Last month, rumors were running rampant that future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins was in discussions with promoter Don King about the possibility of signing with the legendary promoter. FightHype.com has learned that those discussions may have become a reality. "I don't think it was a beef he had with Shane. I think it's between him and Golden Boy. I think he just signed with Don King," a source revealed when asked why Hopkins was not present during last weekend's Mayweather vs. Mosley card.
A partner with Golden Boy Promotions, Hopkins was unhappy with comments made by CEO Richard Schaefer, who hinted that it may be time for the living legend to retire. According to Schaefer, he became concerned about the health of Hopkins when he collapsed in the dressing room shortly after his rematch with Roy Jones Jr. Hopkins, however, was offended by the comment. Accusing his own promotional company of having an agenda to get him out of the sport, Hopkins made it clear that he's a promotional free agent and would do whatever he felt was necessary to move forward with his career.
"It started with the Kelly Pavlik fight. It wasn't a fight that I was supposed to win and it wasn't a fight they wanted me to win and that's why I was sitting for 15 months after I won it easily. They promised me dates, they promised me this and that, and I really was forced to fight in Decmeber and to fight Roy Jones Jr just so I don't have to sit another year and half," a frustrated Hopkins would reveal in an interview shortly after his victory over Jones. "I got shelved for a year and a half by my own promotional company under the disguise that HBO took some dates back. Ross Greenburg and Kerry Davis said that to me also. My company didn't sue or didn't even have it in writing that I had the date."
Representatives of Team Hopkins were unavailable for comment, but the fact that Hopkins was a no-show at Mayweather vs. Mosley is a indication that all is not well in the Golden Boy family. If Hopkins did indeed sign with Don King, he'll be the second disgruntled partner at Golden Boy Promotions to do so, the first being Marco Antonio Barrera.
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