Hopkins sued

Former adviser wants $6 million from middleweight champ

Bernard Hopkins won the middleweight title from Felix Trinidad on Sept. 29. Stephen Dunn/Allsport

NEW YORK (AP) -- The former adviser to middleweight boxing champion Bernard Hopkins has accused the boxer in a $6 million libel lawsuit of betraying his trust and confidence.

In the lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Lou DiBella accused Hopkins of ungraciously dumping him as his adviser and matchmaker after winning the title from Felix Trinidad on Sept. 29.

The lawsuit alleged that the firing brought about negative publicity, leading Hopkins to begin "lashing back, publishing scandalous and patently false statements" about DiBella and his company, DiBella Entertainment.

Hopkins alleged this week in published reports and on a boxing Web site that he paid DiBella to arrange fights for him while DiBella still worked for a cable television network.

"It's a complete, absolute and utter lie," said Judd Burstein, DiBella's lawyer.

In his lawsuit, DiBella said he had nurtured the career of Hopkins for two years, providing financial and other help until the boxer could get his shot at the title.

He said the lawsuit alleging libel and breach of contract arose from "a remarkable betrayal of trust and confidence."

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