BoxRec

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 23,00.html

"This is the fittest I've been and probably the heaviest. I'm weighing around 112kg and during my playing days I was always around 106kg to 108kg," Hopoate said. "I've been getting up at 4.30am and arriving at Manly Oval for sprint sessions at 5am. I've also been sparring a lot with (fellow heavyweights) Kali Meehan and Solomon Haumono.

Sounds good.

reading this reminds me once again of Meehan. At 39 surely his time has run out?

toppity wrote:reading this reminds me once again of Meehan. At 39 surely his time has run out?

Not if he is sparring Hoppa, things must be looking up!

He looks to be in great shape!!!
How do you guys see him going against McCall?
And did anyone hear any reasons why Moyoyo Mensah pulled out of their fight?

he has better than a punchers chance. I still think it is a bit too much too soon though. But he is only going to benfit from this no matter what the result.

McCall KO3

Darkshark wrote:He looks to be in great shape!!!
How do you guys see him going against McCall?
And did anyone hear any reasons why Moyoyo Mensah pulled out of their fight?

I would guess his heart failed him, last time he was in Australia Leapai smashed him, and Mensah should have been disqualified for no heart and excessive holding x10

Mensah broke/hurt his hand

Hoppa's local paper is quite excited about his impending big battle overseas and has come up with this piece of creative writing, whose headline says it all:

http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sp ... -my-hands/

If Hoppa can overcome his very old opponent, the headline can be amended to:

Well, at least an itsey, bitsey, tweenie, weenie part of the whole world in my hands now!

Mensah is not a true heavyweight,in sparring he done the same to me as he did leapai(holding is n understatement)good fighter in his devision thou!I say congrads to hoppa,he's fighting for a world title in vegas ,his management has done wonders and I think even excelled his expectations.He won't be the hometown favourite,so a points victory won't be in his favour (see toney vs cuban)one problem Oliver hasn't been floored!Lets hope age does weiry him,combined with hoppa's new found strength and fitness.Cheers!!

iron rhino wrote:Mensah is not a true heavyweight,in sparring he done the same to me as he did leapai(holding is n understatement)good fighter in his devision thou!I say congrads to hoppa,he's fighting for a world title in vegas ,his management has done wonders and I think even excelled his expectations.He won't be the hometown favourite,so a points victory won't be in his favour (see toney vs cuban)one problem Oliver hasn't been floored!Lets hope age does weiry him,combined with hoppa's new found strength and fitness.Cheers!!

Seems it is an intercontinental title,Oops!

Thanks for that guys - ah well, I was kinda looking forward to Mensah getting his block knocked off - pissed me off watching him in that one sided "fight" on Camerons last undercard. What was he thinking taking that fight?!?
It was a no win situation for him, either he gets beat by an inexperienced nobody, or he was the bully and looked like an a**hole.
Ah well, best wishes to Hoppa and his US debut!