Sure to make the ring tremble: Hoppa to fight 183kg Butterbean
Sun Herald
Sunday July 26, 2009
JOHN HOPOATE, who defended his national heavyweight title against arch rival Bob Mirovic on Thursday, is expected to fight super-sized American cult hero Eric "Butterbean" Esch.Hopoate was approached to fight Esch who weighs 183 kilograms at Brisbane in November. Esch is the former International Boxing Association super-heavyweight champion but is perhaps best known for hammering Johnny Knoxville in Jackass: The Movie.Hopoate is also preparing to fight South African Francois Botha for the World Boxing Federation's heavyweight title. Botha, who boxed Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko, considers the former league star a worthy opponent.New trainer Dino Billinghurst said Hopoate, 34, had plenty to consider, but added his immediate priority was to fine-tune his technique."We worked together for only two weeks before his fight with Mirovic," said Billinghurst. "But I saw tremendous improvement in John. He's punching 20 per cent harder than when we last worked together. He has a lot of exciting opportunities ahead."Meanwhile, Hall of Fame-bound Roy Jones jnr warned Aussie warrior Danny Green not to get too attached to the IBO cruiserweight title should he win it next month. Green goes up against Argentina's Julio Cesar Dominguez in the co-feature to Jones-Jeff Lacy in Biloxi, Mississippi.Green will join Jeff Fenech in local history books as a world champion in three different weight categories if he defeats Dominguez. Victory would also set the scene for Green and Jones to fight in Australia."I have never won a title in that division [cruiserweight]," Jones said. "It sounds very intriguing for me to go to Australia and lift the title out of his hands when he gets it."
© 2009 Sun Herald