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What was the compromise, you ask? Would you believe additional cameras focusing on the referee only throughout the bout? Perhaps a more real concern should be how many fans are going to be interested enough in this farce of a card to pay to see it... Just when I thought we had a new and improved version of Bernard Hopkins, the old demons re-surface, with Hopkins making a mad dash for the airport Friday afternoon, close to twenty-four hours before fight time, threatening to sabotage not just this promotion, (and a reportedly two million dollar paycheck), but the ultimate ten million dollar showdown with Oscar de la Hoya (assuming Hopkins beats Allen and Oscar takes care of Sturm) already penciled in for the fall. What is Bernard Hopkins dealing with? What is he thinking? Why does he insist on making such an ass out of himself? We won't re-hash Hopkins' disrespect of Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans and Latinos world over but it just seems as though Bernard's paranoia keeps getting the best of him. Having protested Cortez twice before, (in Hopkins vs Trinidad and in Hopkins vs Joppy), Bernard now decides that Cortez could be harboring some sort of animosity against him and therefore, he attempts to strong-arm the Commission and the promotion, (strong-arming got him a hefty jail sentence years ago), into eliminating Cortez from this fight. Let me see if I'm following the plot correctly... Bernard Hopkins protested against Joe Cortez when he fought Trinidad because of the referee's Puerto Rican ancestry. He then protested against Cortez in the Joppy mismatch because since Cortez is of Puerto Rican descent he may have been offended by Hopkins' disgraceful antics against Puerto Ricans, and, Hopkins now protests against Cortez because Cortez may hold a grudge against him for the two prior protests. I've said this before and I'll say it again... Bernard Hopkins is not now, nor has he ever been the draw. He was thrust to the limelight in 2001 by Felix 'Tito' Trinidad and he now stands a chance to make a stab at a huge payday because Oscar de la Hoya has granted him sidekick status. Hopkins' insatiable thirst for attention during the Trinidad promotion prompted him to disrespect the Latino fans who -by all accounts- are the lifeline of the sport; the same need for recognition now puts him in what many consider a no win situation. If we are to buy into Bernard's theory, it would then be a foregone conclusion that Joe Cortez should really be hating Hopkins now, along with the Nevada State Athletic Boxing Commission; the HBO and MGM Hotel suits too, since he has now ticked all of them off, right? Should Hopkins be requesting a change of venue? A change of city and state as well, since perhaps the officials will remember this latest faux pas and score his fight accordingly? I mean, how do you allay all the possible negatives now? To go a step further, what are the implications of Hopkins' outrageous behavior? Are we saying that fighters won't get a fair shake unless the person who referees their bouts is of the same ethnic background? This is as ridiculous as it is offensive, and if I had been inclined to pay to watch this show -which I never was- I certainly would have canceled my order by now. I thought it was bad enough that Oscar de la Hoya is fighting for a title in a new weight division, while coming off a loss and with no hardware of his own. (Tito did it, yes, undefeated and a champion in the lower weight class, just in case you are wondering). In the words of Winky Wright" leave it to Oscar to fight the only middleweight champion with only nine KOs to his name." Tonight's main and co-main events seem like a perfectly choreographed WWF show, with a forced Hoya-Hopkins match as the top prize down the road, and I am simply not feeling it, let alone buying it. Bernard Hopkins' behavior has done nothing to enhance the overall picture, quite the opposite. I can't help but wonder how Hopkins antics will go over should he and Oscar de la Hoya meet as seems to be already decided? Could Hopkins be concerned about having Joe Cortez in the ring because he knows Cortez won't tolerate his dirty antics? If anything goes wrong tonight in the Hopkins-Allen bout, Cortez will probably come under fire, not to mention the officials and who knows, even the commission may face Hopkins' wrath. Too much drama... Boxing fans, don't be fooled for a minute, the truth of the matter is that had Hopkins' refusal to face Robert Allen forced the cancellation of tonight's show, Hopkins would have faced huge law suits and a possible long-term suspension from the NSAC for refusal to fight, which in effect, would have executed Bernard Hopkins' career. I commend Joe Cortez and the Nevada State
Athletic Commission for doing the right thing and not yielding
to Hopkins' demands. I can only hope against hope that the sport
of boxing deals Bernard Hopkins a dose of humility tonight. I
venture to say that a Robert Allen victory would certainly give
Mr. Hopkins a new perspective on things...  Copyright 2006 by BlackAthlete.net, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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