By Bill "Two Scoops" Emes
Back on March 9th of 2013, Bernard Hopkins became the last fighter promoted by Golden Boy Promotions to appear in action on HBO.
Not too long after that, the network made a company decision to cut their business ties with Golden Boy. HBO had become frustrated with former Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and influential adviser Al Haymon, who manages/advises the majority of Golden Boy's stable.
According to sources in the company, HBO was tired of building up Golden Boy fighters who were then jumping over, one by one, to rival network Showtime.
After Schaefer parted ways with Golden Boy in June, most saw his departure as the first step to a possible renewed relationship between Golden Boy and HBO.
On November 8th, Hopkins becomes the first Golden Boy fighter to return to HBO, when he faces WBO champion Sergey Kovalev in a highly anticipated unification.
Besides being one of their star fighters, Hopkins is also a partner and has an ownership stake in Golden Boy. He hopes the fight with Kovalev will jump start the rebuilding process of the once strong relationship between Golden Boy and HBO.
"How surreal and what better person to be in a situation to be [in] as the last fighter who was on HBO, promoted by Golden Boy, and now that we're dating again, and hopefully it becomes a full blown relationship and then marriage and then kids. Who would could ever script this," Hopkins said.
