Why did Hopkins turn down $3m to face Calzaghe?

[True Guru]

"A teleconference was set up in my office in New York for July 30th, 2002, and on the call was myself, Don King who was in the room, Frank Warren and Bernard Hopkins' lawyer, Arnold Joseph. Along with Arnold was a woman named Linda Carter, who was there on behalf of Bernard. We asked Arnold if Bernard wanted to fight Joe Calzaghe and we asked him how much money would he want if he did. The response we got was $3million and the fight would have to take place in the United States. After a little scratching of the head, we said 'Okay, done.' Frank Warren agreed on the spot, Don King agreed and we agreed so as far as we were concerned all parties were singing off the one hymm sheet. Arnold excused himself with Linda and I can only assume it was to call Bernard. Either that day or the next day, they came with a new demand: $6million, double the sum that had been agreed, the deal blew up.....he had then and still has no desire to fight Joe Calzaghe, that much is pretty clear.

Joe gets criticised sometimes for not having fought the big-name Americans, but in this case the fault has never rested with him."

- Jay Larkin, then Showtime TV Network's Senior Vice-President of Sports and Event Programming.

Career high payday to face Joe Calzaghe in the United States with the potential of winning a world title in higher division....Why did Nard make the fight an impossibility by demanded $6m when he knew he would never get it after Warren had said he could have the $3m he originally asked for?

All the haters who say Calzaghe stayed in his comfort zone not wanting the big fights have to realise it simply isnt true.
The fact is the fight was agreed only for Hopkins to stop it from happening..why?

[Sick/]

He knew he would of got his arse kicked. that's why he ducked him

[True Guru]

I wonder how much he made fighting Morrade Hakkar in his next fight after these negotiations

[Toney616]

The fight almost went down in 2004, and there was a $2.5 million offer on the table to Hopkins, who rejected it. Calzaghe and Warren scrambled to plug in a foe for the date saved for Hopkins, and Calzaghe wound up downing Armenian Mger Mrktchian (TKO7) and giving the Hopkins romance a rest. Calzaghe and Hopkins had been flirting for much of 2002, and 2003 too, so this ‘all flirt-no eff farce has been unfolding for a looong spell.

http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxin...flirted-years/

As the 160-pound champion, Hopkins is willing to move down to 157 pounds to fight either De La Hoya or Fernando Vargas, or up to 168 pounds to fight Jones.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/02/sp...ld-you-so.html

Hopkins isnt as confident in his abilities as people think, which is why he turned it down. It is also why he prefers to face smaller opponents than himself

[Toney616]

[COLOR="black"][COLOR="Red"]"A teleconference was set up in my office in New York for July 30th, 2002, and on the call was myself, Don King who was in the room, Frank Warren and Bernard Hopkins' lawyer, Arnold Joseph. Along with Arnold was a woman named Linda Carter, who was there on behalf of Bernard. We asked Arnold if Bernard wanted to fight Joe Calzaghe and we asked him how much money would he want if he did. The response we got was $3million and the fight would have to take place in the United States. After a little scratching of the head, we said 'Okay, done.' Frank Warren agreed on the spot, Don King agreed and we agreed so as far as we were concerned all parties were singing off the one hymm sheet. Arnold excused himself with Linda and I can only assume it was to call Bernard. Either that day or the next day, they came with a new demand: $6million, double the sum that had been agreed, the deal blew up.....he had then and still has no desire to fight Joe Calzaghe, that much is pretty clear.

This above quote is in Joe Calzaghes autobiography as well

[General Zod]

I wonder how much he made fighting Morrade Hakkar in his next fight after these negotiations

Around 200K I think

[True Guru]

Its just ****** that Hopkins turned down such a big payday....he called all the shots.
$3m - He got it
Has to be in the United States - He got it

And yet he says no...seeing as all his fans tell us he would have ****d Joe if they fought a few years earlier it seems strange to me that he turned down his career highest payday and a chance to win a belt in a higher weight class against a guy he would have easily beaten...hmmmmmm

[True Guru]

Around 200K I think

Yeah I heard it was between 200k - 300k.

He fought a guy who was vastly inferior to Joe Calzaghe for $2.8m less

[True Guru]

Any Nard fans got a theory as to why Nard turned it down?

[gingeralbino]

damn, i knew he doubled his money demand after the calzaghes accepted the 1st one, but i thought that the fight was going to be in the UK. Never knew they agreed to fight in the states.

There really is no viable excuse for not taking that fight.