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Bernard Hopkins— HBO is holding Feb. 19 for the pound-for-pound king and undisputed middleweight champ to make his milestone 20th title defense in an encore to knocking out Oscar De La Hoya in September.
Hopkins met with Arum last week to discuss Hopkins' next move, and the list of potential foes is short. Mandatory and European champ Howard Eastman of England is probably the guy, but if that falls through, it could be Felix Sturm, who earned credibility with a disputed loss to De La Hoya. One thing is certain: Hopkins' next fight won't be a Trinidad rematch.
Felix Trinidad — The middleweight star's return from a 29-month retirement electrified boxing when he knocked out Ricardo Mayorga in a spectacular fight Oct. 2. His next bout is perhaps the most anticipated in the sport.
It's being planned for March 12 on HBO PPV, after which Trinidad's HBO deal expires. Upset with the way he views HBO's treatment of his events, King is threatening to take Trinidad elsewhere.
Trinidad's opponent in March won't be picked for at least a few more weeks because the winner of the Nov. 20 Winky Wright-Shane Mosley rematch figures to be considered, particularly if it's Mosley.
King isn't too interested in matching Trinidad with Wright because it's such a tough style matchup. That leaves undisputed welterweight champ Cory Spinks, who would move up in weight, as the most logical opponent. He's also a King fighter, and Spinks and manager-trainer Kevin Cunningham repeatedly have said they want a crack at Trinidad.
Hopkins met with Arum last week to discuss Hopkins' next move, and the list of potential foes is short. Mandatory and European champ Howard Eastman of England is probably the guy, but if that falls through, it could be Felix Sturm, who earned credibility with a disputed loss to De La Hoya. One thing is certain: Hopkins' next fight won't be a Trinidad rematch.
Felix Trinidad — The middleweight star's return from a 29-month retirement electrified boxing when he knocked out Ricardo Mayorga in a spectacular fight Oct. 2. His next bout is perhaps the most anticipated in the sport.
It's being planned for March 12 on HBO PPV, after which Trinidad's HBO deal expires. Upset with the way he views HBO's treatment of his events, King is threatening to take Trinidad elsewhere.
Trinidad's opponent in March won't be picked for at least a few more weeks because the winner of the Nov. 20 Winky Wright-Shane Mosley rematch figures to be considered, particularly if it's Mosley.
King isn't too interested in matching Trinidad with Wright because it's such a tough style matchup. That leaves undisputed welterweight champ Cory Spinks, who would move up in weight, as the most logical opponent. He's also a King fighter, and Spinks and manager-trainer Kevin Cunningham repeatedly have said they want a crack at Trinidad.