Usher, or Urshur to his friends, is going full Ali and playing a boxer in an upcoming Roberto Duran biopic called Hands of Stone. He’ll be playing the role of nemesis Sugar Ray Leonard.

“You couldn’t find a more stylized boxer than Sugar Ray Leonard,” Usher said by telephone. “He was an incredible motion guy, the way he moved around the ring, and I think my dancing will make it easier for me to pick up his moves. I’ve been working on familiarizing myself with the ring, sparring and just understanding how to move in the ring.”

Oh sure. Dancing translates to boxing just as well as it does to wrestling. Ask Miguel how that thinking worked out for him.

Will Smith was able to bulk up for his role in Ali. Usher claims he’s been preparing for his role for over a year but still needs to lose 20-25 pounds. He might want to choose some tougher sparring partners.

Duran is the one supposed to say “No mas” not Sugar Ray Leonard.

Edgar Ramirez will play the lead role of Duran. Robert de Niro will play his trainer, Ray Arcel. There’s no word on who will play the other members of Duran’s salsa band Arena Blanca. That’s right. Roberto Duran has a salsa band.

You’re welcome.

Bernard Hopkins knows all about losing a fight after talking shit. That’s why he’s the perfect person to comment on David Haye’s pathetic performance vs. Vladimir Klitschko earlier this month.

Hopkins executed Haye fast enough to make the Taliban jealous.

When asked his opinion of Haye’s performance against Klitschko in Hamburg, the oldest world champion in ring history said: ‘If you want a typical Bernard Hopkins response – he bitched.’

That brutal ghetto dismissal of Haye’s manhood came with this challenge from the 46-year-old former middleweight and current light-heavyweight champion who has been toying with a rise to boxing’s marquee division: ‘I would fight David Haye tomorrow.

‘I was shocked by him against Klitschko, You can’t trash talk the way he did for two or three years and then not deliver. I don’t like to question any fighter’s heart. But to see him go in there and then keep flopping (onto the floor) I would spot him 20 lbs (in weight advantage).

‘The heavyweight division has been in a coma for almost ten years and Haye was given the stage, the opportunity, to fight his heart out. If you do that, even if you don’t win, you can come back. But as soon as he started flopping down on his knees I knew it was over.’

When reminded that Haye had followed the loss of his WBA world title by citing that now-infamous foot injury, Hopkins laughed and said: ‘Oh yeah, his pinky. Tell you what, I’ll spot him 50 lbs. You don’t even walk on your little toe.’

Hopkins was promoting the Amir Khan-Zab Judah fight last week along with Joe Calzaghe who beat him in a split decision in 2008. He’s hoping for a rematch but the Welshman wasn’t biting. Haye weakly claimed he should have a rematch against Klitschko but he’s better off retiring or fighting on smaller circuits for sandwiches like Boxcar Willie and the Honky Tonk Man. No one is interested in seeing him flop and moan for 12 rounds again.

Here’s a little Channel Live to start your morning.

Note: Statements by KRS-One regarding Lionel Richie are his and his alone. They do not represent the views and opinions of the Deuce. Lionel’s style is far from bitchy (except when his ex Brenda beat his ass on the front lawn).

Here’s a tip for the New Year. It doesn’t matter how long Mike Tyson has been out of the boxing game. When he wants something, you give it to him.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather must have known he was on camera. Either that or the shit talking doesn’t stop in private.

Mayweather’s sparring partner may be a bitch but backing out of the March fight against Pacquiao will make him the king of all bitches. “King me!!” Get it done already.

Video courtesy of TMZ.

Mike Tyson pulled a genius move for his last fight. He decided to get wrecked by a tomato can in the nation’s capital. It is your right to lose. At least Roy Jones Jr. traveled to the other end of the earth to get beat down by a nobody. It’s two days from now in Australia already.

“Damn, son! You got knocked the fuck out!”
“Man, you’re living in the past. I’m on some other shit right now.”

Jones traveled to Sydney to fight Australian Danny Green for some belt. It’s supposedly called the IBO world cruiserweight title belt. It’s probably made out of Aborigines and gold. I’m having a title fight for my belt in Vanuatu next month. The belt’s composition shouldn’t matter to Jones because he didn’t make it out of the first round. See for yourself. It’ll save you the trouble of watching Versus.

Jones should go back to rapping. He’s no worse than most rappers from the South. He can fight Soulja Boy over who should be called Superman. He should win that fight.

Let’s not be too hard on the former champ. He didn’t make any excuses for his performance. However he has to feel terrible that he lost to a guy who came out to Down Under by Men At Work. That should signal the end of a career especially one as great as Jones’.