Bernard Hopkins will return to the ring despite losing to Sergey Kovalev last weekend. The 49-year-old former champion on Tuesday ended speculation that he was ready to retire by saying he would fight "one more time".
Hopkins, who failed to win a round on any of the scorecards in the light heavyweight title unification bout against Kovalev, said in a telephone interview with Fox Sports:
“Who will I fight? I don't know. But it will be somebody I will be an underdog against because I want to be the underdog. If this is the last time I'm going into the ring, I will not cheat myself. It will not be a freak show. I will never short-change myself and my dignity."
Hopkins, who defended world middleweight titles a record 20 times from 1995 to 2005 and has never been knocked out, was knocked down in the first round when he faced the Russian, 18 years his junior, last weekend.
But “The Executioner” was back in the gym on Monday. "Physically, if you see me today, you'd think I didn't have a fight [on Saturday]," he said.
"But inside, trust me … my arms and the back of my head and the top of my head, oh yeah, I was in a fight. I've been in the hot tub for the last 48 hours."
Kovalev, who now lives in Los Angeles, retained his WBO title and took over Hopkins's IBF and WBA belts. He boosted his record to 26-0-1, including 23 knockouts.
"I had the most underrated chin in boxing but I think that changed on Saturday," said Hopkins. "I've never been in this business to prove I can take a punch. That's why I've been around so long.
"People said I was crazy to fight him. Whether it's in boxing, sport or even in life, you just have to man up. And you know what I've been hearing? People who started off rooting for the young guy ended up rooting for the old guy."
Hopkins, who turns 50 in January, has compiled a record of 55-7-2, including 32 knockouts, in his 26-year career.
He insisted he would not "cherry pick" his last opponent.
"It will be somebody that's a champion," he said. "It will be from a division beneath me but where they're comfortable and I'm comfortable. It will be someone that's dominating today.
"I'm going to do it the way I've done it my whole career. People respect you for fighting fights that others run away from. I want to fight the best, no matter how it pans out."
