Bernard Hopkins: record, next fight and profile →
Former unified middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins believes Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez would go right through the light heavyweight division.
By Lyle Fitzsimmons - Sports arguments. They're the topic of a million bar bets and the fodder for just as many afternoon drive-time radio shows. LeBron or Jordan. Brady or Manning. Gretzky or Orr. And so on. Turns out boxing is no different. The internet is chock full of lists espousing their authors as a definitive source for both modern and historic pound-for-pound collections.
Bernard Hopkins fought as a professional boxer for 28 years and until he was a month shy of his 52nd birthday. The Hall of Fame fighter and former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Hopkins (55-8-2, 32 KOs) has pretty much seen and heard it all throughout his time in the sport, which nowadays also involves being a partner with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
Former two division world champion Bernard Hopkins is the benchmark for every boxer who wants to turn back the clock at the late stage. Hopkins set a record, at age 46, by becoming the oldest fighter in boxing history to capture a world title. He broke his own record two years later, at age 48, by winning another light heavyweight title.
This Saturday night, Joe Smith (26-3 21KO’S) will challenge for the vacant WBO world light heavyweight title in the main event on ESPN against Russian veteran, Maxim Vlasov (45-3 26KO’s). The fight was rescheduled from February 13, to April 10, due to Vlasov testing positive for COVID-19.
Former two-division champion Bernard Hopkins believes lightweight star Ryan Garcia has all of the necessary tools to defeat Gervonta "Tank" Davis. Hopkins is a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, who promote Garcia. Garcia is currently the WBC's interim-champion and could be heading in the direction of a fight with Javier Fortuna.
Bernard Hopkins was waiting for the next name to be mentioned after the team for Bektemir Melikuziev came to him with the first one on the list. The ambitious handlers behind the unbeaten Melikuziev insisted on former three-time light heavyweight titlist Sergey Kovalev as the opponent of choice for his 7th pro fight. It’s right in line with the plan in place for the 2016 Olympic Silver medalist from Uzbekistan from the moment he turned pro less than two years ago.
Although his colleagues at Golden Boy Promotions have preferred to put on their poker faces in regards to the stunning departure of Canelo Alvarez from their promotional stable, Bernard Hopkins does not seem to mind letting his guard down.
Featured in the latter is one of the sport’s rising stars in Ryan Garcia, who next embraces arguably his toughest test to date. The 22-year old unbeaten lightweight contender will face England’s Luke Campbell (20-3, 16KOs) atop a Jan. 2 show, presented live on DAZN in front of a socially-distanced crowd at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
The brass at Golden Boy Promotions is in full agreement that the upcoming fight with Luke Campbell was a necessary next step in the rising career of Ryan Garcia. While all remain confident in banking on the rising 22-year old to prevail, Garcia’s vow to walk through the veteran lightweight contender far exceeds the expectations surrounding this weekend’s DAZN headliner.