by James Slater – No doubt fight fans everywhere, some of them at least, have heard the rumours going around that say modern day legends Roy Jones Junior and Bernard Hopkins will meet in a long (very long!) awaited rematch some time next year. Well, according to top scribe Dan Rafael over at ESPN.com, the talk is very much correct and the two fighters signed a deal yesterday to fight again in early 2010..
According to Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy and John Wirt of Square Ring, say ESPN.com, the two light-heavyweights signed an agreement yesterday night to meet in a rematch some time in the first quarter of next year. However, the deal is reliant on 40-year-old Jones winning his IBO cruiserweight title fight against Australian hard man Danny Green on December 2nd.
Also, under the terms of the agreement Jones and Hopkins came to yesterday, the purse will be split down the middle, 50/50 – unless there is a KO, whereupon the man who scores it will take a 60/40 split of the money.
This is interesting news to say the least. It’s not clear if the majority of fans will get excited about a return fight that has taken well over fifteen years to materialise (Jones, of course out-pointed Hopkins way back in 1993, at middleweight). The first fight, for the IBF 160-pound strap, was, after all, not a great fight. Jones was simply too fast for B-Hop, and he won a wide, somewhat dull 12 -rounder.
However, going by the two men’s recent form, 44-year-old Hopkins (45 in January of next year. Jones, by the way, turns 41 next January) will be many peoples’ pick to win. Looking great against the lethal-punching and then unbeaten Kelly Pavlik last year, “The Executioner” proved he has plenty left in the tank. Jones, on the other hand, has not beaten a truly elite fighter since his first win over Antonio Tarver back in 2003.
It will be interesting to see what weight the two men fight at (if Jones gets past Green, that is. For if he doesn’t we can forget about Jones-Hopkins II). Jones-Green is up at 200-pounds – the weight Hopkins had been interested in fighting IBF cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek at – so could the long awaited sequel take place at cruiser?
One thing is sure: suddenly the December 2nd bout that will take place in Australia between Green and Jones is a whole lot more important. If Green can upset Jones and keep his (IBO) title, he will also have ruined the plans of two boxing legends. Green will probably not care one bit about this, though, and he will simply be looking at winning, regardless of what his opponent has planned for a later date.
Adamek, though, may well be disappointed. It looks now as though the tough Pole will not get the opportunity to end a Philly legend’s career.