Jones-Hopkins II on the verge of collapse!
Shortly after the clock struck twelve BoxingTalk received a call from former pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr, who informed us that his potential mega-fight with Bernard Hopkins is in serious jeopardy following Team Hopkins making Jones a take it or leave it offer. "We (Lou DiBella and Roy Jones Jr)started the talks and he wanted to show us where they were coming from so I said okay, let's talk. We talk and we work on a few things, I had some ideas and I told him how I wanted to do this and he was cool with it and he said, 'Roy, I just want to work with you.' I said alright, and then Schaefer and them sent the contract and we're looking at it and there was a lot of things that we had to change and they said they weren't going to change anything, they didn't want to make any changes. It's like I told you before, I knew there was going to be some bullshit involved and that's why I didn't get excited about it. To be real with you, I haven't even started training yet because I knew something like this was going to happen." Read on to see what the offer was, but based on the way RJ was dropping F-Bombs during this must read interview, saying he's pissed would be an understatement.
GL: You know I keep my ear to the ground, I heard they sent you an offer for 50-50 but after they took 25% off the top...Roy Jones Jr: "That's right and that's not going to happen. Why do they get to take something off the top? If it's a 50-50 split, it ain't no 50-50 split with them and their whole team taking it off the top you feel me? How are they going to do that? A 50-50 split after they take 25% off the top, what the f**k? Is that a 50-50 split for real?
GL: That sounds like 75-25.Roy Jones Jr: "You feel where I'm coming from? That's exactly what that is. I was like hell no, are y'all serious."
GL: And when your team went back to them trying to negotiate...RJJ: "They said they weren't changing nothing. Come on dawg, a 50-50 split after they take 25% off the top. What kind of f**king 50-50 split is that? That's 75-25 all day where I'm from. I told you I should have known better. I told you they were going to come. Now I figured out what it is, I thought Bernard was going to do what he said and be serious to treat me like a man. But what it is, he uses De La Hoya as the front man to f**k you. He's cute, but I don't do dudes."
GL: It sounds like the fight is on the verge of collapsing...RJJ: (cutting in) "Well that's a collapse right there because that's not working. You feel where I'm coming from? I felt Bernard was dead serious when he said what he said, but then he let Schaefer send this shit and have Oscar f**k you, but that's like I said I don't do dudes. I'd rather not have it f**k it. Y'all go you're own way, I'm sure they'll find someone you could beat like that, but that's not how I roll."
GL: When did this happen?RJJ: "This main part with them not wanting to change nothing in the contract just happened. He called you and told you that he was going to treat me straight and give me a 50-50 deal. I can send you a copy of this motherf**ker. It's got 25% off the top and then we go 50-50, but that ain't no motherf**king 50-50."
GL: What is the 25% off the top supposed to be for?RJJ: "They're saying it's for them to go find the money, so I said let me go find the money and I'll take 2% off the top what's wrong with that? You call them motherf**kers and tell them I thought it was a bunch of bullshit, but now you know it's a bunch of bullshit and they didn't want to fight Roy. They're using this as a negotiating ploy to fight someone else, maybe they want to fight Tarver. But if you ask me if wants to fight me that's bullshit. It's not really a secret he doesn't want to fight me because if he would have come with 50-50 like he said the fight would have been signed. I want you to go on the wire and tell them that I said it, I should have known better. I thought maybe he'd have nothing to lose. He already beat Tarver and he never really lost to Jermain so I thought he was going to try and go out in style by fighting me to avenge his loss. He says he's going to do to the 50-50 and then instead of him coming t f**k me, he sends them to do it."
GL: Are you holding Hopkins guilty by association here?RJJ: "If he knows this which I'm sure he knows this, then yep he's guilty by association you're right. He says he has my number but he ain't call me, they called me coming with this bullshit. If he would have come with the fair deal the fight would be done, if he's not going to come with what he said they don't even need to waste no more time. If they said let's do this the right way and co-promote and you take 12.5% off the top and we take 12.5% off the top that sounds like 50-50 split to me. Don't it to you?
GL: Yes.RJJ: "Otherwise what's wrong with me taking 25% off the top? 50-50 isn't 50-50 when they're taking 25% off the top. He said he was going to give me 50-50 isn't that what he told you?
GL: He said he was going to treat you like the legend that you are.RJJ: "Is this how they treat me like the legend I am?"
GL: Are you even thinking about other fights yet?RJJ: "I'm not going to waste my time with this, that's a joke. They said 50-50 and look what they came with, that should tell you this is a joke."
GL: Will you continue to use Lou DiBella as an intermediary between you and the network to get you back on HBO in a fight of significance?RJJ: "I don't know. We always look for the best people for the job and he had worked with them (Golden Boy) the last few times so he knows their contracts and he was definitely the best man for that job."
There will be much more to follow with Roy Jones Jr so stay tuned.
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