Hopkins targeting Felix Sturm

By Ant Evans & Secondsout.com : Fresh off repelling WBC No.1 contender Howard Eastman, undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins is looking to take care of another dangerous mandatory in June. According to sources in Germany, Hopkins and his Golden Boy Promotions people are in 'serious talks' to face WBO No.1 Felix Sturm, the man who beat up but got jobbed out v Oscar De La Hoya last June.

Since nearly ruining the September money-spinning snoozer that was Hopkins v De La Hoya, Sturm has kept busy by beating Robert Frazier, Hassine Cherifi and last Saturday looked impressive in blowing out Bert Schenk in two rounds in Küppersteg, Germany.

The 26-year-old, real name Adnan Catic, has been offered the fight after unbeaten American puncher Jermain Taylor priced himself out of the June date with a reported asking price of close to $3million. Let's hope Sturm, who really deserves his shot after handing an unfit Oscar a boxing lesson last summer, gets his chance.


if taylor were to drop his price im sure hopkins would jump all over it, i hope he doesnt though sturm is gonna make hopkins look his age when they fight

Felix Sturm is exactly the kind of fighter the old B-Hop could have problems with. He's fast, intelligent, not very powerful but his box is beautyful.

Sturm is a pretty good boxer, I expect him to give a better fight to Hopkins than Eastman.

Lets just be honest everyone is gonna talk this fight up and say Sturm is young and hungry and Hopkins is just going to go out there and box for 12 rounds and win a decision. Sturm does not have the experience to beat hopkins. The 2 best guys he's fought are robert Frazier a never has been and de la hoya who was a blown up welterweight. Hopkins will not lose he is to talented so even if he starts to fade physically he has the skills to win a fight even if his speed and power deminish.

i dont like this not experenced enough stuff i mean hopkins is always gonna have more fights then sturm and is alwasy gona be more experenced then him so.....? who should sturm fight he and taylor r there there is no one to fight but hopkins, solimon is a joke and the ikeke kingsley dude wouldnt do anything since he is more inexperenced then they are, its time for sturm and taylor to suck it up and fight the man since he is the only one left

Hopkins is getting old and can be outbox. Sturm is hungry and can upset the world a second time. Anyway, the kid deserve the shot! M. Golden boy owe him that.

I bet Sturm would have to knock out Hopkins to beat him. I can't really see the judges giving Sturm the fight if it were a close fight, just like in the De La Hoya fight, and that one wasn't even close. I say Hopkins in 12, as usual.

hav to go with hop in 12. i like sturm a lot, but can't c him winning this jus yet.
wat price does hop want taylor to take?
i say sturm shud fight other gyz first

agree with motiv, sturm would need a knockout, shortly followed by pigs flying out of his trunks.
i also doubt he`s ever faced anyone who`d rough him up as much as B-Hop, thats were a lot of Hopkins` experience would kick in.
of course if it was in Germany he`d win on a split even if he spent the last six rounds literally on his hands and knees.

As far as fighting Hopkins goes:

From one school of thought:

Sturm would have an advantage over Hopkins physically. That is a no-brainer. He has more lean mass, and IMO is in just as good if not better condition. He fights on the outside, utilizing his jab to set up the power punch.

I only see him giving hopkins a little trouble, because he is effective when punching straight. He might be able to sneak punches through Bernard's gloves. I However do not feel that he has the punching power to hurt Bernard though.

From another school of thought:

You could say that Hopkins has way too much ring experience, has more natural skills, And Frankly;

I do not feel would be the least bit scared of Felix.

As far as fighting Taylor goes:

Sturm may give Taylor some trouble, but ultimately Taylor's strength and reach (which surpasses) Strum gives him trouble. He would have an easy time setting up power shots.

I have never seen Sturm use mobility to the best extent in the ring. He is more like a stalking fighter, who keeps fighters at bay with the jab. He would need some more lateral movement if he were to pervail in fighting Taylor.

As far as fighting Hopkins goes:

From one school of thought:

Sturm would have an advantage over Hopkins physically. That is a no-brainer. He has more lean mass, and IMO is in just as good if not better condition. He fights on the outside, utilizing his jab to set up the power punch.

I only see him giving hopkins a little trouble, because he is effective when punching straight. He might be able to sneak punches through Bernard's gloves. I However do not feel that he has the punching power to hurt Bernard though.

From another school of thought:

You could say that Hopkins has way too much ring experience, has more natural skills, And Frankly;

I do not feel would be the least bit scared of Felix.

As far as fighting Taylor goes:

Sturm may give Taylor some trouble, but ultimately Taylor's strength and reach (which surpasses) Strum gives him trouble. He would have an easy time setting up power shots.

I have never seen Sturm use mobility to the best extent in the ring. He is more like a stalking fighter, who keeps fighters at bay with the jab. He would need some more lateral movement if he were to pervail in fighting Taylor..

well actually run, sturm is a very quick fighter and can move around the ring quite well as larry merchant said during the DLh fight. people who have just seen sturms last fights would not know it cause the type of fighters he fought he had to use a diff style and imo only lasted 2-3 rounds . sturm can be very quick and he can move he did make taylor miss somewhat while moving backward and slipping his punches.

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well actually run, sturm is a very quick fighter and can move around the ring quite well as larry merchant said during the DLh fight. people who have just seen sturms last fights would not know it cause the type of fighters he fought he had to use a diff style and imo only lasted 2-3 rounds . sturm can be very quick and he can move he did make taylor miss somewhat while moving backward and slipping his punches.

I personally think, that he is really good with his jab/ because he relies on it.....and it makes the illusion of him being a more mobile fighter. There was actually a point, where all everyone would talk about was Lennox Lewis' speed. That "speed" I think is a mirage of minimal lateral movement, combined with a good jab. He throws it effectively, stunning the opponent..allowing his to move minimally. I think he is a monolith personally.

Meaning, he is not fast. I just dont buy it.

Sturm - Taylor would be interesting, because sturm's jab is as good as taylor's. sturm also shows signs he may be as physically strong as taylor ( i've only seen sturm against dlh - don't know much about him)
no way sturm beats HOps, though, no ****ing way, sturm ain't that good but he's good enough to give him a good fight, if it happens it'll go to a 12 round decsion like eastman did, however, i can see sturm being busier than eastman was, but he doesn't have eastman's power

i would love to see Sturm-Taylor

SturmRules: I got u on this one, he would easily outbox taylor

i would love to see Sturm-Taylor

SturmRules: I got u on this one, he would easily outbox taylor



:) now that taylor can throw wild punches sicne he aint in the oly anymore i think sturm will make him look silly, hell taylor almost fell through the ropes when u tried to swing at him liek that :p

Taylor has to much power for Sturm period.

sturm's a good fighter, but i rank him right behind nard and taylor....

I say lets put sturm to a real test for his chin, thorw him in vs trinidad b4 facing hopkins b4 the year is over, cause we all know that Tito will beat Winky via KO

Felix Sturm is exactly the kind of fighter the old B-Hop could have problems with. He's fast, intelligent, not very powerful but his box is beautyful.

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I'm just happy that B-Hop cann't used the fighting mandatories excuse anymore, I'm sure that he wants to fight the winner of Trinidad/Wright but Taylor or Sturm could fuk that plan for him...

i would love to see Sturm-Taylor

SturmRules: I got u on this one, he would easily outbox taylor
The best right now would be Sturm-Hopkins - if Hopkins win the great for him. This way or another Sturm-Taylor would be definintely for the next undisputed crown.

I would love to see Sturm fight Winky or Shane before B-Hop but I don't see those fights happening. Fighting Hopkins now would be too early, imo.

I would love to see Sturm fight Winky or Shane before B-Hop but I don't see those fights happening. Fighting Hopkins now would be too early, imo.
that would be nice, mosley needs a good fight maybe vs Vargas,Mayorga,Trinidad :boxing: someone who can knock him out