X marks the spot left in Canada by “Executuoner” Bernard Hopkins.
They are only 27 BHopping BShopping days remaining until the multiple time world champion turns a ripe old but evidently quite rejuvenated age 46.
Appropriately enough, the proud Philadelphian shares his natal with crosstown buddy Smokin’ Joe Frazier and the pugilistic pair are just two days ahead of birthday boy (did you say, Roy?) Muhammad Ali (born 1-17-42, Louisville, Ky.)
So while beleaguered WBC president for life and perhaps for reincarnation purposes Don Jose Sulaiman is sorting out the real controversy generated by BHop and the lackluster and often listless Jean Pascal as they battled to a 12 round majority draw in “Keybec City” Saturday night, I’ve got two swell ideas.
(I hope evenuually BHop, Pascal and Chadwick Dawson do sort out who the “baddest man” of all light heavyweights is in La Belle Provence because a Montrealer by way of Romania, fellow called Lucian Bute, will have something to say when their round robin pecking and bobbing is completed.)
One is, I admit, a tad emotion-driven and the other is based purely on the Mexico City based Alphabet Groups own regulations.
Fancy that.
Let’s go with the honorary degree, the WBC’S oft-maligned “Champion Emeritus” status which is bestowed by a two-third vote of the Board Of Governors (they carry rubber stamps with “Don Jose OK: written on them) to be given to a former WBC beltholder of “extraordinary prestige, reputation, stature and everlasting legacy in the sport.”
Come on, man, isn’t BHop, the Ponce de Leon of boxing and I don’t mean the little Mexican fighter, all that and a cheese steak sandwich from Pat’s?
Hopkins deserves this ego boost just for fighting his way through the last seven rounds while Pascal was confused and did so little physically that he looked to be age 38, not his actual 28 years.
Give BHop the “Champion Emeritus” crown and give it to before he turns a decrepit 46.
My second is that Senor Sulaiman should use his muscle and his rules to force an immedaite rematch between Hopkins and Pascal and let Dawson, who held the belt but was stopped on cuts in 11 rounds by the Haitian living in Laval, wait one more fight for his rematch.
Dawson’s organ grinder, Big Gary Shaw, will throw a tantrum, threaten legal action, blah, blah, blah…but the bottom line is a fatter bottom line for the winner of BHop-Pascal II against Dawson.
Under WBC Rule 1.29, the organization does not recognize “immediate rematch clauses in championship bout agreements and will not sanction or authorize an immediate rematch, except as a mandatory defense by a majority vote” of the Rubber Stampers “under the following circumstances:
1–Result of the fight is controversial or irregular;
2–when first match was of such extraordinary results that could consitute a public demand and great promotion, prestige and importance for the sport of boxing for the WBC…”
Certainly, the howling over who won BHop-Jaunty Jean “constitutes a public demand” and an immediate rematch would amount to “a great promotion.”
You can say that truly, Edwin Dooley, about BHop-Pascal II but not about Dawson-Pascal II.
Or, as they might put it in Philly Dilly, “true dat.”
Dawson is not up Dawson’s creek sans paddle. He is the same age as Pascal, about 17-18 years younger than King Bernie. Give BHop his CE honorary crown and order the Hopkins-Pascal rematch by April, Don Jose, and write in cement the winner must face Connecticut Yankee Chadwick within 90 days.
You could even have Chadwick slap around some totato can on the undercard of BHop-Pascal II for loose change.
Time is of the essence. Some people think BHop is getting ancient.
I guess they don’t know that, in BHop’s book, 46 is the new 36.
