Could Top Rank's loss become Golden Boy's latest gain?

As a result of Pavlik's withdrawal from his October 3 middleweight title defense with Williams, are we going to see Hopkins vs. Williams at 170lbs?

In the latest of a series of battles between rivaling promotional companies Top Rank Inc and Golden Boy Promotions, Golden Boy is attempting to take advantage of middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik's withdrawal from his October 3 title defense against Paul Williams.

Listening to Williams' promoter Dan Goossen's objective to reschedule a fight for Williams in October with or without Pavlik in the opposing corner, Golden Boy C.E.O. Richard Schaefer was asked if welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley would be willing to face Williams for the welterweight championship of the world.

Taking into account that Williams last fight against Winky Wright in April took place at the middleweight limit of 160lbs, and he has not fought at the welterweight limit since his one round destruction of Carlos Quintana in June of 2008, Schaefer believes that Williams would be making a serious compromise to shed the excess poundage, which could seriously impede his competitive chances in a fight against Mosley at 147lbs. According to an article on Boxingscene.com, Schaefer fancies the idea of putting Williams against former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins.

Afterall, Hopkins has not seen action in the ring since October of 2008 when he handed Pavlik his first professional loss by means of a lopsided unanimous decision. In just a matter of months Hopkins will be 45 years old; clearly the Executioner from Philadelphia is not getting any younger. Why not pit one of sport's living, long-lasting legends against the sport's most feared and avoided competitor in what would be an intriguing cross roads fight?

In order to make such a fight happen, Schaefer must first confirm with Hopkins whether or not he can still make 170lbs, whereas Williams and Goossen will decide whether or not Williams can effectively go up as high as 170lbs for a fight of such magnitude. This reporter certainly would not mind seeing Hopkins vs. Williams. Mosley, who has been unable to secure a fight since his welterweight title winning effort over Antonio Margarito this past January, remains out in the cold without any opponents lined up for his next fight.

photo courtesy: HBO