Eastman mandatory for Hopkins!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BubiScholz]

I don´t know. I´ve heard that Hopkins and Trinidad are interested in fighting Felix. Why then is Kohl in the States? Kising DLTK´s ass?

[Zhuge]

Bernard Hopkins will never fight Howard Eastman.

He'll dump the fornicating belt before that happens...

WHY would he forfit millions in PPV money to fight Howard "Who?" Eastman (in the eyes of the yank public) when he could fight Trinidad for example?

Won't happen. Mandatory or not.

What makes you think that? Hopkins still isn't considered a terribly popular fighter (both in terms of his style and personality), so he's not exactly in the league of Roy Jones or DLH when it comes to PPV sales. He'll get his money if he fights Trinidad again, but that's it. He's kept the titles even though people thought he'd drop them rather than fight Hakkar or Allen. No reason Eastman may not be the guy after Trinidad (meaning, next year for Hopkins could be Sturm, Trinidad, and Eastman).

[BubiScholz]

Bernard Hopkins will never fight Howard Eastman.

He'll dump the fornicating belt before that happens...

WHY would he forfit millions in PPV money to fight Howard "Who?" Eastman (in the eyes of the yank public) when he could fight Trinidad for example?

Won't happen. Mandatory or not.

What makes you think that? Hopkins still isn't considered a terribly popular fighter (both in terms of his style and personality), so he's not exactly in the league of Roy Jones or DLH when it comes to PPV sales. He'll get his money if he fights Trinidad again, but that's it. He's kept the titles even though people thought he'd drop them rather than fight Hakkar or Allen. No reason Eastman may not be the guy after Trinidad (meaning, next year for Hopkins could be Sturm, Trinidad, and Eastman).

the times of RJJ and DLTK are over. Hopkins is now the last american hope and the last american who is absolutely dominating his weight class. it could be that the two other guys retire......so Hopkins will sell much more PPV´s.

[Zhuge]

Bernard Hopkins will never fight Howard Eastman.

He'll dump the fornicating belt before that happens...

WHY would he forfit millions in PPV money to fight Howard "Who?" Eastman (in the eyes of the yank public) when he could fight Trinidad for example?

Won't happen. Mandatory or not.

What makes you think that? Hopkins still isn't considered a terribly popular fighter (both in terms of his style and personality), so he's not exactly in the league of Roy Jones or DLH when it comes to PPV sales. He'll get his money if he fights Trinidad again, but that's it. He's kept the titles even though people thought he'd drop them rather than fight Hakkar or Allen. No reason Eastman may not be the guy after Trinidad (meaning, next year for Hopkins could be Sturm, Trinidad, and Eastman).

the times of RJJ and DLTK are over. Hopkins is now the last american hope and the last american who is absolutely dominating his weight class. it could be that the two other guys retire......so Hopkins will sell much more PPV´s.

Don't bet on it.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a pound-for-pound American fighter who can't sell arena seats, much less PPVs.

I'll put my money down to watch Trinidad before I would Hopkins.

[BubiScholz]

What makes you think that? Hopkins still isn't considered a terribly popular fighter (both in terms of his style and personality), so he's not exactly in the league of Roy Jones or DLH when it comes to PPV sales. He'll get his money if he fights Trinidad again, but that's it. He's kept the titles even though people thought he'd drop them rather than fight Hakkar or Allen. No reason Eastman may not be the guy after Trinidad (meaning, next year for Hopkins could be Sturm, Trinidad, and Eastman).

the times of RJJ and DLTK are over. Hopkins is now the last american hope and the last american who is absolutely dominating his weight class. it could be that the two other guys retire......so Hopkins will sell much more PPV´s.

Don't bet on it.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a pound-for-pound American fighter who can't sell arena seats, much less PPVs.

I'll put my money down to watch Trinidad before I would Hopkins.

everybody has his favourite fighters......

one thing is 98% sure: you will see a Trinidad-Hopkins-fight next year.

[puertorrican_boxer]

Tito need a rematch, he wasent in his peak of condition to that fight.
Remember that Tito when go to NY to fight Hopkins, couldnt practice by a month, as a consecuence of 9-11, but Hopking return to filadelphia to keep practicing to his great fight, and Tito stay in NY doing nothing. So in those 22 day that the fight was posepose, Trinidad loose his condition, and for that reason he dosent look tTHAT tito of the other fight. So when Tito fight again with Hopkins, you will see a different Tito taht the one, that was TKO in round 11. I SAID THAT TITO WILL WIN BY UD, in the revenge with HOpkins.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Tito and Gatti are by far the biggest draws in boxing. hopkins isn't a draw really, despite being arguably the #1 p4p fighter in the world.

[Manos de Oro]

Tito need a rematch, he wasent in his peak of condition to that fight.
Remember that Tito when go to NY to fight Hopkins, couldnt practice by a month, as a consecuence of 9-11, but Hopking return to filadelphia to keep practicing to his great fight, and Tito stay in NY doing nothing. So in those 22 day that the fight was posepose, Trinidad loose his condition, and for that reason he dosent look tTHAT tito of the other fight. So when Tito fight again with Hopkins, you will see a different Tito taht the one, that was TKO in round 11. I SAID THAT TITO WILL WIN BY UD, in the revenge with HOpkins.

Good point regarding the training, I remember reading that at the time but had forgot about it. I still think Hopkins will descision him pero it'll be a lot closer than the first time. The reason I think this has absolutely nothing to do with what Hopkins has done since, nor Trinidad's annihilation of Mayorga. The reason I see it being closer is because Trinidad showed improvement in his last fight.

De La Hoya saw that Tito bases everything from the right foot and as such can't help but telegraph. DLH's strategy of movement wasn't just movement for movement's sake, but was timed around the ball of Tito's right foot. Looked so easy for the first half of the fight, but it would have required intense concentration. DLH was both mentally and physically tired from this strategy and couldn't see it through.

Hopkins used the exact same gameplan, but had the advantages of being naturally bigger than Tito (DLH was naturally smaller, slightly), and was well versed in the war of attrition, which many of his previous fights had been - Mercado 1 (which I thought he lost), Echols 1 (was hurt on numerous occasions), Council (fought down to Council's level at times), etc. He used the same strategy as DLH though was able to see it through because of his strength and fitness.

Now, the interesting thing about the rematch is that Tito, in the Mayorga fight, was circling while 'on the ball'. I've never seen him do this before and his team have obviously sussed the reason he lost and addressed it in the gym. Forget the accuracy and power - we knew he could do that anyway, doesn't tell us anything new. His balance is still bollocks, and he still looks like having a problem with punch resistence in the early rounds (the crowd is probably the cause of that). But he is now dangerous while circling/being circled, Hopkins will pick up on this straight away, and I expect to see a closer fight, possibly with Hopkins standing straight in front of Trinidad for longer periods, with more in-fighting than last time. I think Trinidad can easily hurt Hopkins, but I get the feeling the Executioner will come in ready and win it by maybe 2 points or so.