By Cliff Rold

It’s probably a bad idea. 

Then again, many thought a rematch between Bernard Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KO) and Roy Jones Jr. (54-7, 40 KO) was a bad idea and that didn’t stop it from happening.  When Hopkins had gained his measure of revenge, he claimed he wanted to take a crack at a Heavyweight belt, specifically the one worn by former Cruiserweight king David Haye (24-1, 22 KO).

Haye, earlier on Saturday, made his first defense of the WBA’s big man honors and pointed his rhetoric at the two men with whom his biggest fortunes lie: the Klitschko brothers.  It sounded less hollow than it ever has.  Haye had just forced the corner of John Ruiz (44-9-1, 30 KO) to throw in the towel after sending the game Massachusetts native to the floor repeatedly.  Beating Ruiz is decent; stopping him raises the eyebrow.

Hopkins and Haye both ended the weekend winners.  Someone will get what they want going forward. 

Let’s go to the report cards.

Grades for Hopkins-Jones II
Pre-Fight: Speed – Jones A-; Hopkins B/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Power – Jones B; Hopkins B/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Defense – Jones B-; Hopkins A/Post: Jones B+; Hopkins A
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Jones C+; Hopkins A/Post: Jones B+; Hopkins B+

Grades for Haye-Ruiz
Pre-Fight: Speed – Haye A; Ruiz B-/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Power – Haye A; Ruiz B/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Defense – Haye B; Ruiz B+/Post: Haye B; Ruiz B
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Haye B; Ruiz B+/Post: Haye B+; Ruiz B+

Starting at Light Heavyweight, seventeen years have come and gone and only one thing is further made certain after last Saturday: boxing will never see the real Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins fight.  There will never be a definitive battle, never be a night when both are at the peak of their abilities and in a ring together.

That moment got missed somewhere between last night and 1993 (specifically, probably, between 1998-2002) and it ain’t getting retrieved.  What was left was Saturday and while the reviews for the contest have been bad, they might be overstating.

For what it was, it wasn’t that bad and occasionally was even oddly entertaining.  Hopkins won most of the rounds (at least eight; more on the official cards) but Jones kept it close enough to be respectable.  He also got some macho points if nothing else.  In a contest filled with fouls, Jones never cried, rolled on the floor, or went fishing for deductions.

That matters because Jones was fouled quite a bit more than a Hopkins who managed to win most of the rounds and still do all that nonsense.  No one can say Hopkins didn’t have his bell rung from one or both of the Jones rabbit punches in rounds six and nine.  One can say that Hopkins’s spearing techniques with his head, early and blatant low blows, elbows, and rabbit punches resulted only in a single wince from Jones, that when a butt resulted in a nasty cut late in the fight.  To be fair to Hopkins, he was at least visibly fouled by Jones, a contrast with similar writhing late in the fight with Joe Calzaghe where he played up low blows that didn’t happen. 

In the big Heavyweight contest, the fouls not only happened but the winner acknowledged them and expressed contrition.  Haye dropped Ruiz four times, sometimes with clean power and others aided by shots to the back of the head as he went for the kill.

But that part, the going for the kill part, allowed for the fouls to be at least a little overlooked.  Haye displays aggression to go with serious speed and power.  He shows up in shape.  And he plays for the knockout.  He’s just the sort of Heavyweight which has seemed an endangered species in recent years.  His WBA title win over Valuev was a stinker and allowed the question of whether he’d be more cerebral with big men.

Ruiz showed he will be.  He boxed more, moved plenty, and respected the veteran in front of him.  However, Haye never made it boring against Ruiz and that was a relief.  Valuev is tricky, a 7’footer with a big chin and stamina.  Haye’s game of keep away there was smart strategy.  His game of keep scoring knockdowns with Ruiz was as well.

Ruiz hadn’t been stopped since a 1996 nineteen-second disaster versus David Tua. Regardless of Ruiz being 38 years old, the 29-year old Haye did something worth crowing about Saturday.    

Looking Ahead

And now Hopkins says he want Haye.

Let’s hope Haye chooses the more pressing matter of being the leading, maybe the only, real threat to the Klitschko’s.  There’s nothing wrong with Hopkins wanting to chase a Heavyweight belt and his own next piece of history, but there are simply more interesting things to watch. 

Could Hopkins win?  Based on what was seen Saturday, it’s unlikely.  Hopkins looked a tad slower than expected and if what Jones did Saturday really did hurt Hopkins that bad, he should get out of boxing before letting someone like Haye near him. 

It doesn’t matter really what he does.  At 45, Hopkins belongs to history more than 2010 right now.  There’s just no need to see him take a beating to prove it.

As for the defeated on Saturday, let’s hope they’ve seen their end.  Ruiz was never a favorite to watch but, at the end, his tenacity and rugged lunch pail approach earned their own type of respect.  The 41-year old Jones was a great one who never quite earned the historical accolades his talents could have allowed but still did more than most could ever dream. 

Both have earned the right to a retirement enjoyed with full faculties.  Should they elect to go on, they have every right as men to do so but each punch taken as they age could take away from that.  Better can be wished for.

Report Card Picks 2010: 10-2

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com