IBF Light Heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins will make his mandatory defense against Karo Murat on July 13 in Brooklyn at The Barclays Center on Showtime according to Dan Rafael of espn.com
“The fight was made and we were looking for a date and we were holding July 13 at the Barclays Center for quite awhile for a fight,” said Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer. “I talked to Murat’s promoter, Chris Myer from Sauerland Event, and they are OK with the date and I talked to Bernard and he was OK with it also, so since everyone was fine with it why not get it done? So I am finalizing everything for that date in that building.”
“The people at the Barclays Center are excited to have Bernard Hopkins back and Bernard is excited to go back to the Barclays Center,” Schaefer said. “He told me he is already training for the fight.”
Schaefer said that featherweight Gary Russell Jr., the 2011 ESPN.com prospect of the year who has been beset by injuries, will likely be on the televised undercard.
“We feel that Gary Russell is ready to take on anyone,” Schaefer said. “We want to see who is available and who will take the fight. It’s not easy to make a fight for Gary Russell because not too many people want to fight him.”
