GL: After conducting recent interviews with Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins it has become clear that fight will likely not take place. With that being said I understand that you're one of Bernard's other options. Has your position as it relates to fighting Hopkins at light heavyweight changed?

Winky Wright: "Nah, my position ain't changed. As far as going up to 175, I don't think my body can hold that weight. But I would love to fight Bernard. He's one of those big marquee names that I'm looking for. As far as the 50-50 goes, that hasn't changed. The only person I would take less for is Oscar. Oscar generates a lot more than anyone else, but as far as Bernard or anyone else, I feel I generate the same money Bernard generates."

GL: Richard Schaefer the promoter of Hopkins and a close confidant of yours recently came on Boxingtalk responding to Roy Jones Jr, who was upset about not getting 50-50 for a Hopkins rematch. Richard says that when he looks in his wallet he sees dollars and fighters should not get caught up with percentages because at the end of the day we spend dollars and not percentages...

WW: (cutting in) "That's true but at the same time the percentages make sure you can look in your wallet and see dollars."

GL: So you wouldn't go up to light heavyweight Wink?

WW: "I don't think my body can hold that weight. 175 is a lot of damn weight for me to be working out and maintaining. If I were training real hard the most I would weigh is like 165."

GL: If you decided to fight Bernard it would be a fight where most people would favor him since you would be moving up two weight classes...

WW: (cutting in) "But I don't know...

GL: (cutting in) "But let me finish, you know how Bernard fights. He doesn't throw a lot of punches and his only fight above 160 was his last one against Tarver. Does that make it...

WW: (cutting in) "Yeah that makes it a lot better and I'm willing to do whatever if that's what the fans want to see. We could both make money, as you can see Bernard doesn't really have no one to fight, I don't have no one to fight. It seems that nobody wants to fight him and it seems nobody wants to fight me. If they want to do it and I want to do it we can get together and do it and make a big fight out of it."

GL: Roy has a win over Bernard. Do you think Hopkins is being unreasonable by not fighting him for 50-50, especially since you're looking for 50-50 with not only Bernard but Jermain Taylor?

WW: "I can't speak for the next man and it's not my place to speak on what happens between him and Roy. I could speak for me, I'm on a winning streak and I've been fighting anybody and everybody that they put in front of me, but at the same time I'm going to get paid. The situation with me and Bernard is different. Roy Jones is Roy Jones and that's between them. If Bernard wants to fight me, I want to fight Bernard. If they want to give me 50-50 or a lump sum of money then it can be done. If the fans want to see it then I want to do it."

GL: Some people might think a fight between you and Bernard might be boring. How do you think a fight between the two of you would play out?

WW: "People shouldn't think that because you're going to see two fighters that have skills and can do it all. It's going to be an entertaining fight because both fighters are coming to win. When you get two guys out there bombing that's not boxing, and that's why a lot of people are going to the UFC and other stuff it's because these promoters are putting on lackluster fights where it's not really who the fans want to see fight."

GL: I know how you're going to answer it but I'm going to ask anyway. With Jermain Taylor on the verge of fighting Sergio Mora do you feel that you've let an opportunity for a career high payday pass you by when you could right the wrong that happened with draw last June in Memphis?

WW: "Nope. I don't feel like I'm doing anything. I feel like Jermain Taylor is doing it. If he wants to fight Sergio Mora and Grady's let him go do it. I'm here and I'm ready to fight but at the same time I feel that we deserve 50-50."

GL: (doing my Winky impersonation) "And you're not going to change you're mind and in the meantime you're going to fight whoever HBO wants you to fight."

WW: "Nah I ain't. I ain't fighting whoever HBO wants either. If the fight doesn't make sense to me I might not do it. We're going to talk to HBO and Bernard is someone out there who wants to fight we can do it. Me, Bernard and Golden Boy can sit down and talk to try and come up with a reasonable strategy for both of us and then we can go out there and make the fight. One more thing, I'm the only one out of anyone who's saying they would fight anyone at any weight class. Forget the talk, whoever wants to fight out of that group, let's do this."

GL: Do you think you'll get more to fight Bernard than you would to fight Taylor?

WW: "I have no idea."

GL: Earlier you said 50-50 or a lump sum. I imagine that lump sum would have to be more than the $5M you could have made for the Taylor rematch?

WW: "I never heard no numbers with Jermain because I told them 50-50...

GL: The number I understand was $5M for the Taylor rematch.

WW: "Well yeah it's going to have to be more than $5M."

M

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