Kessler vs. Larsen canceled

[BattlingNelson]

Money or Legacy????

Weren't you criticizing Pavlik for a similar reason????

I was and am. That's correct.

But it's not just money. It's a fight the whole country wants to see and has wanted to see it for the last 6-7 years. The value of this fight is at an all-time high and if it never gets made will lead to questions from countrymen untill both fighters die.

And comparisons are not really valid as a Johnson fight will not improve Kessler's legacy while AA would improve Pavlik's.

I want to see Kessler fight and Larsen was a good fight for me as all the big names didnt want him. This new likely extended break is most dissapointing.

[Sugar May Floyd]

I like Hopkins a lot, he has a very good resume and seems willing to fight anyone, but how do you explain the fact that he accepted an offer to fight Joe in '02, then changed his mind the next day asking for double the amount.

Maybe he deserved double the money

[BattlingNelson]

Yet Glen Johnsn offer remain after Larsen bout is cancelled. Let's see what Kessler does.

I didnt know that. I thought Johnson had another fight lined up. If what you say is correct it will indeed be interesting to see how events pan out.

[ALT=_=Assassin]

I was and am. That's correct.

But it's not just money. It's a fight the whole country wants to see and has wanted to see it for the last 6-7 years. The value of this fight is at an all-time high and if it never gets made will lead to questions from countrymen untill both fighters die.

And comparisons are not really valid as a Johnson fight will not improve Kessler's legacy while AA would improve Pavlik's.

I want to see Kessler fight and Larsen was a good fight for me as all the big names didnt want him. This new likely extended break is most dissapointing.

True, I wasn't against the Larsen fight but as a Johnson fan I wanted to him him get a win before he left the sport. The Road Warrior has alot of mileage on him{pun intended}. Now that the fight is canceled who do you think Mikkel should face?

[andrewcuff]

Maybe he deserved double the money

Poor excuse, Hopkins knew what he was agreeing to in the first place. The face remains that Calzaghe-Hopkins could have happened 7 years, but it didn't because Hopkins turned his back on an offer he'd previously accepted. Call it ducking, pricing himself out, whatever, but Hopkins was the one responsible for that fight not happening sooner.

[Sugar May Floyd]

Poor excuse, Hopkins knew what he was agreeing to in the first place. The face remains that Calzaghe-Hopkins could have happened 7 years, but it didn't because Hopkins turned his back on an offer he'd previously accepted. Call it ducking, pricing himself out, whatever, but Hopkins was the one responsible for that fight not happening sooner.

No not really. Since Hopkins done more he could demand anything he wanted.

[Mr. Philadel]

I accidently said ducked. I didn't mean that. I should have said turned down.

They all turned down offers to fight Kessler.

Hopkins turned down 4 million USD.

co-sign.....B-Hop DID turn down a fight with Kessler but I'm not sure about the amount of $$$$ that was involved. He would've fought Kessler to get to Joe again but Joe didn't agree. Bernard said he'll fight Kessler if it led to a rematch with Joe but Joe side stepped that one!

[andrewcuff]

No not really. Since Hopkins done more he could demand anything he wanted.

Hopkins could demand more money, but he should have done that originally. He knows how much money he brings to the table, so there's no need to go back on your word.

Put it this way, if the situation was reversed and Joe accepted a bid then turned his back, people would be shout DUCK from the rooftops.

[Jan(DK)]

Yet Glen Johnsn offer remain after Larsen bout is cancelled. Let's see what Kessler does.

Isn't Glen Johnson set up for an other fight?

[ALT=_=Assassin]

Poor excuse, Hopkins knew what he was agreeing to in the first place. The face remains that Calzaghe-Hopkins could have happened 7 years, but it didn't because Hopkins turned his back on an offer he'd previously accepted. Call it ducking, pricing himself out, whatever, but Hopkins was the one responsible for that fight not happening sooner.

Here is what happened during the time of that fight....

Dave, were you following the sport back then? The Hopkins-King saga was widely reported. I wasn't privy to any documents so I can't say for certain; I can only tell you what I remember. I think Hopkins probably weighed the risks and said no. He's pretty paranoid and I would be too if I found King and Warren - two close friends - negotiating terms. No one ever leaves those camps happy. Mind you, 3 million wasn't exactly what Hopkins wanted anyway. This is a guy who turned down 6 million to fight Roy Jones. Sometimes costs outweigh risk. But it doesn't mean a fighter is avoiding another. Case in point: Shane Mosley turned down big money from Oscar De La Hoya for a third fight simply because he wanted more and felt he deserved it. Then turned around and fought Winky Wright for less. And lets not forget Shane was the clear favorite going into that fight. But was he avoiding Oscar by doing that? Hardly. Fighters do what fighters do.

He upped his demands because King was getting too large a share. Simple. Bernard Hopkins spent much of his middleweight career without a promoter and never enjoyed a good relationship with the ones he worked with. Don King controlled the other middleweight champs and wisely kept them away from Hopkins who he couldn't control and refused to sign with him. When Tito moved up from 154, he and King had outlined a plan where he'd fight William Joppy at 160 and Roy Jones at a catchweight. When Hopkins realized that - now 36 - he truly was going to be blackballed, he beat his chest, showing up and disrupting every press conference claiming there could be no true tourney without him. But he had to sign with King. That's what he did. These are facts, google away.