[Guest_Fitz_*]

I love Hopkins, but the best way for him to go out now, is to tell everyone that this is a farewell fight before. Go fight someone, anyone (even if it's a scrub) and if it's not a name, don't worry and don't try dress it up (like against RJJ). Just take a fight you can win, and call it a day.
The last fight against Jones seems to have ruined him, and I'm not talking about him physically. More his name. The sad part is, he didn't go down because he became shot. He is still good physically, but people got bored of him, and then taking the Jones fight was a terrible business move on his part. It almost seems that he would have had more interest if he some how got knocked out and tried to make a come back after that. He didn't even knock Jones out for the comedy value, or for people to see it and go "oh Roy........not again".
Taking the fight was bad enough as it is, and if there is a way to win a CLEAR unanimous decision is the worst possible way, Hopkins managed it.

I really like Hopkins, I would continue to watch him as I love watching him fight (majority of the time). But he just needs to announce his retirement and take any fight. He deserves to go out better than the way he is heading. Like I said, I still like watching him, but at the same time, I can probably see why people are getting tired with him.

[Method]

If he was pissed about sitting on his hands with GBP, he's gonna be the second coming of Rip Van Winkle waiting around for Don King to be able to get him something meaningful.

Don King is POWERLESS from 160-175, and maybe in the sport at this point.

He's ALREADY BEEN THROUGH IT w King. DK will A.) Not be able to get Hopkins a meaningful fight, and B.) Not be able to satisfy the contractual guaranteed minimums, sending everything to purse bids.

Who knows...maybe since Toney is pissed at Goosen something could be done there. At this point...at any point really, Hopkins boxes circles around Toney...just like Roy Jones did. Toney is too stationary and Hopkins is (and has been) too complete. Make the fight though. the promotion would be classic, especially if they gave it a tv show ala 24/7. The sport is letting the best thing pass it by not getting Hopkins or Toney omn 24/7. Not only are they old school hard core, but they are BOTH characters, and ambassadors to the sport. Forget the bling and bullshit and bodyguards and blah blah. they guys are walking sound bites and just all around characters.

Anyway, Hopkins was on FNF recently and said he's up for Dawson whenever, but wants to be paid. Whatever.

Bottom line is, like Hype already stated, I think (hope) this is smoke and mirrors. He should remain a promotional free agent and just sign with guys on a one-off basis, OR sign with the guy that can bring him the most lucrative fight. I would be very surprised if that someone was DK.

I dont think Bute could beat Hopkins, let alone KO him. Bute went life and death with Enrique Ornelias' brother, no? LOL.

[JLUVBABY]

Hopkins might lose but he's not getting KO'd. I wouldn't mind seeing him fight Bute but no enough interest from the general public. Hell I don't think there is enough interest to see Hopkins fight at all except from this fans and boxing junkies. Hopkins vs. Toney sure does sound good for late fall early winter right about now.

hopkins toney would be a good better now than never match... i could see that being a good scrap.. the build up would be fun... lol... two good shit talkers...

[thehype]

If he was pissed about sitting on his hands with GBP, he's gonna be the second coming of Rip Van Winkle waiting around for Don King to be able to get him something meaningful.

Don King is POWERLESS from 160-175, and maybe in the sport at this point.

He's ALREADY BEEN THROUGH IT w King. DK will A.) Not be able to get Hopkins a meaningful fight, and B.) Not be able to satisfy the contractual guaranteed minimums, sending everything to purse bids.

Who knows...maybe since Toney is pissed at Goosen something could be done there. At this point...at any point really, Hopkins boxes circles around Toney...just like Roy Jones did. Toney is too stationary and Hopkins is (and has been) too complete. Make the fight though. the promotion would be classic, especially if they gave it a tv show ala 24/7. The sport is letting the best thing pass it by not getting Hopkins or Toney omn 24/7. Not only are they old school hard core, but they are BOTH characters, and ambassadors to the sport. Forget the bling and bullshit and bodyguards and blah blah. they guys are walking sound bites and just all around characters.

Anyway, Hopkins was on FNF recently and said he's up for Dawson whenever, but wants to be paid. Whatever.

Bottom line is, like Hype already stated, I think (hope) this is smoke and mirrors. He should remain a promotional free agent and just sign with guys on a one-off basis, OR sign with the guy that can bring him the most lucrative fight. I would be very surprised if that someone was DK.

I dont think Bute could beat Hopkins, let alone KO him. Bute went life and death with Enrique Ornelias' brother, no? LOL.

I think you kind of hit the nail on the head Meth. I don't think this is situation where it's going to be a long-term deal. I think this is situation where King is promising him that he can get him the money that he wants for say a fight with Dawson. I mean, any way you slice it, this next fight or two could be Bernard's last fight, so he's trying to maximize his profit as much as possible. I think it's less about Hopkins being mad about sitting on the shelf and more about Hopkins being mad about the money he's getting. I think Hops was really banking on getting that David Haye fight, but Richard Schaefer obviously isn't trying to go that route, so I wouldn't be surprised if Don King made him some promises...perhaps offering up one of his cruiserweights to Hops with a promise of something else down the road. Who knows with DK, but one thing is sure...DK has never had a problem with dropping off a suitcase full of money for a fighter.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Mayweather did the same thing when he first decided to make a comeback. He wasn't happy with the kind of numbers that he was being offered, so the first thing he did was head down to Florida and have a visit with Don King. Al Haymon literally had to fly down there and talk Floyd out of it...meaning Al Haymon resolved whatever money issues they may have had.

Like I said, I'm not 100% sure it's actually a done deal...but from what I'm hearing, from a couple of people actually, that's the reason why he wasn't at Mayweather vs. Mosley. Whether or not any paperwork was actually drawn up is the mystery, but like I said, from what I hear, DK is the reason why Hops was a no-show.

[D-MARV]

If signing with King means we get to see Hopkins-Dawson then I'm all for it... But, one thing Hopkins is NOT, is a dummy. If he's going to deal with Don King then theres a good damn reason behind it.

[Method]

I don't doubt that at all Hype, but fuck man, after all the battles those two fucks had in court, you'd think they'd want nothing to do with one another...then again, King and Burstein worked together. Who fucking knows. Will be interesting to see what happens...if ANYTHING.

[streetlion1]

If signing with King means we get to see Hopkins-Dawson then I'm all for it... But, one thing Hopkins is NOT, is a dummy. If he's going to deal with Don King then theres a good damn reason behind it.

I have to agree with that...there has got to be a reason behind it. I dont think we'll see Hopkins v.s. Dawson but the CalSlappy rumors are interesting. I dont know what to think with Hopkins....I still have to see him clearly beatin before I can tell him to hang it up. The Jones fight was the wrong thing to do and I bet he is feeling the heat for it so I think we can expect a big name for his next opponent.....question is who?

[Method]

Problem is that I'd bet the ONLY way he can get a fight w Calzaghe would be if he was w GBP, as Im fairly certain GBP reps Calz now. so why would Ex need King to get Calz?

Honestly, I dont know WHO King delivers to Hopkins. Holy? I have no fucking idea.

[JD]

DK has a slew of crappy heavys, including Valuev. He has no Cruisers worth anything any more. He literally has no light heavys.

I said it before...he does have Tito.

[Method]

I said it before...he does have Tito.

Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Thing is man, Hops would be digging himself a deeper grave if he took a fight w Trinidad.