By Mark Vester
If Joe Calzaghe decides to retire and walk away from the sport, Bernard Hopkins should step up and fight a legit light heavyweight like undefeated IBF champion Chad Dawson.
Since moving up to the light heavyweight division in 2006, Hopkins has only faced one legit light heavyweight, Antonio Tarver. Since the jump in weight, Winky Wright jumped by nearly two weight divisions to meet Hopkins at 170-pounds, Kelly Pavlik did the same, and Calzaghe made a move from super middleweight to 175. Both Wright and Pavlik are returning to middleweight.
Dawson has beaten Tarver, Glen Johnson, Eric Harding and dominated current cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek. He is without question the man to beat at 175. The near 44-year-old Hopkins has few options in the future. Calzaghe is not interested in a rematch. Hopkins saw a Roy Jones Jr. rematch go up in smoke last month after Calzaghe handed Roy the worst beating of his career in their Madison Square Garden bout.
Hopkins will get tested. There are no more easier fights with opponents moving up from middleweight or super middleweight. Dawson recently signed a two fight deal with HBO and makes his debut with the network on March 14 in a rematch with Tarver. Make no mistake, the network is hoping the second fight of that deal will come against Hopkins or Calzaghe.
HBO has high hopes for Dawson and so does the boxing community. The "retired" Floyd Mayweather Jr. called Dawson the best pound for pound fighter in the sport. Hopkins is also considered by many as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the sport. If Hopkins plans to fight again, and he probably will, facing anything less is a slap in the face.
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com
