Columnist Dean Juipe: Attacked by Hopkins, Jones Jr. fires back

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Dec. 28, 2000 | 10:57 a.m.

Dean Juipe's boxing notebook appears Thursday. His sports column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

Tired of hearing Bernard Hopkins wail about his inability to land a big fight, Roy Jones Jr. snapped off a letter to the International Boxing Federation middleweight champion and told him, in essence, to cease and desist.

Occasionally sounding desperate for a significant fight and occasionally overplaying his hand as a businessman, Hopkins has continually projected himself into fights with either Jones or David Reid. But Jones maintains Hopkins isn't being reasonable in his dollar demands, and told him so in a letter that was also dispersed to assorted members of the media.

Jones, the undisputed light heavyweight world champion, was once agreeable to meeting Hopkins at the mutually convenient weight of 168 pounds. But no more, if what Jones penned is written in stone.

A rematch of their May 22, 1993, fight at 160 pounds in Washington D.C. in which Jones won by unanimous decision no longer appears likely.

"I want the world to know the truth," Jones began his letter. "You asked me for an opportunity to fight and I gave you one.

"I never ducked anybody, including you. I beat you once before and I don't see a problem doing it again.

"I offered you a two-fight deal: $1.75 million for the first fight and a minimum of $3 million for a rematch, which you cannot get fighting anybody else in the world.

"That's fair market value and a lot more. I offered you more for one fight than you've probably made in your entire career. You turned it down and said it's not good enough. Had I been in your position, I would have offered to fight (me) for nearly free, just to prove my point.

"You were given the opportunity of a lifetime and turned it down.

"I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your career."

Jones, who turns 32 Jan. 16, is 43-1 and dominates a star-challenged division.

Hopkins, whose 37th birthday is one day before Jones' 32nd, is 38-2-1 and is the longest reigning champion in boxing, having won the IBF middleweight title on his second try (in 1994). He's self-managed and looking for a worthy opponent at either 160 or 168 pounds.

* ORLEANS CARD: Friday's card at the Orleans has taken shape and it offers featherweights Daniel Rodriguez and Bobby Velardez in the 10-round main event. Rodriguez, a native of Mexico now living in Las Vegas, is 18-5-3 with 13 knockouts and is coming off a loss to former world champion Manuel Medina. Velardez, 13-4-1 with three KOs, had a KO-1 victory over Dustin Kim in his most recent fight, also at the Orleans.

Also scheduled: Juan Pablo Valenzuela, 8-3, vs. Awel Abdulai, 8-13, eight rounds, lightweights; Gerald Tucker, 1-0, vs. Alejandro Lopez, 0-3-3, four rounds, super bantamweights; Vatche Wartanean, 1-0, vs. Anthony Ojomo, 0-3-3, four rounds, junior welterweights; Francisco Corrales, 1-0, vs. Carlos Becerra, 1-0, four rounds, welterweights; and Dexter Sanchez, 3-4-1, vs. Vincent Moses, 4-10-2, six rounds, flyweights.

First bell is 7 p.m. and tickets are $15 to $40.

The NSAC also approved requests for fight cards Jan. 19 at the Hard Rock, Feb. 3 at Mandalay Bay, Feb. 17 at the MGM and Feb. 18 at the MGM.

The commission, pending receipt of further medical documents, also approved Luisito Espinosa as the opponent for Augie Sanchez on the Jan. 6 card at Texas Station; Espinosa needed the NSAC's approval by virtue of having fought more than 350 rounds in his career.

The semi-main event that day will have Israel Vazquez, 20-2, meeting Don Don Concepcion, 19-5-1, with the vacant North American Boxing Federation super bantamweight title at stake.

Local heavyweight Todd Diggs, 2-1-3, said he was pleased to land a spot on the Jan. 19 card at the Hard Rock. "They're going to put me in with someone who can fight, which will allow me to show my skills," Diggs said as he prepared to work out at Nevada Partners. ... Trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad is bubbling with excitement as he watches Torrence Jett develop. "I've got the next Diego Corrales," Muhammad said, referring to the lanky junior lightweight who will meet Floyd Mayweather Jr. Jan. 20 at the MGM. "I'm real high on this kid," Muhammad continued. "He's a natural. He's got that long leverage and he can punch." Jett, 25, hopes to make his pro debut on a Feb. 17 Top Rank card at the MGM. He's a native of Ohio who attended Vo-Tech High School after moving to Las Vegas. "The only fights I've had were in the street," he said, although he's already exhibiting a professional style.