By Keith Terceira
 
One great thing about boxing when you reach a certain level of fanaticism is trying to figure the wrangling that is going on behind the scenes. Lord knows, there are times when we hit slow periods in this sport, that it is more fun untangling the threads of what may happen versus what is actually going on inside the ring. Boxing fans for the last month or so have seen some exciting fights and some truly great upsets.
 
Tonight’s results between Bernard Hopkins (47-4-1 38ko’s) and Winky Wright (51-3-4, 25ko’s) may just resurrect the rematch between Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.  (51-4, 38ko‘s).
 
With both Hopkins and Jones campaigning at light heavy, collecting minor and some obscure belts this rematch looks to be the most profitable bout in the division.
 
The WBO craves a rematch between Bernard and Roy so much that already they have them ranked #1 and #2 . Seems the writing is on the table for a mandatory title eliminator bout with the winner to face champion Zsolt Erdei (27-0 17ko’s). For the box office numbers though the real money maker is between the two old warhorses. Zsolt has left Europe and fought here in the States only once in 2002 when he was 10-0 to face journeyman Darren Whitley in Jersey. Other than that he stays mainly in Germany.  Of course German fight fans flock to the arenas for their champions so a title fight there is worth big money for everyone.
 
2005 was the closest we got to a rematch but both fighters careers  began to derail that  year with Hopkins losing his middleweight titles to Jermain Taylor and Roy Jones Jr  failing to take the last of the Tarver trilogy.  Roy had started  his slide in 2004 with losses to Tarver and Glen Johnson. Negotiations continually broke down and frankly people began believing both were shot fighters and  what was worse for Roy Jones Jr. some of his fans felt he had been exposed as having had a hand picked career.
 
At this moment the light heavyweight division lacks a truly marketable match-up, that’s not to say it lacks good fights, but it does lack fights that would fill anything larger than rodeo arena. For Murad Muhammad , Jones -Hopkins II will sell more PPV buys than Holyfield-Oquendo, guaranteed.
 
WBC Champion “Bad” Chad Dawson draws some interest in the states  but getting  IBF Champ Clinton Woods out of England or Erdei out of Germany may prove difficult. The last time Woods left his home turf he faced Roy Jones at the Rose Garden in Portland Oregon and was stopped in the 6th Round by RJJ. A Jones - Woods rematch  faces issues with drawing power even amongst the most die hard fans leaving the casual fans more interested in the NHL draft.
 
Whatever the outcome of  Jones - Hopkins II it will suddenly propel a title fight with Erdei  into the limelight with people interested if to see if the aged ex champion can reclaim a  world title, and restore his legacy , an age old recipe in boxing.
 
Of course the only thing standing in the way of this scenario is a smooth tactician named Ronald “Winky” Wright. 
 
If Wright wins tonight everyone goes back to the drawing board in my opinion because the interest  for  Wright/ Jones won’t be as profitable.
 
Originally I had predicted a snoozer this evening with counter puncher facing counter puncher and Winky taking the UD, but after further review there is just to much money at stake all around for Bernard to lose. I think he knows that a loss to Winky spells the end and father time would prevent another run at it. That is unless the WBO ignores a Wright win, funnier things have happened in the world of sanctioning bodies.
 
I have to feel now that Bernard Hopkins will leave it all in the ring tonight with no room for countering and posturing , so I’m going to switch my pick (flip/flop ala John Kerry) and take Hopkins by TKO in the 11th in a war that may make the fight of the year or a decision that might make us cringe.
 
Well , one can only pray for the first one!