By Mark Vester

After Bernard Hopkins put on a masterful performance last October in his dominating decision win over Kelly Pavlik, many began to wonder if the veteran boxer would return for one last fight or walk away on a very high note. Hopkins had a few good options after the victory, but most of them have dried up in the last few weeks. A rematch with Roy Jones Jr. was shot in the chest when Joe Calzaghe pounded Jones for almost twelve rounds of their fight last November. Calzaghe announced his retirement last week, which kills the possibility of Bernard avenging his close decision loss from last April. There are still some choices like Chad Dawson, a Jermain Taylor trilogy, Mikkel Kessler or moving up to win a cruiserweight title.

Hopkins, during a recent interview with BoxinScene.com's Luis Sandoval, said that he is not actively pursing another fight and is very busy with several business ventures and his responsibilities as a Golden Boy Promotions partner. 

"If it's meaningful, and the right time and the right place, then yes. It's a possibility but as far as looking for a fight, as far as pushing for a fight desperately - no," Hopkins said to BoxingScene.com.

"I’m promoting and promoting. I've got some personal real estate thing going on, but Golden Boy Promotions has me very busy. We are getting together to do certain things with the young fighters. There are going to be a lot of local fights going on in Los Angeles, twice a month. I think it's great with my career 90% winding down and Oscar's career, hopefully, 90-95% winding down.”

Being away from the ring has not stopped Hopkins from staying in shape and living a very healthy life.

"I'm staying in the gym just to stay in shape. Right now I'm walking around at 182 to 183-pounds. I live right. I get my rest. My skin is clear and shiny. I turned 44 on January 15 and I think I'm in better shape than the average 25-year-old. At 44 I think it's a testimony to my past and a testimony to my good genetics," Hopkins said.

He doesn't agree with some of the critics who believe that Golden Boy Promotions will take a heavy hit when some of their star fighters like himself, De La Hoya and Shane Mosley - permanently retire from the ring.

"I think at the end of the day, Golden Boy is going to be around for a long time. Fighters want to be with Golden Boy for whatever good or bad reasons. They want to be with us and no one else. It's a great thing. The sky is the limit for Golden Boy Promotions," Hopkins said.

If Hopkins never fights again, he is very happy to end his career with the marvelous win over Pavlik, who was considered a heavy favorite at the time of the fight and is still viewed as one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport.

"I'm content, I'm happy and I am pleased that at the end of the day, if I don’t go in the ring ever again as a professional fighter - then I left a profound effect on my career from the Kelly Pavlik fight. On October 18, 2008, I left the last chapter, which is one of the greatest chapters that they say, that you say, in boxing history. What a way to go out. What a way to leave that last thing in peoples' minds and memories. You want to be remembered like an old good book. There is more remembered from the book at the end...than there is remembered at the beginning," Hopkins said.

The one thing Bernard loved to do more than anything - was to prove the critics wrong. Twice in his career, against Felix Trinidad in 2001, and Pavlik in 2008, he was considered a huge underdog but pulled off dominating wins.

"We've been taught how being over-confident in your journalism can, I guess, [can create a] prediction in a disrespectful way.  Predictions are good and they always have to be to your favor, but find reasons as to why a guy shouldn’t win. I think last year showed that big is not always better and being old is not always a curse," Hopkins said.

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