If Hopkins unretires, it should be for Calzaghe bout

It's no secret that Antonio Tarver wants a rematch with Bernard Hopkins, who moved up from middleweight to light heavyweight and beat Tarver via unanimous decision last June in Atlantic City.

Hopkins retired after that fight, which he won easily by three scores of 118-109. But as fighters often do, he recently said he wants to continue his career if he can get what he wants. He has even said that he would like to move up to heavyweight to fight Oleg Maskaev, the World Boxing Council champion.

"When you look at the heavyweight picture, there is not a marquee star out there," Tarver said during a recent interview. "If Hopkins really wants to realize the financial goal we all want to, I think we have to come together again."

Well, according to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, a rematch with Tarver will not happen.

"He is definitely going to come out of retirement if he can get a big fight," Schaefer said of Hopkins, who is promoted by Golden Boy. "He dominated Tarver, and I think he wants to pursue new challenges.

"His career really has been built on making history. That's what his career has been about, and he wants to keep on going in that kind of pattern."

Schaefer said there are three opponents who interest Hopkins: Maskaev, longtime super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr.

"We have made a substantial offer to the promoter (Dennis Rappaport) of Maskaev, and he did not want to take the money," Schaefer said. "He feels he can make more money somewhere else, so that hasn't gone anywhere.

"Then I had conversation with (promoter) Frank Warren as it relates to a Calzaghe fight. Calzaghe has called out Bernard a number of times."

Schaefer said Hopkins would love that fight.

"And Calzaghe is very interested in that fight, and he wants to do it next if he beats Peter Manfredo Jr. (in April)," Schaefer said. "And HBO is very intrigued by that fight as well. We have put a pay-per-view date of July 14 on hold."

Calzaghe, of England, would have to come to the states for that fight. Schaefer said it could happen at either Madison Square Garden in New York City or in Atlantic City.

All I can say is, if something can't be worked out for Maskaev or Calzaghe, let's just hope Schaefer and Hopkins don't stick us with a fight with Jones.

"Another challenge out there is Roy Jones Jr.," Schaefer said. "The long-awaited rematch."

Long awaited is right. Too long. Hopkins, at 41, is still a good fighter. Jones, at 37, stinks. If the best Hopkins can give us is a fight with Jones, I would prefer he stay retired.

I don't know anyone who wants to see that. They fought 13 years, seven months ago, with Jones winning a decision in a middleweight title fight. Let it go.

The only fight that makes sense is Hopkins-Calzaghe. That would be a big event, and perhaps an outstanding fight. Calzaghe is one mean hombre.

"Fast" Eddie Chambers

Let's see now. The four heavyweight champions of the world are 6-foot-3, 240-pound Maskaev (WBC), 6-6, 240-pound Wladimir Klitschko (IBF), 6-4, 268-pound Shannon Briggs (WBO) and 7-foot, 325-pound Nicolay Valuev (WBA).

Understanding that these "champions" are not the best we have ever seen, their size begs the question: How does a heavyweight who goes 6-1 and about 215 pounds expect to compete with these monsters?

The answer is talent.

And according to his manager and co-promoter, Philadelphia heavyweight "Fast" Eddie Chambers has enough of it to overcome his lack of size.

In Chambers' past five fights, he has fought at 217, 210, 211, 213 and 214 pounds. He has fought as high as 220 once, but as low as 207.

"I've been around a lot of heavyweights," said Chambers' co-promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions. "Some have that gigantic size and some have what you might call the size of the great heavyweights from 30 years ago, 20 years ago. I've seen a lot of 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7, 250-, 260-pound heavyweights that I believe couldn't hold a candle to Eddie Chambers, being 6-1, 217 pounds.

"So I really do believe he can hold one of those (major) titles. We didn't sign him just to have a top 10 fighter."

Chambers, 24, is co-promoted by Goossen and Rob Murray Jr. of Score America in Philadelphia. Rob Murray Sr. is Chambers' manager.

"Size has never been an issue," Murray Sr. said of Chambers, who is 27-0 with 15 knockouts and ranked No. 15 by the International Boxing Federation. "I've had Eddie for over four years, and when I first saw him, I saw how his speed could overwhelm guys."

Chambers has fought two guys in the 240s, one in the 250s, two in the 260s and two in the 280s. Then again, none were top 15 fighters. Still, Murray believes Chambers is going to be the next star in the heavyweight division.

"I think it's about conditioning and the ability to take a punch," Murray said. "Ross Puritty (who weighed 253) caught him on the chin and Eddie didn't blink. He has a very good chin, he is very hard to hit and he punches in combinations. I think Eddie will be one of the best in this era.

"I've been involved with a lot of fighters (including Hopkins long ago) and this is the most talented fighter I have ever been involved with."

That's saying a lot. We'll find out soon enough if Chambers is all that. Goossen said he has him penciled in to fight on a card Feb. 9 that will be televised by ESPN. Goossen said he should have an opponent for Chambers sometime this week.

Television. Therein lies one of the reasons the Murrays sought out Goossen and brought him in as Chambers' co-promoter.

"Goossen represents something we wanted for our team and that is character," Murray said. "Our team is built on character and that is why we selected Goossen. Dan returned our calls. Dan had time for us, which a lot of these guys didn't give us. Having presence on HBO, Showtime. ... When he speaks, people will listen. They are not going to listen to my son like they are going to listen to Dan Goossen. He has the presence we need to put Eddie out there."

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