jacobs, 6’4 and 264, walked Holt to the ring and was there afterwards during the celebration…Torres: “I had Holt. I got careless – then got caught.”