Comments Thread For: Hopkins: Shumenov Has an Opportunity to Fight a Legend

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Bernard Hopkins doesn’t have an exact date for when he’ll fight next, but he has a general idea of when he’d like to fight — and a very specific idea concerning whom he’d like to face.

“WBA title,” Hopkins told BoxingScene.com in a brief conversation as he left Friday’s weigh-in in San Antonio for the card featuring Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana. And by that, he meant Beibut Shumenov, the 13-1 titleholder who is scheduled to defend against Tamas Kovacs on the same card as Broner-Maidana. [Click Here To Read More]

[Citizen Koba]

No real surprises here. GBP and SHO know that LHWs suddenly become a hot division with the breakouts of Stevenson and Kovalev and want a piece of the pie. Shumenov brings another belt to their side of the fence, and although both GYM and ME (Stevenson and Kovalev) are more inclined to work with HBO, it gives them some real leverage specially if as expected Hopkins (or Shumenov) ends up with 2 titles.

Shumenov, FWIW is the very exemplar of a title hostage holder - having been gifted a robbery win over Campillo early in 2010 and in 4 years having made 4 defences (5 today) against a who's who of LHW nobodies. Todays opponent, Tamas Kovacs is rated #109 by boxrec for instance (despite being unbeaten).

At his best, Shumenov is a pretty good fighter, but having been essentially untested in 4 years (with the possible exception of Ulzelkov) it's really quite hard to say where he's at. Certainly he should be a tougher challenge for BHop than the irrelevant Murat, whose only claim to fame also came at the unfortunate Campillos expense.

[Check_hooks]

he calls himself a legend?

[Porter's Dad]

I like B-Hop a lot but I do wish he would shut up with the non-stop, self-proclaiming "legend" stuff. It's almost as annoying as him being a partner in GBP, making good money fighting and picking the opponents he wants, respected (even begrudingly)as a great fighter by everyone in the boxing community.......yet trying to sell the narrative that he's a anti-establishment outcast who overcomes all the obstacles put in his way by his enemies.

C'mon man.

[Mr. Philadel]

Everybody knows BHop is a legend....you don't have to like him but you can't deny the fact he's a legend!!....Roy, BHOP, Floyd, Pac, Marquez and James Toney are bonafied legends...some are already certified and a couple will be certified in a few more years....long live the legendary dudes!!

[hyeduk]

than unify it against Kovalev lol

[Chiboxing123]

Why not just become a free agent so u can get the big fights. Stevenson,kovalev,ward or some guy nobody's ever herd of. Didn't hbo help build bhops career anyway.

[londoner]

Roy, BHOP, Floyd, Pac, Marquez and James Toney are bonafied legends...some are already certified and a couple will be certified in a few more years

James Toney should certainly be certified!

[sako5]

Oh shut up Borenard ...

[RealIzm]

Yea bhop is a legend....never mind the fact that most big fights he was in he was beaten. The big fights he won were against men half his size(DLH, Trinidad). The guy is a light heavyweight for ****sake and he's calling out Mayweather. Is anybody else here surprised he's calling out the weakest champ aside from himself at 175? Why not just fight Robert Allen again? All these popkins **** riders are hilarious.