WBC light-heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins has ridiculed former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye’s attempt at wrestling Wladimir Klitschko’s titles from his possession earlier this month and believes he could beat the Briton in a fight, even if the ‘Hayemaker’ had a 20lb weight advantage.
Hopkins, who at 46 is the oldest world boxing champion of all time, was speaking before the Amir Khan and Zab Judah unification bout at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. ‘B-Hop’ openly criticized Haye for blaming a toe injury for his performance against the Ukrainian after he lost a one-sided points decision in Hamburg on July 2nd.
"I was shocked by him against Klitschko,” reported The Daily Mail.
“You can’t trash talk the way he did for two or three years and then not deliver. I don’t like to question any fighter’s heart. But to see him go in there and then keep flopping (onto the floor) I would spot him 20 lbs (in weight advantage).
"The heavyweight division has been in a coma for almost ten years and Haye was given the stage, the opportunity, to fight his heart out. If you do that, even if you don’t win, you can come back. But as soon as he started flopping down on his knees I knew it was over."
The two-weight world champion was then asked about the injury to Haye’s foot, which the Londoner believes attributed to his defeat on the night.
"Oh yeah, his pinky. Tell you what, I’ll spot him 50 lbs. You don’t even walk on your little toe."
It is highly unlikely that Haye would accept a challenge from Hopkins as the former cruiserweight champion has reiterated his desire for a rematch with Klitschko or he may stick to his retirement plan and leave the sport in October this year.
Haye, 30, may be forced to continue on to repair his reputation though, if he doesn’t want to be remembered for the now infamous ‘toe’ incident.
http://www.worldboxingnews.net/2011/07/bernard-hopkins-ill-spot-david-haye.html
