Hopkins and Jones Rematch 17 Years Later
“To not watch this fight would be a disservice because we will be making history,” said Bernard Hopkins at a press conference to announce his long-awaited rematch against Roy Jones Jr. to be held on April 3 in Las Vegas.
Certainly the achievements throughout the careers of both Hopkins and Jones have cemented their standings in boxing history and paces in the Boxing Hall of Fame, but what will this rematch prove?
The old rivals have been bickering back and forth for the last 17 years in hopes of lacing on the gloves to once again face each other, ever since their initial encounter held on May 22, 1993. While early in both their careers, Jones was clearly a more developed fighter at that point and dominated Hopkins on his way to a unanimous decision with scores of 116-112 across the board.
While a variety of disputes have put their rematch on hold all these years, both Hopkins and Jones were able to move on and secure their legacies against other leading foes. Since their first fight, Roy has won 32 of 38 contests, and Bernard 28 of 33. Jones has been on the decline of late, while Hopkins continues to defy father time; a fact Roy readily admits.
“We both went on to do good things in this sport,” said Jones. “Mine was great early. His was great late.”
Hopkins, now 45, is eager for revenge. “This fight is very important to me because it is personal,” said Hopkins. “We have 17 plus years of on-and-off history. I want to show the world that when our legacy is put together and analyzed, this fight will be the reason. So to me, not only am I a better fighter today, I will prove my legacy on April 3. I have a lot of incentive to win.”
Part of the incentive Hopkins speaks of involves winning by knockout, as the victor, should he win by knockout, will be entitled to 60 percent of the entire purse, and the loser 40 percent. Should the fight end by decision, Hopkins and Jones will split the purse evenly.
This fight was originally penciled in for March 13, but it hinged on both fighter winning interim fights on Dec. 2. Hopkins, now 50-5-1-1NC (32), decisioned Enrique Ornelas in his first fight back in his hometown of Philadelphia since 2003. Jones, fighting overseas for the first time since his amateur days, was shockingly stopped in 122 seconds by Danny Green in Australia for the IBO cruiserweight belt.
The logical question on everyone’s mind is if Jones lost so embarrassingly, why would this fight still take place? Well, Jones claimed foul play, citing Green’s illegally-wrapped hands as reason for his defeat. Although he chose not to discuss that issue at the press conference, perhaps wanting to put that incident as far behind him as possible.
Nevertheless, the 41-year-old Jones, 54-6 (40), remains confident. “I am still me,” said Jones. “I can care less about how much better he (Hopkins) has gotten. My job is to knock him out on April 3 and that is what I am going to do.”