Proposed Hopkins-Taylor Fight Falls Apart Says DiBella and Hopkins

By Rick Reeno

Bernard Hopkins has until today to sign for the July 16th clash with undefeated middleweight star Jermain Taylor or the fight is off. DiBella told Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writer Chris Givens that he is giving Hopkins until the end of the day to call him and set the fight

DiBella told the paper that an offer has already been made to Felix Sturm to take the place of Hopkins as Jermain's next opponent, but said that it is very unlikely that Sturm will agree to the fight. The likely opponents that will clash with Jermain in July are Sam Soliman or fringe title holder Maselino Masoe.

After Terence Crawford Feud, Are Sanctioning Bodies Bad For Boxing?

In today’s episode, the crew breaks down one of boxing’s biggest debates after Terence Crawford went on his Instagram to complain about the WBC. Are sanctioning bodies simply part of the game, or have they completely lost control of the sport? We also take a hard look at the Ring title and ask whether it can still be considered legitimate if champions are not required to defend it.

Thursday | Dec 4, 2025

"He’s a lunatic fighter that changed his mind. If I don’t get a phone call today that the crazy man has come to his senses, we’re moving on to another fight and will announce Jermain’s next fight soon. I’m not going to let this nut Bernard Hopkins wreck Jermain’s career." said Lou DiBella.

The main issue of why the deal has fallen apart is a dispute over the financial terms of the rematch clause. DiBella and Hopkins promoter Golden Boy have twice agreed to the terms and twice Bernard Hopkins changed his mind on the terms. Hopkins spoke about the fight negotations on ESPN and said that the Taylor camp is to blame for the fight not becoming a reality.

"They want to put the blame on Bernard Hopkins but you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Do I need Jermain Taylor or does he need Bernard Hopkins? I am the undisputed champion and he can’t change that unless he beats me. I don’t need him. But I am giving him an opportunity to whip my a**. That’s the best I can do. If he don’t want that opportunity, that’s not my fault." said Hopkins to ESPN

"Twice I made deals with Richard Schaefer and twice Bernard changed his mind. At this point we’re not going to answer to Hopkins’ marching orders. He is the most unpromotable fighter in modern boxing history, and I should know because I was his promoter once. He just doesn’t want to fight Jermain Taylor. We still want the fight so if something happens today, I’ll sign it. That being said, I’m not optimistic and by tomorrow I’m on another agenda." said DiBella to Givens