You are in > manchester.com  > News > Warren goads Hopkins

Boxing

Warren goads Hopkins

06/11/2007

Joe Calzaghe's promoter Frank Warren believes that Bernard Hopkins may yet shy away from meeting the Welshman in the ring.

Warren, who claims that Hopkins' excessive financial demands have put pay to a proposed fight between the pair in the past, believes the veteran middleweight would prefer an easier route to retirement.

"Bernard Hopkins is a student of boxing and he knows that he will be beaten by Joe Calzaghe. That is why I think we will struggle to get him to claim this fight," Warren said.

"The ball is in his court. What has he got ahead of him? He has a rematch with Winky Wright, which I am sure Prozac would be queuing up to sponsor, or he has a fight with Chad Dawson which no-one cares about."

Hopkins, 42, had been planning to offer fellow American Winky Wright a rematch after defeating him in July this year, but claimed he would be happy to switch his attentions to Calzaghe provided the fight took place stateside.

Warren has also warned Hopkins that if he will stand firm to ensure his super-middleweight client gets his fair share of the fight purse.

"Bernard keeps saying what a big name he is but is he a big name fighter? Let's get the fight on and we will do it in the States but it's about Joe getting well paid," he said.

"Taking Joe on means that if there is £100 on the table, he can't take £99 of it. He is not the attraction."