by James Slater – With today’s news of how the long awaited rematch between modern day legends Roy Jones Junior and Bernard Hopkins is to take place in Las Vegas on April 3rd, fans can look ahead to a pretty big night of boxing on both sides of the Atlantic that night. As was announced last week, WBA heavyweight champion David Haye will face John Ruiz in Manchester a few hours before the two veterans get it on seventeen years after they first met as middleweights.
Two big fights, then, with plenty of star name involvement. But here’s the thing: is there a good chance both fights, as big as they are, will be dull, disappointing affairs? You bet there is.
Ruiz, though tough, capable and durable, has seldom been in an exciting fight, and his tactics of using plenty of holding don’t figure to change in the fight with the fast-handed puncher. It’s all up to Haye to make this fight exciting, and maybe he can do it, maybe not. But how many fans will be willing to gamble pay-per-view money in the hope the fight will prove to be worth watching?
Jones-Hopkins II is likely to also be a pay-per-view offering, and here again, the question is how will the fan interest shape up? With this fight, it actually seems as though the two fighters themselves are looking forward to the fight far more than most of the fans. Hopkins has craved a shot at revenge ever since May of 1993, while Jones, winless at a high level in an alarming number of his most recent fights, wants the fight as he knows a win would put him back up near the top some place.
Jones has even given himself as new nickname for the April fight: calling himself “The Terminator,” the 41-year-old has vowed to terminate “The Executioner.” Who knows, the hype might just wind up building to a level that sees to it that the fans find themselves sufficiently intrigued to part with the necessary dollars to tune in? It could be an expensive night for some fans, though – especially if they want to see both the non-title clash at light-heavyweight and the heavyweight title bout.
What is needed to ensure value for money, is for both cards to be well stacked by way of an under-card. No supporting bouts have been announced for either show so far, but it is to be hoped the respective promoters choose not to be cheap, and instead pay decent money to get some decent under-card match-ups made.
Both main events are big, but neither has the look of a great fight if we’re being honest. Still, in a slow-starting 2010, April 3rd will arguably be the first big, big night of boxing this year.