by Geoffrey Ciani – Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Junior are two legends of boxing. The two squared off on May 22, 1993. Jones won a unanimous decision. Finally, after seventeen years of posturing and failed negotiations, it looked as if fans would finally get the chance to see this long awaited rematch. The two finally agreed on terms. They were interesting, too. They agreed to a 50-50 split unless the loser was stopped inside the distance via knockout or technical knockout. In that case, the winner would get 60% of the purse. The only thing left was two “tune-up” fights. Roy Jones was slated to face Danny Green and Bernard Hopkins to face Enrique Ornelas the very same day. After they both won, the two would meet in March.
Danny Green, however, had other ideas and in less than one round, the whole plan came crashing down!
Green did the unthinkable. He stopped Roy Jones in a single round. In doing so, he ended all hopes of a Hopkins-Jones rematch. Somewhere in Philadelphia, Bernard Hopkins is going to wake up to this news. He probably will not know whether to laugh or cry. After all, Hopkins has not fought since October of last year when he annihilated Kelly Pavlik. This was his chance to get a big fight and it looked as if everything was signed, sealed, and delivered. The only problem was, Danny Green did not cooperate. Now Hopkins will face Enrique Ornelas later today knowing full well that his plans have been foiled.
There is a reason why it is ill advised to take tune ups immediately prior to a mega-bout. In boxing, anything can and will happen. If Floyd Mayweather Junior and Manny Pacquiao are both smart, they will heed to this warning and do everything in their power to come to an agreement soon. The fiasco that occurred today should act as a reminder that these two do not want to blow what could potentially be the biggest fight in boxing history. What happened to Jones can happen to anyone, and should Pacquiao or Mayweather lose a fight before squaring off, all of the intrigue that is surrounding this potential mega-bout can vanish in the blink of an eye.
Where does Hopkins go from here?
First up, he needs to beat Enrique Ornelas later tonight. Whatever move he decides to make after that is irrelevant. He needs to win! Hopkins does not want to suffer the same fate Jones did. Hopkins is a consummate professional so it is highly unlikely he will allow this to distract him. In fact, if anything, Green’s shocking first round stoppage is more likely to motivate him and act as a reminder that he needs to take care of business. I fully expect him to do so.
Assuming all goes well for Hopkins, what next? He will have a lot of possibilities. Chief amongst them would be a showdown with the man who is widely regarded as the future of the light heavyweight division, Chad Dawson. “Bad Chad” is probably the most likely alternative for Hopkins now that a Jones rematch is out of the question. Another possibility is WBA heavyweight champion David Haye. While this one might seem like a long shot, Hopkins did recently express interest in fighting him. If the two were able to come to terms, this would undoubtedly become one of the most interesting pre-fight campaigns the sport has ever witnessed. If a fight with Haye cannot be made, another option would be Tomasz Adamek. Like Haye, Adamek is a former cruiserweight champion looking to make waves in the heavyweight landscape. If none of those happen, perhaps there is a possibility he can face someone like Paul Williams if he wins his upcoming fight against Sergio Martinez. This is a fight that would certainly generate some interest. Also, let us not forget the man who just destroyed Roy Jones—Danny Green, himself.
On one hand, it is a shame that this rematch will not happen. On the other hand, this just further solidifies what a lot of people already knew: Roy Jones is no longer an elite fighter, whereas Bernard Hopkins is still amongst the very best. One need not look any further than the competition each man has faced in recent years. Hopkins consistently fights top notch opposition while Jones carefully hand picks his opponents. Unfortunately for Jones, he made a mistake this time. Danny Green proved too much for him and it cost him a payday with Hopkins.
Poor Bernard Hopkins! Where does he go now?
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