The Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr. Rematch is Back On, But Why is It and Who Will Watch?
It’s not 1993 anymore, the year that Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. fought for the first time in what seemed like little more than a stepping stone for RJJ at the time (Jones won by decision). It’s not 2003, a decade later, when Jones stepped up to Heavyweight and dominated John Ruiz. Nor is it even 2006 when Hopkins made his resurgence by beating Light heavyweight champ Antonio Tarver. We are in the year 2010, and finally, 17 years later the rematch has been signed. Problem is, does anybody care at this point?
Hopkins vs. Jones Rematch Preview
Roy Jones Jr. (54-6) is currently 41 years old and he is, age wise, the fresher fighter of the two with Hopkins (50-5), just turning 45 years young. The public has been clamoring for this fight for far longer than a decade and this is why buzz ran rampant when it was announced in late 2009 that the two would finally fight each other. Normally a fight between two fighters this age would be scoffed at but Hopkins was coming off an epic victory over young lion Kelly Pavlik and Roy Jones appeared to find new life when he dominated former world champ Jeff Lacy. All the two fighters had to do was win a “tune-up” fight in to get themselves ready for a clash in early 2010. Well, Hopkins did his part.
Bernard Hopkins woke up the morning of 12/02, the day he was scheduled to take on his “tune-up” opponent Enrique Ornelas to find out that the man he’s been seeking revenge against for years had gotten knocked out, in the very 1st round no less to Australian contender Danny Green, in which was supposed to be an easy win for Jones.
Hopkins went on to beat Ornelas that night and to everyone’s surprise, Hopkins did not dismiss Jones but rather, said that the ref stopped the fight too soon (I disagree) and that he was still interested in the fight. When he said that, I knew this fight was still going to happen, solely because Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. wanted it to. It didn’t matter what the public wanted. This fight still meant something to Hopkins, for better or for worse.
So here we are, 2010, and the fight is on but now boxing has another problem. This fight between two future Hall Of Famers will be a PPV but does the public have any interest in this fight anymore? Boxing fans, being as loyal as they are, will still tune in to see this fight but I can’t help but think that if this fight isn’t a thriller, which is unlikely, it’s certainly going to leave a sour taste in their mouths
There are some big-time opponents out there that most boxing fans would far rather see Hopkins face than a shot Roy Jones Jr. For one, undefeated light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson has been calling out Hopkins for some time now. Sadly, Dawson is not a major draw and Hopkins has made it no secret that he’s not getting any younger and he’s looking to capture a final payday. Understandable maybe, but not a good thing if you’re interested in seeing the best fight the best which almost all of the public is.
Hopkins vs. Jones II Prediction
Since this fight appears destined to take place whether I like it or not, I’ll take a stab at what I think will take place. Before Jones Jr. embarrassed himself that night in Australia I would have given Jones a decent shot to upset the favored Hopkins because fighters with quick hands have given Hopkins trouble in the past (Taylor and Calzaghe to name a couple). After seeing Roy get pummeled by Green though I can’t help but think that Roy is a completely shot fighter and Hopkins, who still has some life left as far as his boxing career goes will win a fairly uneventful decision.
