Bernard Hopkins seeking to become boxing’s oldest champion
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Former longtime world middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins isn’t an embraceable sort.
He’s a former prison inmate. He has a tendency to talk over whoever he’s in discussion with. And his fighting style is heavy on defense, drawing more yawns than fans.
When his promoter dared suggest that Hopkins -- 46 in January -- might have fought his last fight in April when he defeated another ancient warrior, Roy Jones Jr. -- 42 in January -- Hopkins went into a shell of surliness.
So it’s hard to get too warm and cuddly about the story line of his bout Saturday night in Canada against world light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal.
Hopkins is trying to become his sport’s oldest champion in history. He would break the age record of former heavyweight champ George Foreman.
Showtime will televise the bout live on Saturday at 7 p.m. on Showtime East and on tape delay at 10 p.m. Pacific.
At Wednesday’s news conference, the 28-year-old Pascal (26-1, 16 KOs) said his fourth title defense will leave the wise veteran with no answers.
‘Bernard Hopkins says the smartest guy will win,’ Pascal said. ‘He says he is the intelligent man, and I am the idiot. After the fight, everyone will know who the dummy really is.’
Hopkins wasn’t as gabby as he usually was, creating a tense scene by grabbing at Pascal’s belt and delivering his ‘Executioner’s’ stare.
He seems to be angling toward another I’ll-show-you effort as he performed a few years ago in upsetting Kelly Pavlik and wondering when people would believe in him.
‘Enjoy the fight,’ Hopkins said to reporters.
Nothing more. Should Pascal end Hopkins’ career Saturday, some of us will appreciate that we don’t have to hear much more from an act that has overstayed its welcome.
-- Lance Pugmire
