Columnist Dean Juipe: Hopkins challenges several weight classes

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 9:36 a.m.

DEAN JUIPEis a Las Vegas SUN sportswriter. His office phone number is 259-4084. He can be reached on the Internet at juipe@ lasvegassun.com

A day or two before meeting Roy Ritchie at the Riviera hotel in Las Vegas on Aug. 3, 1993, IBF middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins talked at length about trying to unify the division's three major titles.

It not only seemed like a good idea, it appeared to be doable. As the most prominent champion in an historically prominent division, Hopkins felt he had the clout to force the reigning WBA and WBC champions into a series of unification fights.

As the years passed, Hopkins continued to crusade for a unified middleweight champion. Unfortunately for boxing fans, he was never successful and the division's championships remain split three ways.

Finally exasperated, Hopkins changed course Wednesday when he said by phone from Atlantic City that he has altered his goals and cancelled his unification plans.

"I've given up on that," he said. "The other champions kept copping out and essentially nothing ever happened, so I've gotten off that topic."

He has a new direction, a new approach, and it's to make himself available to any big-name fighter between the junior middleweight (154 pounds) and light heavyweight (175) divisions.

"I'm taking a different step," he said. "The real issue is my need for a mega-fight, so I'm going to try guys from other divisions. I believe I'm the best at anything from 154 to 175, so I'll lose six pounds or gain 15 if it means defending that belief."

Hopkins will defend his 160-pound title Saturday in Atlantic City when he takes on three-time former world champion Simon Brown in a bout to be televised by HBO. Hopkins, 33-2-1 with 25 knockouts, is a 15-to-1 betting favorite in Las Vegas over Brown, who is 47-6 with 34 KOs.

Their final prefight press conference was friendly and cordial, with Hopkins relating a story in which he consoled Brown in his dressing room after Brown lost a world-title fight to Vincent Pettway. "I told him then he'd get another chance," Hopkins said, "but I didn't think it would come at my expense."

Hopkins likely handles Brown and retains the IBF belt he has held most of this decade. His only losses came in his pro debut in 1988 and by decision to Roy Jones in May of '93. The draw on his ledger came against Segundo Mercado in 1994 but he avenged that with a KO-7 the following year.

Hopkins is a tough guy with multiple strengths. But fighting at 168 or 175?

"That's just it," he said. "Other fighters are going to see me saying I'll fight in four different weight classes and they'll say 'He's crazy.' That's good -- I want them to bite that bullet. I want them to think I'm off my rocker and maybe they'll take a chance."

Having dropped his longtime manager, Butch Lewis, to sign a promotional agreement with America Presents, and having turned 33 earlier this month, Hopkins is anxious for a high-profile fight or two. So he's willing to take some risks.

"I'm a sleeping giant," he said. "People always say I'm good, but I've fought for peanuts all my career. I need to improve my status even if it means fighting at 175 pounds."

Botha-Holyfield

Frans Botha will defeat Evander Holyfield if and when they fight in May, Botha's manager predicted this week.

"I don't see Holyfield having the same energy level for a guy like Botha like he did for (Mike) Tyson," said Sterling McPherson. "People forget how Holyfield was looking in his fights prior to Tyson. He was looking old."

Holyfield, 35, is intrigued not so much with fighting Botha but with fighting in South Africa. Negotiations continue, with May 2 and May 9 given as target dates.

"They're going to fight," McPherson said. "And it'll be Botha because he brings the nation of South Africa with him. The fight will go to Cape Town or Johannesburg, where they have seating for 90,000 in a stadium."

Botha, 29, is a native of South Africa and a former IBF world champion. He's 37-1, with the loss coming to Michael Moorer in 1996.

"Botha's hungry as hell now," McPherson said. "He has two heavyweight title fights under his belt and he's looking to win the title back. He's more seasoned. I see him coming out with a gallant performance."

Holyfield is 35-3 and owns the WBA and IBF championships.

He wants to fight in South Africa as a sign of support for president Nelson Mandela.

Around the ring

No movement yet this week on a proposed Roy Jones vs. Buster Douglas bout tentatively set for May 2 in Atlantic City. Douglas is ready to sign a contract for the fight and Jones, according to his publicist, may sign by week's end. HBO, which has Jones under contract for three 1998 fights, would televise. ... The final detail in the Vince Phillips vs. Alfonso Sanchez fight -- the site -- has fallen into place. Phillips, of Las Vegas, will defend his IBF junior welter title at an Indian resort in Ucasville, Conn. ... Local super bantamweight Wayne McCullough has made peace with his manager and is on the America Presents schedule for an April 7 fight. Site and opponent TBA. ... Former two-time world champ Julian Jackson of Henderson likely saw his career come to an end with a loss last Friday to Verno Phillips in Tunica, Miss. Jackson, 55-5, picked up a nasty cut after a head butt in the third round and he was knocked out in the ninth. Jackson, 37, had been hoping to defeat Phillips and move back into position for a third world title. ... Saturday on Showtime, WBA middleweight champ Julio Cesar Green, 22-2, is rematched with William Joppy, 24-1-1, in Tampa, Fla. Green defeated Joppy by decision last August and said during a Wednesday conference call "I'll do it again. I hope Joppy walks into the ring with all the fury he possibly can, because he's going to meet my fury." Also on the televised portion of the card, ex-Las Vegan Tony Tucker, 56-6, gets a crack at NABF heavyweight champ John Ruiz, 31-3. The drawback for Tucker, a former IBF champ, is his age (38) and the fact that in the last three years he has lost to all four reputable opponents he has faced (Bruce Seldon, Henry Akinwande, Orlin Norris, and Herbie Hide). ... The next local card -- featuring all women -- is Feb. 6 at Arizona Charlie's.