Richard Schaefer stood inside Classic Kickboxing Gym on Monday in Pasadena, Calif., ready to play host to a workout for “Sugar” Shane Mosley, who May 1 will take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Prior to the proceedings, Schaefer spoke in perplexed tones with BoxingScene.com about the comments made by Bernard Hopkins in the days following his decision victory over Roy Jones Jr. on April 3 in Las Vegas.
After the fight, when Schaefer came out to press row to inform everyone Hopkins had nearly fainted in his dressing room – courtesy of the rabbit punches landed by Jones – Schaefer told reporters in so many words that Hopkins might want sit down and think about whether he should continue fighting. Schaefer did not say that Hopkins definitely should retire.
In response, Hopkins went off and had this to say to Michael Marley in a story posted on BoxingScene: “These mother f***ers want me out. They are trying to stop me from working. They all want me out of the way. It’s their agenda against me. I will fight the system like I always have. I will fight the system and I love it. They all want to push me out of the way, to throw me in the same (professional) grave that Roy Jones is in now.”
Hopkins didn’t stop there.
“What he (Schaefer) should have done is take the podium and say, ‘I want to discuss things with Bernard Hopkins’ team,’ which means only me because I am my own team,” Hopkins said. “I can understand Richard’s concerns, but you don’t talk like that (retirement) without talking to me. You don’t do that because it’s not professional.”
Schaefer said the idea that he said Hopkins, 45, should retire was a reach.
“First of all, if I recall correctly – and you were there – I came out from the locker room where I saw Bernard Hopkins on his knees collapsing and I was of course worried because I consider Bernard and his family friends,” said Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.
“And so I was worried and what I remember saying is that, obviously, he’s on his way to the hospital and they’re going to run different tests, and that we’re going to need to see what those tests are going to be.
“But you know, depending on those tests, it might be time to have a conversation with Bernard and his family, his friends, and family and me, and we’re going to have a conversation with Bernard to see what’s next. And, obviously, these tests all came back negative. And they were severe blows to the head, illegal blows. And so Bernard is OK. He feels he is OK to fight.”
Schaefer said he thinks about Hopkins in this regard the same way he did about others associated with Golden Boy.
“And as I said with Ricky Hatton, as I said with Oscar De La Hoya, as I said with Bernard Hopkins, in my opinion the only one who should make a decision to retire is the fighters themselves,” Schaefer said. “It shouldn’t be a friend, it shouldn’t be the father or the mother or the wife or the promoter. It should be the fighter.
“I’ve been very consistent with that message. And I believe I was very consistent with that message. I didn’t say in front of all the media members that it’s time for Bernard to hang up the fight. I remember that exactly, that I didn’t say that because I would never say that.”
Praise for Hopkins
Schaefer changed gears for a second and gave Hopkins, 45, kudos for doing as well as he did after being whacked in the back of the head in the sixth round. The illegal blow by Jones put Hopkins on all fours for a couple of minutes.
“Bernard told me in the locker room and in the ring, that he saw like spots after the sixth round and his footing was off, his balance was off, he couldn’t really execute the fight plan the way he wanted to,” Schaefer said. “I think it just shows you how good he is still at that age, that he was able to continue to fight while other fighters might not have been able to.”
If You Want To Go, Go
For those thinking Schaefer is kissing Hopkins’ behind with that comment, think again. Hopkins also intimated in the aforementioned story he would be willing to fight for another promoter. Hopkins, who has a partnership in Golden Boy, said he no longer has a fighter contract with the company.
“As it relates to his comments, that he would go and fight if necessary with another promoter, you know, I respect Bernard too much and I wish him all the best,” Schaefer said. “So whatever decison he is going to make is fine with me.”
Schaefer was asked to confirm Hopkins no longer has a fighter contract with Golden Boy. He hesitated a bit.
“No, he basically is …he has a … he has a … I’m not going to discuss what contracts there are or not,” Schaefer said. “But if Bernard feels he wants to go and fight for (Bob) Arum or for (Don) King, then so be it. That doesn’t change my opinion of him. You know, I always looked out for Bernard and I would continue to do so if he would want me to. I’m not going to say anything bad. It is what it is.”
Richardson Understands Floyd Sr. Comments
Floyd Mayweather Sr. recently said Antonio Margarito was a “walking mummy” and that he was “tailor-made” for Mosley when Mosely stopped Margarito in the ninth round in January 2009. Asked about that Monday, Mosley’s trainer, Naazim Richardson mused, what would we expect him to say?
“He said the correct answer,” Richardson said. “This man’s been in boxing a long time and as good as you guys write, you all know that a lot of these guys who have been in it that long know how to answer your questions in a favorable way to their athlete.
“I wouldn’t expect anything different.”
A reporter, who was trying to point out that Margarito had a different style than Mayweather, noted to Richardson that Margarito came right at Mosley. Before the reporter could get in his question, Richardson stopped him.
“Like he came to everybody else,” Richardson said of Margarito.
“He came right to Cotto. How did that work out?”
Margarito stopped Cotto in the 11th.
Then, Richardson got even tougher when the reporter mentioned that Mayweather’s style isn’t perfect for Mosley and Margarito’s was.
“We gotta go back into that time capsule for a second,” Richardson said. “How many people were saying Margarito’s style was perfect for Shane before they fought? It’s not like people were looking at that fight saying, ‘Oh, Shane’s going to do this to him and Shane’s going to do that.’ “
Good point. Few picked Mosley to beat Margarito.
Win Over Margarito Big
Richardson was asked how Mosley’s victory over Margarito ranked among his career best. Mosley has two victories over Oscar De La Hoya.
“The Margarito fight was the most dangerous fight of Shane Mosley’s life,” Richardson said. “Margarito be changing people’s lifestyles. Margarito change the way you talk to your children.”
Win over Mayweather Would Be Bigger
Mosley sat on a stool, having his hands wrapped by Richardson as photographers clicked away and reporters began to interrogate him. In Mosley’s mind, where would a victory over Mayweather rank?
“At the top, one of the top,” he said. “Especially at this time of my career, beating him and moving on to beat other great fighters. I’m just going to let the people and the fans know they looked over “Sugar” Shane for the last time. They can’t continue to look over me. They gotta give me my just due.”
So do reporters, he said.
“I just want you guys to know once again, this (meaning himself) is a legendary fighter,” Mosley said. “You gotta give me my respect. You have to.”
24/7? What 24/7?
Mosley was asked what he thought about all the trash Mayweather talked about him during last Saturday’s premiere of HBO’s 24/7. Believe it or not, this is what he said:
“Actually, I didn’t see it,” Mosley told BoxingScene. “I didn’t see the 24/7 yet. No, I haven’t. The way I’ve been traveling around, been gone, doing different stuff.”
Really? A reporter asked.
“Seriously,” Mosley said.
Hmmm. Two days after his first 24/7, and he had not seen it?
Roach Expects Pacquiao to Lose Political Race
The popular thinking is if Manny Pacquiao wins his run for Congress in the Philippines next month, he could retire. His trainer, Freddie Roach, doesn’t believe this will come to fruition.
“I don’t feel he will win the Congressional race because I don’t think they want him to be a Congressman because they (Filipino voters) feel like we do, they want him to remain a fighter,” Roach said to BoxingScene.com. “I don’t see Manny Pacquiao retiring any time soon.”
Arreola: Adamek Won’t Mix it Up
Chris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek are just more than a week away from their heavyweight showdown April 24 in Ontario, Calif. The two played host to a conference call Wednesday, and Arreola (28-1, 25 KOs) made it clear he does not expect Adamek to engage him in a toe-to-toe slugfest.
“I don’t believe he is going to come and try to fight me the way he did at light heavyweight and cruiserweight,” Arreola said. “If he didn’t come to fight against (Jason) Estrada, he is not going to come and fight against me. Estrada can’t pop a grape.”
Adamek, the former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion, has had two fights at heavyweight. He stopped aging Andrew Golota in the fifth round last October, but then went the distance and won a unanimous decision over Estrada in February. Estrada is 16-3 with a no-contest, but has just four knockouts in those 20 fights – a very low knockout ratio of 20 percent.
Later during the call, Adamek (40-1, 27 KOs) said that his credo is to hit and not be hit.
“That is the way I fight,” Adamek said. “So, don’t worry, Chris, you are going to get hit.”
