Jones-Hopkins 2: A Very late Christmas Present
By Tom Dickey (December 26, 2005)
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Photo © High Roller
Well it only took nearly 13 years, but it has finally happened: a rematch between Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins. The funny thing is that when I heard the announcement I just laughed. Now, if this was a couple of years ago, I, like most Boxing fans would be excited, but unfortunately it's not a couple of years ago. Both fighters will be entering this fight having lost a combined five consecutive fights. The luster is just completely gone. It's like hearing the Lakers and Celtics are playing, years ago people would have been excited, but now nobody really cares.

Why did this fight finally get made you ask, well there are a couple of reasons. For one, who else are these two former moneymakers going to fight. Roy is coming off three terrible losses, and Hopkins, for the first time in his career, is coming off consecutive losses. Both fighters have hit a low point in their careers, a point in which for once they are not the top dawgs. So, they finally decided to swallow their pride and egos and fight each other. Another reason why this fight is being made is because who else are they going to fight? They are still two marquee names, but two marquee names that have fallen. They figure they can market this fight as a battle of the legends type of fight. We have seen this before, in any recent Julio Cesar Chavez fight or Hector Camacho fight. Bottom line is that both fighters realized they are their own last chance to make a buck in the ring.

The other question that comes to mind is will anyone care? Hopkins is coming off two tight losses to Jermain Taylor, and though the fights were close, Hopkins was anything but appealing to the eye. I guess Hopkins figures since he can't avenge his loss to Taylor, then maybe he can at least try to avenge his loss to Jones, and what better time to do it. Just look at what the once invincible Roy Jones has done recently. He got knocked out, got knocked out harder, and then lost convincingly on points. In Jones's last fight against Antonio Tarver, he looked more concerned with showing he could still showboat, than in trying to win. So, should we care? Why not, as long as there's not another big fight that same day, then why not. The match-up still is a bit intriguing, it just means nothing in the championship picture. But, should we pay good money to see it? Heck no, unless your money is burning a hole in your pocket. I don't care how well they sell this as a battle of the legends, it's just not worth shelling out fifty bucks to see, not now anyway. Had they put it together five years ago it would be another story. But, that's the whole problem with this fight. It's five years too late, it's a very late Christmas present to Boxing fans.

One of the other things that ran through my mind when I heard this fight was being made was how badly both fighters are contradicting themselves. Bernard Hopkins on a number of occasions during the promotion of his fight with Jermain Taylor stated that he was only going to fight one more time. He said that his last fight would be against a nobody, and would be more of a farewell fight. He also said that his fight with Taylor would be the last big fight of his career. So, he either lied or he doesn't feel this is a big fight. As for Roy Jones, just remember over the past ten years what his number one response has been when year after year a Hopkins-Jones rematch continually fell through. He would say, "I already beat Hopkins" and/or "I don't need Hopkins," and he would say that he's past that. These are the frustrating remarks Boxing fans endured from Roy Jones when called upon to square off against Hopkins. Now, when hardly any one wants or cares whether they fight or not, Roy decides he needs Bernard. All the crap about him beating Bernard, and so why should he fight again just went out the window. Both fighters look like a couple of hypocrites right now. But, I guess at long last Bernard and Roy do need each other, the question remains will anyone care now.

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