By Rick Reeno
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has advised BoxingScene.com that he is in the process of finalizing a light heavyweight unification between IBF champion Bernard Hopkins (54-6-2, 32KOs) and WBA champion Beibut Shumenov (14-1, 9KOs). Showtime will televise.
Hopkins, who turned 49-years-old on Wednesday, gave Schaefer his marching orders last year - to get him fights with the other champions of the division. Shumenov signed a promotional agreement with Golden Boy a few months ago, and one of his reasons for signing was an eventual unification with Hopkins. He made his Golden Boy debut last month on the Broner-Maidana undercard at the Alamodome in San Antonio, and stopped previously unbeaten Tamas Kovacs in two rounds.
Schaefer says the target date is March 29th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the site of where Hopkins made history by breaking his own record as the oldest man to capture a world championship with a win over Tavoris Cloud in March of 2013.
