Insider Notebook: Hopkins vs. Haye? Schaefer Fires Back

[Dave Rado]

I thought Adamek was offered 500K to fight Hopkins. Now it's 1.2 mill?

Schaefer is lying.. It was 500k, as you say.

I'm disappointed that Robert Morales didn't point out that fact in the main article - there's too much uncritical reporting of what fighters and promoters say. When they clearly lie, they should be called on it by journalists.

Lol at Hopkins fighting David Haye. Talk about going out with a ****.

Considering that if Haye keeps winning, he's tied up for three fights, which would mean he couldn't face Hopkins before late 2010; and if he doesn't keep winning, Hopkins-Haye would have no historical significance, that's a ****** comment by Schaefer.

[D-MiZe]

Hopkins really doesn't want to be going after Haye.

[Dave Rado]

Haye doesn't know how to box or switch from plan A. His size and power are irrelevant. Hopkins would be fearless, and he'd figure him out quickly.

You seem to be basing your analysis on his loss to Thomson five years ago. He's a completely different fighter now. He can box, and he doesn't fade late any more.

In his last fight that went the distance (against Abdoul) he won all 12 rounds on all three cards.

In his last fight that went more than 7 rounds he knocked out Fragomeni in the ninth, and although cut, he never looked at all tired - in fact it was Fragomeni who tired in the late rounds.

In his last fight that went more than 6 rounds he knocked out Mormeck in the seventh, and looked as fresh in the seventh as he did in the first.

He has very good head movement, good lateral movement, good overall skills, throws punches from awkward angles, and has truly outstanding speed for his size - and Hopkins has trouble with fighters with exceptional handspeed.

And I very much doubt he'd agree to fight at catchweight. He moved up because he was having trouble making Cruiserweight, and having now built up his body to 220lb of muscle, he's not going to be ****** enough to try to take it off again. And in any case, there would be no historical significance in the fight if he fought at catchweight so I doubt Hopkins would even ask him to do that.

But it's all irrelevant anyway, because if Haye keeps winning he'll be tied up fighting the Klitschkos until late 2010, and Hopkins can't afford to wait that long; and if he doesn't keep winning, the fight would be pointless.

[deuce_drop]

Shaeffer said that Bernard fighting Adamek would mean Bernard going up to 200 lbs. I'd bet my house that if Bernard ever did fight Adamek, it would be at yet another ridiculous "catch-weight" somewhere around 185-190. lol

that is a pretty moronic statement being that cruiserweight is 176-200lbs!!!!

[Dave Rado]

They pay for ratings, not for tickets. HBO has a substantial boxing budget and they have to satisfy their subscribers, ppv is supposed to be only for big fights they can't fit in the budget. They paid 3 million for Dawson-Tarver and around 7-9 million for Hopkins-Calzaghe on regular HBO so they got money.

HBO is very interested in the fight and Hopkins could probably make more than 4 million against Dawson on WCB. So no, Hopkins not fighting Dawson because of money is not a legit reason.

I agree up to a point, but Hopkins could have made more fighting Adamek than he could make fighting Dawson, and he priced himself out of even the Adamek fight. So it is a legit reason from his point of view - he wants to make at least $5 million in his farewell fight, that's what it comes down to. Problem is, there's no one he can make that much against, currently.

[Dave Rado]

Cant say I blame Hopkins for wanting to go out with one more huge win. Dawson isnt a name to anyone besides serious boxing fans. I personally would love to see him fight Haye if Haye manages to catch Wlad with a big punch. I think Hopkins would totally school Haye in a career altering way.

You obviously aren't aware of Haye's contract. If he beats Wlad, he has to rematch Wlad and if he wins that, he has to fight Vitali, before he can fight anyone else. He won't be available to fight Hopkins until late 2010, if he wins all three fights, and if he doesn't win them, then there would be no historical significance for Hopkins in fighting him. So the whole Haye discussion is a pointless red herring.

[deuce_drop]

i think hopkins wants to fight a european fighter because they usually have a good following and draw a decent crowd. hopkins is obviously going for prize and legacy, he has both, but whats one more on his way out of the ring as a fighter? i think it's fair for hopkins to not want to entertain a fight with dawson due to the fact that their is no crowd, and i also support that on a personal level because that would also keep gary shaw from having anything to do with the fight. a fight with hopkins and dawson wouldn't sell for **** to be honest, hopkins and dawson both need help selling tickets themselves, then need someone on the other end to help with bringing in sales. it's obvious that hopkins and dawson would both stand to make better money fighting someone else rather than each other because of any kind of draw they could get off another fighters fans. just being honest here, it takes nothing away from the fighters, just they don't have a massive fan base and no cult following like a good handful of european fighters.

[EL ANIMAL]

I really think this guy schaefer needs some damm english grammer classes. A wrestling announcer is most exciting and entertaining then him.

[Luis12]

you must be forgetting that if haye does beat klitschko then he has to fight him again and then if he wins again then its vitali........so if haye wins not much chance of him fighting hopkins

lol haye is so f2cked up

that is a pretty moronic statement being that cruiserweight is 176-200lbs!!!!

lmao

[Abstraction]

Hopkins is "Ducking" Dawson?

Please

Hopkins is probably going to retire and if, IF, there is going to be one more bout, he probably wants to make another payday.

Hence why Dawson is ruled out.