Hopkins (52-5-1 32 KO’s) was the undisputed middleweight champion for eleven years before losing his titles to the now-retired Jermain Taylor in 2005.
With just one loss in the six-years since Hopkins now steps in with former champion ‘Bad’ Chad Dawson at The Staples Center for ‘Believe it or not.’
“B-Hop” is aiming to extend his record as the oldest world champion of all time.
He has already surpassed the likes of Archie Moore and George Foreman with his victory over Jean Pascal on his home-soil in Quebec last May.
You could argue that Jean Pascal’s beating of an undefeated Dawson, 29, last year will make Hopkins the favorite.
Still, bookmakers can’t seem to separate the two fighters, and tomorrow night should be an intriguing encounter in Los Angeles.
Along with the Pascal triumph, Hopkins had shown he could mix it with the young bucks before he went up against a 34-0 Kelly Pavlik in 2008 and came out on top in a dominating twelve-round performance.
BERNARD HOPKINS
The 46-year-old now has another young pretender aiming to take his crown. And with a queue of fighters banging on the ‘Executioner’s’ door, it remains to be seen how long the ‘Peter Pan of Boxing’ can continue to fend them off.
I would not bet against another Hopkins win, though, this time without the mid-fight push-ups.
Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow on Twitter @PhilDJay.
