
Video: James Prince Talks Jennings, Cloud and Ward
Ryan Burton catches up with manager James Prince to discuss Tavoris Cloud, Andre Ward, Bryant Jennings and more.
Tavoris Cloud: record, next fight and profile →

Ryan Burton catches up with manager James Prince to discuss Tavoris Cloud, Andre Ward, Bryant Jennings and more.

It has been said that one reason the often aesthetically displeasing Bernard Hopkins continues to be featured in prime spots on boxing broadcasts is because he pulls in good ratings. Hopkins’ second fight with Jean Pascal, which took place in May 2011, had 1.8 million viewers on HBO, according to various reports citing Nielsen ratings for people who watched live or on DVR before 3 a.m. Hopkins’ second fight with Chad Dawson, which took place in April 2012, had 1.6 million viewers on HBO.

B-Hop, 48, turned back the clock once again to become the oldest fighter to win a world title. Hopkins controlled the pace of the fight, limiting Cloud to 54 punches thrown per round and 12 landed. Cloud avg'd 22 of 72 in his previous five fights. Hopkins outlanded Cloud in 8 of 12 rounds and landed nearly half his power shots in the fight

By Thomas Gerbasi - BROOKLYN – Bernard Hopkins did it again. At the age of 48, he fooled a younger, stronger, and faster opponent – in this case Tavoris Cloud - into fighting his fight, doing his bidding, and losing his belt, winning a 12 round decision over Cloud Saturday night at Barclays Center to take the IBF light heavyweight title and break his own record as the oldest man to win a major world boxing championship. “The 40 and up club still rules,” said Philadelphia’s Hopkins. Scores were 116-112 twice, and 117-111. After little offense and plenty of wrestling in the opening minute, referee Earl Brown immediately made his presence known, stopping the clock and warning both fighters. That didn’t deter the two from grappling when they got within grabbing distance though, with nothing in the way of effective punching coming from either combatant. Not surprisingly, the boo birds arrived early after a slow start to round two, but as the round progressed, Cloud began to get off some hard shots which forced Hopkins to respond, but the biggest cheers were reserved for something that broke out in the crowd at the end of the round.

Tavoris Cloud doubled Bernard Hopkins in punches thrown and landed. Questin is: can Hopkins gum up Cloud's offense enough to make the fight competitive? In Hopkins' last four fights (Dawson 1 & 2 and Pascal 1 & 2) opponents averaged just 32 punches thrown/landed per round. Cloud's last five opponents: Campillo, Mack, Zuniga, Woods, Johnson.

Both men lost the last time they stepped into a boxing ring. Only one of their records reflects a setback. Neither can afford another. Bernard Hopkins, at 48, loses nothing in the long run with any in-ring losses at this point. He’s a living legend who can only add to his place in history. That said, another defeat could make it difficult, in a sport where top stars fight so seldom, to continue to get cracks at the young lions out there. Cloud, an exciting battler whose career has been plagued by inactivity, won on the cards but lost in the eyes of the fans versus Gabriel Campillo. This is his first fight since. If he follows a perceived loss with an actual loss, particularly to an elder statesman, it would be easy to let his inactivity continue.

Historically the light-heavyweight division – sandwiched between the glamour middleweight and heavyweight classes – has struggled for recognition. However, that could be set to change in 2013. Though the 175lb category presently lacks a dominant champion, there are at least half a dozen worthy contenders who, if matched against each other, would provide fantastic, competitive fights for the fans. The fun begins this evening at the futuristic Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York when, at the ripe old age of 48 years and 53 days, the evergreen Bernard Hopkins attempts to smash his own record as boxing's oldest world champion by dethroning IBF king Tavoris Cloud. Future Hall of Famer 'BHop' is no longer the sport's best active fighter but certainly remains its most remarkable. Despite engaging in more than his quota of street rucks around the infamous Raymond Rosen projects in North Philly where he was raised, Hopkins never boxed as an amateur. In fact, he didn't embrace The Noble Art until his mid 20s, whilst serving a five stretch for a botched armed robbery at the Graterford Penitentiary in Pennsylvania.

On Saturday evening, the remarkable Bernard Hopkins attempts to extend his own record as the oldest fighter ever to win a world title when, at the grand old vintage of 48 years and 53 days, he challenges unbeaten IBF light-heavyweight boss Tavoris Cloud at the fabulous new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

NEW YORK — Tavoris Cloud’s trainer expects personal history to repeat itself Saturday night at Barclays Center. In February 1991, Abel Sanchez brought another younger, lesser-known fighter to New York to face a legend. Terry Norris, then the WBC junior middleweight champion, dominated “Sugar” Ray Leonard at Madison Square Garden that night and won a 12-round unanimous decision by wide margins on all three scorecards (120-104, 119-103, 116-110). Though he fought one more time, the legendary Leonard’s loss to Norris essentially ended his celebrated career. Leonard, who was stopped by Hector Camacho in his final fight six years later, was dropped twice by Norris, who was 23 at the time.

By Mitch Abramson - Bernard Hopkins likes to talk trash. We know this. He also likes to get inside his opponent’s psyche and smack it like a plastic doll. This, we also know. Why else would someone snatch a Puerto Rican flag out of the hands of Felix Trinidad and throw it to the ground- in Puerto Rico no less- risking his life? So when Hopkins took the stage for a press conference in January and expressed his wish to put promoter Don King out of business, it seemed at first like just another Hopkins’ rant against an opponent, which in this case was Tavoris Cloud. But this seemed a little more personal and harsh. Hopkins even named rank-and-file employees of King’s company by name, saying he would write them recommendations if they ever needed them once he closed down their operation by beating Cloud. Even Hopkins’ promoter, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions shook his head and admitted that Hopkins’ comments were unnecessarily cruel. “Yeah it’s a harsh thing to say,” Schaefer said at Wednesday’s press conference before Saturday’s showdown at the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn. “I’m sure certain people want to put me out of business. But that’s boxing. Everyone’s trying to put everyone out of business.”