Stephen Dunn - Getty Images
Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson appear headed for an April rematch. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Light heavyweight world champion Bernard Hopkins said on Twitter today that a rematch with Chad Dawson is set for April 28 in Atlantic City. This may or may not have any legs to it, but that's what Hopkins is saying:
Attn: fanz & of course HATERZ April 28 AC im getting my revenge/victory on
@OfficialBadChad 4 that BS
A fan asked Hopkins if the fight would be on regular HBO, and Hopkins responded that it would be. So the good news is no pay-per-view this time. At least this makes the fight tolerable.
Update: Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com reports that the fight is indeed a go. Gary Shaw says that the fight is official.
Though there is very little fan interest in this fight, the fact is that it has to be made. The WBC, which owns the belt Hopkins carries around, has mandated it after their controversial, two-round no-contest from October 15.
Recently, Dawson's promoter Gary Shaw said that he expected Hopkins to duck the rematch:
"I don’t think Hopkins wanted to fight Chad then, and I don’t believe Hopkins wants to fight him now. I always thought Chad was superior and that was the one guy Hopkins didn’t want to face."
Steve Kim reported about a week ago that negotiations were ongoing for the fight, but that Shaw and Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer were miles apart on the split. Schaefer was pushing 85-15, while Shaw was asking for 60-40 in Hopkins' favor. The standard WBC practice in a situation like this is 70-30 for the defending champ.
It looks pretty much a given that this fight is going to happen, so no use in crying over spilt milk, I suppose. Bernard's 47 years old and every fight is one more closer to the end. Given the style matchup with Dawson, maybe this is it. But we've figured on that before, too.
0 recs | 37 comments
No thank you B-Hop
IRodC - January 25, 2012
Direct that to the WBC.
Scott Christ - January 25, 2012
i hope they have a whole string of fights like terry norris and that one guy he kept dq'ing and had to keep refighting
nickfoxx - January 25, 2012
Luis Santana. BOXING’S GREATEST RIVALRY
Scott Christ - January 25, 2012
lol yeah thats the one... a trilogy for the ages
nickfoxx - January 25, 2012
purse bid is this friday
nickfoxx - January 25, 2012
How much you think they're willing to pay us?
Pops Daniels - January 25, 2012
if they pay us for the next two big ppvs..im in
Vicmatic1 - January 26, 2012
Good old WBC forcing a fight that no one wants to see and then letting Chavez Jr run wild instead of making him fight Martinez, Jose Sulaiman – king of the double standard.
Counterpunch - January 25, 2012
yawnnnnn
TheDreadedMarco - January 25, 2012 via mobile
The fact that this is on regular HBO makes it an okay fight I guess. World championship fight, rematch of a fight with a controversial ending, probably going to to be dull as hell.
Eoin_not_ian - January 25, 2012
I hope Bernard’s takedown defense has improved.
TheDreadedMarco - January 25, 2012 via mobile
…and as a free fight, not too surprisingly, I’m a lot more interested. I’m not saying I’m circling the date here, but we are finally nearing the end of Hopkins’ run (er, probably), so it ranks as one of those Important But Not Inherently Essential fights. Which means I’m watching it, unless there’s something significantly better to do.
El Destruyo - January 25, 2012
Also, although it rambles a bit, I recommend the Grantland piece on B-Hop that popped up today. Highly, actually.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7494810/james-verini-bernard-hopkins-boxing-refusal-die
El Destruyo - January 25, 2012
“Lately”? And are they? I mean some do, sure, but…like…i don’t know. That was a clumsy way to go into the “My Way” bit.
Scott Christ - January 25, 2012
Heh, agreed. It ain’t a perfect piece of writing in any way.
El Destruyo - January 25, 2012
Overall I agree it’s good. I should have added that. Nothing on Grantland has ever been better than the Celebrity Cook-Off premiere episode review, however.
Scott Christ - January 25, 2012
I want to see the fight. Hopkins is a very technical and cool fighter, Dawson looked faster and more powerful when they fought, but it’ll likely be a close fight. I was bummed out when I was watching and saw Hopkins hit the floor and not get up… This rematch needs to happen for Dawson, and well, if Hopkins is over the hill, then let’s see him prove us wrong.
I think it’s a cool fight just because at this point from what we saw in 2 rounds, Hopkins only has strategy on Dawson. Glad it’s free to watch, too.
RyanSexton - January 25, 2012
What strategy did Hopkins have on Dawson? Refusing to fight?
Scott Christ - January 25, 2012
Haha. I just mean he’s a strategic fighter, he knows how to win fights without having to be the better fighter. He did get slammed pretty hard man.
RyanSexton - January 25, 2012
I don’t say this often, but I agree with Gary Shaw: Hopkins never wanted to fight Dawson and doesn’t now either. He will because he has to and he does have some pride. He wants nothing to do with that guy.
Scott Christ - January 25, 2012
Agree that he never wanted to...but
did he really have to? Doesn’t seem like he needs to care about belts anymore. Couldn’t he have just fought Pascal again? Or Cleverly (I assume he’d want nothing to do with Cloud)? Seems like his pride is playing more of a role than I would’ve expected.
geraldmcgrew - January 26, 2012
I guess he could have ditched the WBC belt, but Bernard may well take that very seriously. I don’t know — I also think his pride is legitimately wounded by people in and outside of boxing who think he quit against Dawson or even faked an injury, and having Dawson scream “pussy” at him like five times in the ring probably didn’t do anything but get his dander up either.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
I'm glad Bernard's taking the fight
and I guess Dawson’s screaming served him well. Chad better show up.
geraldmcgrew - January 28, 2012
I don’t think this fight is ever going to look good and the rematch will probably be dull as all hell. However, if a 47 year old Bernard Hopkins can beat Chad Dawson – a guy who’s quicker, more powerful and more dynamic than him – it would probably rank as his greatest win. Chad is by far the most talented fighter at 175 and should Bernard be able to grind out a victory, no matter how dull, it’ll be yet another phenomenal testament to a phenomenal competitor.
Oli Goldstein - January 25, 2012
demarco vs katsidis being rumored as the co-feature
nickfoxx - January 25, 2012
really? that would be a great action undercard fight to offset (well maybe not offset, but contrast) the main event.
KidSleez - January 25, 2012
Waste of HBO boxing budget.
BangBangLampley - January 25, 2012
I agree. The good thing about ppv is that it at least keeps it off the hbo budget.
Kory Kitchen - January 25, 2012
Yeah Steve Kim was saying the same thing. But I mean, what can you do? Hopkins has a fight left on his contract. It’s a give-and-take — they can’t really force it to PPV. Just do it and get him off the books. Bring him back for another fight if it’s warranted after.
Scott Christ - January 25, 2012
Is Dawson guaranteed a fight also? If he is then I guess you might as well have them “fight” each other again instead of giving us 2 shitty separate fights.
BangBangLampley - January 25, 2012
I'm actually up for it
I still (foolishly) keep hoping for Dawson to dominate an important fight.
But he’s Lucy holding the football.
geraldmcgrew - January 26, 2012
More like Chris Webber
But I get the point.
Dawson needs to eat some of that Ortiz-Before-Berto diet and come hungry.
Otherwise, he is talent without passion.
pakinpower - January 26, 2012
I guess I’m actually the only one who’s excited about this. You can’t judge the first fight based on less than two rounds. I know Dawson isn’t usually an exciting fighter, but his fight Pascal was, and so were both of the Hopkins-Pascal fights. They both have the ability to be entertaining. And any boxing on TV is better than no boxing on TV.
alargar - January 26, 2012
Except when the boxing on TV later gets in the way of better boxing that now can’t be on TV because the budget is spent.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
I'm glad this is happening
Unfinished business.
Matt Mosley - January 26, 2012
i think dawson wins even if its a boring fight
Vicmatic1 - January 26, 2012
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