Bernard Hopkins: record, next fight and profile →
Future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins (55-7-2) will enter the squared circle as a professional fighter tonight at The Forum in Los Angeles, Calif. against Joe Smith (22-1). The fight will headline an HBO triple-header.
Bernard Hopkins, who avg'd just 16.3 punches thrown per round (5.4 landed) in his loss to Kovalev 25 months ago, avg'd just 37.8 thrown and 12.9 landed in his 14 fights at light heavyweight. Light Heavy avg.: 16.1 of 52.5.
Joe Smith Jr. didn’t accuse Bernard Hopkins of doing anything shady. Hopkins’ opponent certainly sent a message, though, by retweeting something regarding Hopkins’ failure to enroll in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association’s testing program prior to their fight Saturday night. Smith, of Mastic, New York, did participate in VADA’s random testing program throughout his preparation for a 12-round fight against the 51-year-old Hopkins at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
At 51, Bernard Hopkins may have enough Executioner left in him to make it seem like old times again inside the ring. Just about a month before he turns 52, Hopkins will fight on both his word and contractual obligation for the final time in a 28-year career when he faces 27-year-old Joe Smith Jr. in a light heavyweight bout Saturday in Los Angeles.
Hopkins vs. Smith Weigh-In Gallery - Joe Smith’s message after he and Bernard Hopkins weighed in at 174 pounds apiece Friday was simple.
Joe Smith’s message after he and Bernard Hopkins weighed in at 174 pounds apiece Friday was simple. “I’m just gonna show that I am common,” said Smith (22-1, 18 KOs), who works as a laborer on Long Island when he’s not training for fights. “But I’m gonna put on a great show, and this common man’s gonna beat his ass.”
Joe Smith Jr.’s first-round stoppage of Andrzej Fonfara is the sole reason Smith became a viable opponent for 51-year-old Bernard Hopkins’ HBO farewell fight. That didn’t stop Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs, 2 NC) from questioning that victory and Smith’s readiness for the stage they’ll occupy Saturday night in Inglewood, California. The former undisputed light heavyweight and middleweight champion essentially deemed Smith (22-1, 18 KOs) a one-hit wonder, despite Smith’s power and youth advantages in their 12-round fight at The Forum (HBO; 10 p.m. ET/PT).
By Keith Idec - NEW YORK – Joe Smith Jr. has heard some amusing responses since news began spreading two months ago that he landed a fight against Bernard Hopkins. “Well, I have a lot people say, ‘Wow! He’s still fighting?,’ ” Smith said. “I’ve had people ask me if it was his son that I was fighting? All ki...
It typically takes prodding to get Kelly Pavlik’s former manager to say anything at all. For Cameron Dunkin to say something negative about a fighter, you know he was angry. Dunkin indeed took great offense to Joe Smith’s comments about Pavlik and his loss to Bernard Hopkins, which were part of a story posted on BoxingScene.com
LOS ANGELES - Former two-division world champion and Future Hall of Famer Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (55-7 2, 32 KOs) is busy preparing in the gym for the "Final 1" fight of his career before he faces Joe Smith, Jr. (22-1, 18 KOs) in a 12-round battle for the WBC International Light Heavyweight Championship on Saturday, December 17 televised live from Inglewood, Calif.'s "Fabulous" Forum on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.