Boxing News 24/7Alan Dawson – London
If Bernard Hopkins returns to training and hard sparring in January, 2012 – three months after suffering a torn rotator cuff in the second round of his WBC light heavyweight world championship fight with challenger Chad Dawson – then his injury is a fake job, according to respected coach Iceman John Scully, the trainer of Dawson. Scully sustained a similar injury in 1999 and wrote a letter to On The Beak editor Alan Dawson explaining the matter…
Hopkins during an open media workout ahead of Dawson test. Credit: Golden Boy Promotions
“I’ve been in rehab,” stated Hopkins to Ringtv.com this week. “It’s 80 percent. It will be 100 percent by January, when I start boxing. I had a slight tear in my rotator cuff. I also had an AC break that was diagnosed by X-ray in LA.”
The meeting of Hopkins (52-6-2, 32ko) and Dawson was one half of two highly-anticipated light heavyweight championship contests. The first was in England, when WBO incumbent Nathan Cleverly embarked in a domestic fight of the year candidate with Tony Bellew where both Britons showed off their brawn.
Later, two Americans took centre stage yet less than two rounds were completed as Hopkins – the eldest champion of a major boxing title at 46-years-old (47 in Jan) – suffered a freak injury when he awkwardly fell to the canvas after being shrugged off by Dawson (31-1-0, 18ko).
The referee called the contest to a close, awarding a technical knockout triumph to Dawson – a decision that is still being debated to this day, one that the WBC over-turned (and recognised a technical draw which ensured Hopkins retained the belt) and one that the California State Athletic Commission will discuss on December 13. If the CSAC come to the same conclusion as the WBC, then the amount of losses on Hopkins’ record will return to five.
The legitimacy of the injury has also been a matter of contention, something Scully questioned during a correspondence with On The Beak. Scully has an in-depth knowledge of torn rotator cuffs as it was an injury that he had to fight through in 1999, having suffered it in the first round of a scheduled eight against Sam Ahmad at the Blue Horizon in Hopkins’ home-state; Philadelphia.
“Hopkins said in an interview yesterday he’d be sparring by January!” began Scully’s note. “When I injured my shoulder in June, 1999 (supposedly not as bad as Hops did his), I wasn’t able to spar for well over six months! Four months after my injury (strained rotator cuff) I jumped in the water in Kissimmee, Florida and my shoulder felt like it was being torn out of the socket!!!
“He’s gonna spar three months after an injury like that?! Bull spit! If this man spars anyone in January then, for me, it is positive proof that his injury is a complete fake job!!!
“ASK ANY DOCTOR IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME!”
Related article: Dawson wins amid knockout controversy over Hopkins: ‘[Bernard] ain’t gangster!’
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Related article: Bernard Hopkins’ shoulder injury confirmed by Californian medical centre
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