Hopkins-Sturm and Taylor-Soliman far more likely!

Contrary to reports circulating the internet, the Bernard Hopkins-Jermain Taylor fight never made it past the stage of discussions. Word is Golden Boy Promotions was willing to pay Taylor $1.5M to challenge Hopkins on HBO PPV in July, however GBP wanted options on Taylor's next three fights. Naturally, Team Taylor turned the offer down. Sources from Team Taylor have indicated to us that Taylor may have agreed to face Hopkins for the $1.5M on HBO World Championship Boxing without granting Golden Boy the three options. Options on Taylor, wouldn't have become a reality unless GBP drastically increased Taylor's purse for the Hopkins bout

Barring a last minute miracle with the Taylor bout, Bernard Hopkins will likely face former WBO middleweight champion Felix Sturm in his next outing. Team Taylor was hoping to make the Sturm bout, but sources from HBO have indicated to Boxingtalk that Golden Boy Promotions had allegedly nearly nailed down Hopkins-Sturm already.

If you make it your business to keep yourself up to date on the sanctioning body BS, you probably know that the IBF has already ordered Hopkins to make his mandatory against Sam Soliman. So if Hopkins fights Sturm the IBF title becomes vacant, thus making the chances of Jermain Taylor versus Sam Soliman for the vacant IBF title an interesting bout and for Taylor's June HBO date. As this goes to print Taylor-Soliman is far more likely than Hopkins-Taylor or Taylor-Sturm.
 
"I won't confirm or deny the offers that are on the table but we're nowhere close to a deal and the internet reports about Taylor and Hopkins you've been reading are absolutely wrong," said Taylor's promoter Lou DiBella when speaking with Boxingtalk.com last night.

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