Comments Thread For: Andre Ward Would Consider Facing Bernard Hopkins

[mathed]

First he wanted Calzaghe out of retirement, next it was Dawson at 168, now it's 48 year old Hopkins. I mean come on dude, at least try to make it happen at 175 and not in Oakland.

[SlySlickSmooth]

If they make this fight, I do want it in Ward's backyard. ****, I'd be able to watch an ATG and arugably #1 P4P for my first event.

[I Love Jesus!]

Ward is desperate for a money fight but Hopkins already has many millions. Even Jones wasn't much of a pay per veiw star in his prime. No one at those weights ever are.

[elfag]

Hopkins cant here him too busy playing duck duck goose.

[Champ Is Here]

I want Ward to go up and fight Dawson at 175. How is that not fair

[RespekonMyName]

I'm a boxing purist and appreciate technical styles, but PPV? No way this does big numbers.

[Joey_Torreo]

I was just thinking about this situation earlier today. I think Hopkins is hell bent on not facing ward but I always felt like the whole not facin each other thing wa not mutual and that ward would come out one day and say he was open to facin Hopkins

[Lorily]

i don't think so. you don't need a ton of ppv buys to exceed your regular HBO billing.

While this is true, people still have not forgotten that dissaster of a PPV (not on major network) Bernard had with Roy Jones. As someone else in this thread pointed out, PPV isn't neccessarily geared towards the hard core fans - it's marketed mainly to the mainstream. Hopkins vs Jones left a baaaaad taste in the mouths of every kind of fan that exists. I doubt many people will risk paying PPV $, because you never know what B-Hop you're getting. And if he does fight Ward, I don't see B-Hop taking any risks. B-Hop only takes risks when he's comfortable with the type of opponent he's in against. So a B-Hop NOT taking chances (because his opponent is very dangerous and knows all the same veteran tricks that he does) is apt to be an ugly, boring fight. Besides, any fan that actually knows both Ward and Hopkins styles, individually, must know that this fight has great potential for being a real stinker.

But Hopkins said he would never fight Ward for ANY type of money. Its not the money that Hop cares about. But beating Ward will do much more than beating Cleverly is not even close to Ward in abilities.

You bet your ass Bernard cares about the money! His comments to Ward were soooo far out of left field that you can't help but believe that he had a purpose behind saying it. And that purpose was $$$$$. Anyway, I think Bernard thinks he's being slick, but really Bernard is transparent as hell. Anyone who knows his tactics knows that his statement to Ward after the Cloud fight didn't just come out of nowhere. Bernard is very calculating, even though half the time you listen to him you leave scratching your head, he's got a plan behind everything he's saying, even if it only makes sense to himself.

Assuming that Bernard more than likely talked to Schaefer about wanting to fight Ward, Schaefer probably told him that they'd have to see what kind of interest there could be for people to want to see it. This was just the beginning of Bernard trying to create some kind of story line to garner interest, to see if people would even want- to - want to see that fight. Bernard knows that selling a fight is all about the story behind it, and then you add in the drama. Bernard is an actor, albeit not a very good one. You throw in a little "I would NEVER fight you for ANY amount of money" "I respect you too much" (Holy crap, did he really say that HE [Bernard] is WARDS mentor??? Don't people usually say 'So and so is MY mentor? Self appointed mentor? lol) and then you add in a "not even for *holy cow* $FIFTEEN MEEEELLLLIOOON DOLLARS!" ....and then it also raises the stakes for a bigger purse bid. And when the fight gets made and people start asking him "what about what you said about no amount of money could make me fight Andre Ward", he simply just says (in thinking the B-Hop way) "It's not about the money. The FANS wanted this fight so bad that I HAD to give them what they wanted!"

If a network becomes interested in airing it as a PPV(doesn't even have to be HBO or Showtime since people are either gonna buy it or not), and the promoters think there's a possiblity of (as N.E. stated previously) exceeding the regular billing with a PPV, then not only is Andre 'getting his feet wet' with a PPV bout, but win lose or draw Bernard could possibly go out of this sport at 50 something - making as much or more money then he did when he was in the prime of his life. In keeping with the theme of thinking the B-Hop way, in just that split second, supposively non-challant conversation with Ward immediately after the Cloud fight, it turns in to (in HIS mind) "we can make big money, now write me a big check". He absolutely, unequivicably, no-ifs-ands-or- buts, cares about the money. And he knew that when he said all that to Andre Ward that night.

THE END.

Post note: I thought it was hillarious when Bernard was talking to Andre from inside of the ring and his co-announcer said to him "What was Bernard saying?". Andre just laughed and said, "I don't know, I only heard a little of what he was saying but I just nodded my head and said you bet".

[UTEP]

While this is true, people still have not forgotten that dissaster of a PPV (not on major network) Bernard had with Roy Jones. As someone else in this thread pointed out, PPV isn't neccessarily geared towards the hard core fans - it's marketed mainly to the mainstream. Hopkins vs Jones left a baaaaad taste in the mouths of every kind of fan that exists. I doubt many people will risk paying PPV $, because you never know what B-Hop you're getting. And if he does fight Ward, I don't see B-Hop taking any risks. B-Hop only takes risks when he's comfortable with the type of opponent he's in against. So a B-Hop NOT taking chances (because his opponent is very dangerous and knows all the same veteran tricks that he does) is apt to be an ugly, boring fight. Besides, any fan that actually knows both Ward and Hopkins styles, individually, must know that this fight has great potential for being a real stinker.



You bet your ass Bernard cares about the money! His comments to Ward were soooo far out of left field that you can't help but believe that he had a purpose behind saying it. And that purpose was $$$$$. Anyway, I think Bernard thinks he's being slick, but really Bernard is transparent as hell. Anyone who knows his tactics knows that his statement to Ward after the Cloud fight didn't just come out of nowhere. Bernard is very calculating, even though half the time you listen to him you leave scratching your head, he's got a plan behind everything he's saying, even if it only makes sense to himself.

Assuming that Bernard more than likely talked to Schaefer about wanting to fight Ward, Schaefer probably told him that they'd have to see what kind of interest there could be for people to want to see it. This was just the beginning of Bernard trying to create some kind of story line to garner interest, to see if people would even want- to - want to see that fight. Bernard knows that selling a fight is all about the story behind it, and then you add in the drama. Bernard is an actor, albeit not a very good one. You throw in a little "I would NEVER fight you for ANY amount of money" "I respect you too much" (Holy crap, did he really say that HE [Bernard] is WARDS mentor??? Don't people usually say 'So and so is MY mentor? Self appointed mentor? lol) and then you add in a "not even for *holy cow* $FIFTEEN MEEEELLLLIOOON DOLLARS!" ....and then it also raises the stakes for a bigger purse bid. And when the fight gets made and people start asking him "what about what you said about no amount of money could make me fight Andre Ward", he simply just says (in thinking the B-Hop way) "It's not about the money. The FANS wanted this fight so bad that I HAD to give them what they wanted!"

If a network becomes interested in airing it as a PPV(doesn't even have to be HBO or Showtime since people are either gonna buy it or not), and the promoters think there's a possiblity of (as N.E. stated previously) exceeding the regular billing with a PPV, then not only is Andre 'getting his feet wet' with a PPV bout, but win lose or draw Bernard could possibly go out of this sport at 50 something - making as much or more money then he did when he was in the prime of his life. In keeping with the theme of thinking the B-Hop way, in just that split second, supposively non-challant conversation with Ward immediately after the Cloud fight, it turns in to (in HIS mind) "we can make big money, now write me a big check". He absolutely, unequivicably, no-ifs-ands-or- buts, cares about the money. And he knew that when he said all that to Andre Ward that night.

THE END.

Post note: I thought it was hillarious when Bernard was talking to Andre from inside of the ring and his co-announcer said to him "What was Bernard saying?". Andre just laughed and said, "I don't know, I only heard a little of what he was saying but I just nodded my head and said you bet".

[A-Wolf]

Ward is really desperate for a payday.