Hopkins vs. Eastman gets serious.

[SalvaDominicano]

Bernard Looks for XX In Los Angeles!!
Call It "EXXECUTION DAY" For Howard Eastman!

By Will "The Thrill" Trillo
Photos: Bret "The Threat" Newton & "Adorin" Lauren Trillo




Every athlete looks for that one quote that they can pin up on the bulletin board, the one that they will see every day as they start their training regiment. Undisputed Champ Bernard Hopkins (45-2-1, 32 KO's) will need to look no further for his, as his foe Howard Eastman (40-1, 34 KO's) supplied him with the perfect fuel to ignite his already combustible competitive drive.
As he addressed an over packed media room Eastman proclaimed, "Hopkins is a Champion you all regard as the pound for pound best, I don't share that view! No disrespect to you Bernard!" But it was too late, damage done! And before Eastman could utter another word Hopkins said, "You just did (disrespect me)!" Eastman closed his speech saying, "My words are few," but not few enough because now he has given Hopkins another reason to prepare. It's not as if the Undisputed Champ needs more reasons to be at his best, he is looking for his 20th defense in a row, he currently holds all four versions of Championship belts, and although this fight is only for one of them (WBC), Bernard is the only man to hold all four simultaneously and he is not about to let one get away, he has worked hard for everything he has earned and it's going to take more than words to snatch any one of them away!




So now the stage is truly set for Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions show, set for February 19th at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles! HBO Championship Boxing will televise the Hopkins/Eastman Middleweight Championship bout as well as the Co Main event featuring Middleweight Jermain Taylor (22-0,16 KO's) vs. Daniel Edouard(16-0-2,9 KO's).

Also on the card in non-televised card will be many from the Golden Boy stable including Middleweight Kingsley Ikeke, Jr. Welter Demitrius Hopkins, Super Bantam Abner Mares and Jr. Lightweight Vicente Escobeda, all of whom have opponents yet to be named.





All parties concerned were in attendance at Tuesdays press conference including Oscar De La Hoya himself, who took the unfamiliar role as the promoter as opposed to the promoted, a role we should get used to seeing him in, he looked relaxed and comfortable, as well he should. His company ended off 2004 with a **** as their fighter, Marco Antonio Barrera, who was also in attendance, knocked off his sworn enemy Eric Morales, and helped Golden Boy take a little chunk of flesh from their new rival, Top Rank!

The upcoming card should be a good one as it puts together the best the present has to offer in Hopkins, and is showing us what the future has to offer with a full slate of talented young fighters!

[Solo322]

What an idiot, trash talking to Hopkins. THat guy is gonna pound him so bad. I love the way hopkins bets money on himself too. That guy wants to win.

[Lefthookhappy19]

Thats hardly trash talking, to the king of trashtalking himself anyway. Bernard needs some of his own medicine. Howard should start interupting Hopkins like he does everyone else, just to piss Bernard off.

[theironone]

Howard is the 'quiet' type anyway, talk means nothing anyway, we'l see what happens come fight night

[m00ks]

What an idiot, trash talking to Hopkins. THat guy is gonna pound him so bad. I love the way hopkins bets money on himself too. That guy wants to win.

I didn't even think that was legal to bet on yourself

[jabsRstiff]

You don't remember Hopkins betting on himself when he fought Tito ?

He was paid 100K to put that "GoldenPalace.com" tattoo on his back.
He took that money & put it on himself.

Merchant discussed it DURING the fight itself.

It's legal....as it should be.

[jabsRstiff]

Who is that fat bastard standing between Hopkins & Eastman ?

It's not Wayne Newton, is it ?

[borikua]

Extra Incentive For Eastman (Hopkins A Coward?)

Howard Eastman has got another reason to relish his long-awaited world middleweight title challenge to Bernard Hopkins in Los Angeles on February 19.

The Battersea star has never lacked confidence throughout his career and has always believed he belongs in true world class.

But Eastman will have taken even more heart from Hopkins' announcement this week that he would only put the WBC version of his title on the line at the Staples Center.

The WBC belt is the one Eastman is mandated to challenge for, not those of the other three sanctioning bodies.

But it is hard to see what lies behind Hopkins' reasoning other than a desire to keep something in the background in case things go horribly wrong.

It is hard to believe the multi-millionaire Philadelphian simply baulked at paying a few extra sanctioning fees, especially when the "undisputed" tag would probably have made up the shortfall via extra pay-per-views.

Has Eastman got the so-called 'Executioner', the man who beat greats like Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, running scared?

Victory for Eastman would rank as one of the great British boxing successes, right up there with John H Stracey's win over Jose Napoles in Mexico City, and Lloyd Honeyghan's Atlantic City smash-and-grab raid which stunned Donald Curry.

And no matter how many titles are on the line, there is not a sports fan in the world who would consider Eastman anything less than the true world middleweight champion if he pulled it off.

Hopkins' other gongs would immediately be rendered worthless, with his only currency being in a rematch with the new champion.

Instead of playing off one belt against the others, Hopkins should follow the proud examples of fighters like Marco Antonio Barrera and Glen Johnson, and dump every one of the sanctioning bodies' titles while he has the chance.

[MetalVomit]

Howard Eastman has got another reason to relish his long-awaited world middleweight title challenge to Bernard Hopkins in Los Angeles on February 19.

The Battersea star has never lacked confidence throughout his career and has always believed he belongs in true world class.

But Eastman will have taken even more heart from Hopkins' announcement this week that he would only put the WBC version of his title on the line at the Staples Center.

The WBC belt is the one Eastman is mandated to challenge for, not those of the other three sanctioning bodies.

But it is hard to see what lies behind Hopkins' reasoning other than a desire to keep something in the background in case things go horribly wrong.

It is hard to believe the multi-millionaire Philadelphian simply baulked at paying a few extra sanctioning fees, especially when the "undisputed" tag would probably have made up the shortfall via extra pay-per-views.

Has Eastman got the so-called 'Executioner', the man who beat greats like Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, running scared?

Victory for Eastman would rank as one of the great British boxing successes, right up there with John H Stracey's win over Jose Napoles in Mexico City, and Lloyd Honeyghan's Atlantic City smash-and-grab raid which stunned Donald Curry.

And no matter how many titles are on the line, there is not a sports fan in the world who would consider Eastman anything less than the true world middleweight champion if he pulled it off.

Hopkins' other gongs would immediately be rendered worthless, with his only currency being in a rematch with the new champion.

Instead of playing off one belt against the others, Hopkins should follow the proud examples of fighters like Marco Antonio Barrera and Glen Johnson, and dump every one of the sanctioning bodies' titles while he has the chance.

I doubt Hopkins is running scared. This has been talked about already, something like he would have to pay sanction fees if he put up all the belts. or something. I'm sure someone will clear this up.

[Atman]

Who wrote this nonsense?

1) I highly doubt Hopkins would be able to keep his other belts if he lost. They would become vacant. And even if he was able to keep them, it wouldn't matter because he wouldn't be considered the real champ anyways. What exactly would he be scared about?

2) Via extra pay-per-views? Does this guy think the bout will be on PPV?

3) Hopkins is a notorious stickler with money, and from what I understand, the sanctioning fees aren't just chump change. Four belts at 2-3% of the purse per belt adds up.