BoxRec

Hopoate a marked man at Tua-Cameron
NZPA
Last updated 16:13 15/09/2009
Share
Print
Text Size
Related Links
Tua's trainer happy with progress Cameron seething at Tua's lack of respect
Relevant offers

Former NRL player turned boxer John Hopoate and three-time former Australian champion Colin Wilson will head the undercard at next month's showdown between Shane Cameron and David Tua in Hamilton.

Hopoate is the reigning Australian heavyweight champion but Wilson says he wants "clean up boxing and get rid of the pretenders by sending Hopoate back (to the NRL) where he belongs".

David Higgins, director of Duco Events, who are promoting the fight night on October 3, says the Hopoate-Wilson bout will sort out whether Hopoate deserves to be called Australian heavyweight champion.

The main event features Auckland's former world heavyweight title contender Tua going toe-to-toe with ranked contender Cameron to decide New Zealand bragging rights.

Cameron, 31, is ranked seventh in the world by the World Boxing Organisation and has lost just once in 24 professional bouts.

For Tua, 37, it will be his first ring appearance since September 2007, when he stopped American Cerrone Fox in the second round of a mismatch.

In March 2005, after two years out of the ring, Tua stopped American Talmadge Griffis with 25 seconds to spare in a 10-round contest in Auckland.

He has won his six other outings since then as well, taking his record to 49 wins, 42 by knockout, three losses and a draw.

Eric t wrote:
Hopoate is the reigning Australian heavyweight champion but Wilson says he wants "clean up boxing and get rid of the pretenders by sending Hopoate back (to the NRL) where he belongs".

Give me a break, least hopoate is dedicated with his training

Maybe if wilson retires that will help clean it up, if he was a bit more disciplined maybe he would have made it to the top, he gets blind drunk after fights, that can't be very good on the brain and he isn't dedicated with his training apparently

Meehan wants the winner of tua-camerron

Q&A: Kali Meehan

By Ray Wheatley–World of Boxing

World heavyweight contender Kali Meehan spoke to Fightnews and told us that he was shocked that he was dropped in the WBA ratings from the #1 position, that he is confident he can beat Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko and also Nicolay Valuev, how he wants to fight the winner of the Cameron vs Tua bout, why his trainer Mark Janssen is one of the best in the world and that he is hopeful DKP will promote him in October or November.

You were the WBA #1 heavyweight contender for several months, but were recently dropped to the WBA #3 position. Please give me your thoughts on why the WBA dropped you in the ratings.

I have no idea why the WBA dropped me from the #1 position, I was asked if I would consider fighting Valuev in Helsinki on one day’s notice due to Chagaev’s hepatitis condition. I accepted the fight, and was confident of victory, but the show was called off. I believe that Chagaev should not be made #1 contender, but John Ruiz and myself should fight for the mandatory position.

You are rated by the WBA, IBF, and WBC. How do you rate the champions: Nicolay Valuev, Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko? Can you defeat them?

All three of these champions are big strong men, but they are only human. To defeat Vitali, I believe one needs to apply boxing skills and movement. For Wladimir, I think you have to make him fight. I do rate both of these men! They are a credit to themselves and the sport of boxing. I would love the chance to match my skill and heart against theirs. I am confident I can defeat them.

As for Valuev, I was ranked #1 for so long and that fight was never given to me. I have been calling his name for so long to fight me and give me a shot at the title.

The David Tua vs Shane Cameron bout on October 3rd has created international interest. Are you interested in challenging the winner? Have you had sparring sessions with Cameron and Tua? Please give me your thoughts.

This will be a great fight! Not only for New Zealand Boxing, but just a great fight in general. I have sparred with Shane Cameron on several occasions. He is a strong and determined man who Tua cannot afford to underestimate. I was hoping to fight on the card against Hasim Rahman, but I was told he asked for too much money. I really wanted to fight on this card against any opponent, but I’ve heard nothing concrete from the promoter, and yes, I must fight the winner! We must work out who the big fish in this pond is.

Respected promoter Cedric Kushner predicts that the Tua vs Cameron bout could be the start of promotions in New Zealand that will receive international interest. Are you hopeful that you will feature on these promotions?

If he’s talking about promotions in New Zealand or Australia, then yes, I have to feature on these promotions! Who else can the winner fight? I believe I will beat both of these guys relatively easy. There is only one way to find out. Hopefully early next year I can fight the winner.

Australian promoter Fidel Tukel, who has promotions that are nationally televised on channel Ten One-HD has you on his October show. Who will you box?

I was penciled in to fight on his show on September 3rd, and that show was cancelled. For what reasons, I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything about an October show. So that’s two fights in a row now for me that have fallen over. Counting the October 3rd show in New Zealand, that’s three fights in a row I’ve missed out on. This makes things hard – I just want to fight, I love to fight and I need to fight. I’ve called out John Ruiz. I’ve called out Rahman. I’ve called out Valuev. I even called out Golota awhile back before Brewster beat him. Adamek should beat him, and if he wants a heavyweight ranking, I’ll fight him too.

Australia’s leading promoter Bill Treacy is interested in you boxing on a Fox Main Event pay-per-view show early in 2010. Are you hopeful that you can be promoted on a regular basis in Australia?

I hope this will happen. To fight regularly is what I crave for. It would be great to keep busy fighting here in Australia, and then in the States for big fights. This, I believe, will bring out the best in Kali Meehan.

Your trainer is former world rated junior middleweight Mark Janssen. Please tell me how long you have been working together.

I have been with Mark Janssen since 2004, he’s like a secret to the boxing game. He is a world class trainer, a man who is very passionate about boxing. He brings out the best in me, and any one he works with. There are so many boxing trainers and coaches who haven’t even stepped into the ring in their lives and the fighter has to trust his life with his trainer. I am so blessed to have Mark Janssen in my corner. Any fighter or person who knows him knows why.

You are promoted by DKP. Are you hopeful that you will feature on a Don King promotion in 2009?

I’m hoping to be fighting on a DKP card in October or November. He has spoken to me about this so it looks promising. I would love to face John Ruiz for the right to be the WBA mandatory challenger.

i'll definately be going for Hoppa in this fight..I dont know what happened to the Hoppa/Meehan fight that I kept reading about...come to think about it, I seem to read more about Meehan then seeing him fight.

foxdog1923 wrote:i'll definately be going for Hoppa in this fight..I dont know what happened to the Hoppa/Meehan fight that I kept reading about...come to think about it, I seem to read more about Meehan then seeing him fight.

Hopoate and meehan are good freinds, that could be why it didn't happen, hopoate said he won't fight haumono because they're good friends, meehan would have fought him, meehan is good mates with brewster but he still fought him, i respect hopoates loyalty but no one wants to see him fight wilson, wilsons stock is low, he just got stopped by leipai and he is boring and can't punch, edwards vs hopoate 2 would be good or hopoate vs sio or they should import a international opponent, i would have liked to see him fight rahman, him or meehan was supposed to originally, either he would knock rahman out or he would get knocked out, rahman has a good right, i could see him stopping hopoate

It could get watered down even more if wilson pulls out, who knows he might end up fighting richard tutaki someone like that, it wouldn't surprise me, if there ain't a good undercard on i might not book it.

Eric t wrote:

foxdog1923 wrote:i'll definately be going for Hoppa in this fight..I dont know what happened to the Hoppa/Meehan fight that I kept reading about...come to think about it, I seem to read more about Meehan then seeing him fight.

Hopoate and meehan are good freinds, that could be why it didn't happen, hopoate said he won't fight haumono because they're good friends, meehan would have fought him, meehan is good mates with brewster but he still fought him, i respect hopoates loyalty but no one wants to see him fight wilson, wilsons stock is low, he just got stopped by leipai and he is boring and can't punch, edwards vs hopoate 2 would be good or hopoate vs sio or they should import a international opponent, i would have liked to see him fight rahman, him or meehan was supposed to originally, either he would knock rahman out or he would get knocked out, rahman has a good right, i could see him stopping hopoate

It could get watered down even more if wilson pulls out, who knows he might end up fighting richard tutaki someone like that, it wouldn't surprise me, if there ain't a good undercard on i might not book it.

The thing that bothers me is that Hoppa keeps getting opportunity's and Meehan can't land a fight!

Kali is way too good for Hoppa, the Key to beaten Hoppa is a strong guard and enough memory to remember the 2 punches that he will throw the entire fight..Left Hook...Right Hook, all night baby yeah!
And if you Guard holds up for more than 3 rounds his cracked chin sticks out a little bit more.

Hounddawg wrote:

Eric t wrote:

foxdog1923 wrote:i'll definately be going for Hoppa in this fight..I dont know what happened to the Hoppa/Meehan fight that I kept reading about...come to think about it, I seem to read more about Meehan then seeing him fight.

Hopoate and meehan are good freinds, that could be why it didn't happen, hopoate said he won't fight haumono because they're good friends, meehan would have fought him, meehan is good mates with brewster but he still fought him, i respect hopoates loyalty but no one wants to see him fight wilson, wilsons stock is low, he just got stopped by leipai and he is boring and can't punch, edwards vs hopoate 2 would be good or hopoate vs sio or they should import a international opponent, i would have liked to see him fight rahman, him or meehan was supposed to originally, either he would knock rahman out or he would get knocked out, rahman has a good right, i could see him stopping hopoate

It could get watered down even more if wilson pulls out, who knows he might end up fighting richard tutaki someone like that, it wouldn't surprise me, if there ain't a good undercard on i might not book it.

The thing that bothers me is that Hoppa keeps getting opportunity's and Meehan can't land a fight!

Kali is way too good for Hoppa, the Key to beaten Hoppa is a strong guard and enough memory to remember the 2 punches that he will throw the entire fight..Left Hook...Right Hook, all night baby yeah!
And if you Guard holds up for more than 3 rounds his cracked chin sticks out a little bit more.

Yeah hopoate has a lot he needs to work on still, when he fought mccall he was tackling him, the commentator said it ain't a rugby game

Yeah hopoate has a lot he needs to work on still, when he fought mccall he was tackling him, the commentator said it ain't a rugby game [/quote]


lol is that really what the commentator said? lol...I didnt see the McCall/Hoppa fight lol

foxdog1923 wrote:Yeah hopoate has a lot he needs to work on still, when he fought mccall he was tackling him, the commentator said it ain't a rugby game

lol is that really what the commentator said? lol...I didnt see the McCall/Hoppa fight lol[/quote]

Actually it was after Hoppa was knocked down for the second time that the commentator said this isn't rugby league..jesting to the fact that Hoppa is out of his depth...... In other words he can't box.

Can't recall the tackling! it's the way Hoppa fights he lunges all the time.

Ben Edwards (unofficial OZ champion, surely)

Meehan is retired

Wilson talking and walking.