By Michael Marley
Promoter Lou DiBella, known to erupt like Mt. St. Helen’s, has blabbermouth tendencies on many topics, ranging from boxing to baseball to pet care.
But, as for my recently floated and quite nifty idea that DBE’s middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez should try to hook up a fight against 46 year old ring legend and new WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard “Executioner” Hopkins, DiBella has been relatively quiet.
I approached DiBella, who sends his super middleweight Glen “Road Warrior” Johnson into an Atlantic City ring on Showtime Saturday night against the formidable, two-time world champion from England, Carl Froch, why he has not been voluble on the rugged Argentine climbing up in weight to try on BHop.
“I like the idea,” DiBella said Wednesday at a Johnson-Froch presser at Alan Wartski’s swanky and historic Edison Ballroom (part of the West 47 Street Edison Hotel).
“But there is nothing to discuss right now. I’ve got an Oct. 1 date for someone to fight Sergio on HBO and we’re not sure who that opponent will be. And Bernard is committed to his fight against Chad Dawson. So both Bernard and Sergio have prior commitments to clear up first.
“But I like the idea, make that I love the idea. Any time you get a chance to fight a true boxing legend like Hopkins, you jump at it. I can see the fight being discussed late this year and taking place next year,” DiBella said.
“But we’ve got prior business and so does Hopkins.”
It’s no secret that Hopkins, once promoted by DiBella and then his foe in litigation, does not get along very well the promoter and vice versa.
Before Hopkins beat Jean Pascal for the green and gold WBC belt, I asked DiBella is he would cheer for his old client turned adversary.
“I won’t cheer for Bernard but I won’t root against him, either,” DiBella said. “What he’s trying to do at his age is amazing.”
DiBella said it is possible that the Martinez camp might agree to a catch-weight limit of 170 pounds, five pounds below the light heavyweight standard.