by Chris LaBate

WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins is open to making further history by moving up in weight to face Antonio Tarver in a rematch. Tarver recently captured the IBO cruiserweight title by stopping Danny Green in Australia. In 2006, Hopkins moved up from middleweight, to dominate Tarver over twelve rounds for the IBO light heavyweight crown. Tarver, who bulked up to heavyweight for a starring role in the movie Rocky Balboa, had to drop nearly 50-pounds or more before the fight.

"If I fight at cruiserweight, let me tell you what weight I'll come in at. They moved it up to 200-[pounds] now, about four years ago. I would come in at 189, 190 - because I would want to still have the speed of a light heavyweight or even a super middleweight so I could make them miss, because the average cruiserweight is not fast. They are not super slow but I should be faster than them because I'm coming up from light heavyweight," Hopkins said.

"[Taking a fight at cruiserweight], it depends on who the guy is. Like Tarver. Tarver, I would love to get that, because it's a rematch. He had a great excuse [for losing the first fight]. He lost 100-pounds or 50-pounds, something like that. You hear him tell it he was dead [in the ring]. And he was poisoned...food poisoning. He did say that, he said he was poisoned."

by Chris LaBate

WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins is open to making further history by moving up in weight to face Antonio Tarver in a rematch. Tarver recently captured the IBO cruiserweight title by stopping Danny Green in Australia. In 2006, Hopkins moved up from middleweight, to dominate Tarver over twelve rounds for the IBO light heavyweight crown. Tarver, who bulked up to heavyweight for a starring role in the movie Rocky Balboa, had to drop nearly 50-pounds or more before the fight.

"If I fight at cruiserweight, let me tell you what weight I'll come in at. They moved it up to 200-[pounds] now, about four years ago. I would come in at 189, 190 - because I would want to still have the speed of a light heavyweight or even a super middleweight so I could make them miss, because the average cruiserweight is not fast. They are not super slow but I should be faster than them because I'm coming up from light heavyweight," Hopkins said.

"[Taking a fight at cruiserweight], it depends on who the guy is. Like Tarver. Tarver, I would love to get that, because it's a rematch. He had a great excuse [for losing the first fight]. He lost 100-pounds or 50-pounds, something like that. You hear him tell it he was dead [in the ring]. And he was poisoned...food poisoning. He did say that, he said he was poisoned."

Forget Tarver. Get James Toney. Get a 24/7. Get it on.

Forget Tarver. Get James Toney. Get a 24/7. Get it on.

Forget Tarver. Get James Toney. Get a 24/7. Get it on.

Still the best fight that can be made in all of boxing.

Delete this thread. I noticed I put 140, for some fucked up reason and tried to stop it and posted again, but this still went through, haha.

LOL. Eh....just change the title. I know someone here can has the power to do that.

This is a smelly fight! I'm surprised Hopkins is admitting Tarver was at a disadvantage in their fight which takes away from the victory. Now is using that for a reason along with this poison reason to get an easy win and another title on his resume?

Where was this interest by Hopkins going upto Cruiserweight title when Green held it and made him eat his words?? He was too busy ignoring what had unfolded by not responding nor returning any of the offers Green made him! Hopkins should focus on Dawson and then Cloud!

I think you took it in the wrong context, it sounds like Hopkins was taking the mickey out of him about his 'excuses', I don't think he really meant that he thinks Tarver's poison is a real excuse. I think this is just his way of saying he will prove again it's bullshit.



Hopkins didn't ignore Green, they were in negotiations, and it simply broke down to them not agreeing on a purse split.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=22237&more=1

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/ne...tory?id=4781428

Hopkins needs to stop picking on old people. He needs to go back to fighting people his own age.

I would be willing to bet all the weeks of lead up would be better than the fight itself. Not saying that is bad either, because we would get so many classic lines and I am sure they would have to be separated more than once during press conferences.

In this case, the build-up would be part of the fight.

James Cruiserweight Toney? Yeah right.