By Miguel Rivera
As previously reported by BoxingScene.com's Steve Kim, 51-year-old Bernard Hopkins is scheduled to have his retirement fight on December 17th at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
After 28 years, Hopkins will say goodbye to the sport by facing big puncher Joe Smith (21-1, 18KOs) in an HBO televised main event. Smith is coming off his stunning first round knockout of the heavily favored Andrzej Fonfara, which took place on June 18.
Hopkins, a former unified middleweight and light heavyweight world champion, was very eager to hold his final career fight before the date of his 52nd birthday (January 15th).
Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) has been out of the ring since losing a one-sided twelve round decision to Sergey Kovalev in a WBA/IBF/WBO light heavyweight unification in November of 2014.
The site of Hopkins' final fight is also the same venue where his close friend and Golden Boy partner, Oscar De La Hoya, had his pro debut.
De La Hoya sees the danger that Hopkins is up against at 51, by stepping in the ring with a young, hungry puncher on the rise. He picks experience over youth, with Hopkins boxing his way to a masterful win.
"Joe Smith is a big knockout puncher, and he is coming off a great win over Fonfara, who had knocked out [Julio Cesar] Chavez Jr.," De La Hoya said to ESPN Deportes. "He will bring the fight to Hopkins. He is aggressive. It's a legitimate fight."
"[Hopkins] is in better shape than a lot of 20-year-old kids fighting today. Joe Smith will be a tough test, but I think Bernard Hopkins will put on a masterful performance for everyone to witness. The fact that it's his last fight, he knows in his heart and his head that he has to go out on top, and Hopkins is the best at doing that.
"Bernard takes care of himself. Hopkins is the best example of a fighter who has taken care of himself. He eats, sleeps and breathes boxing. The way he takes care of himself, watches what he puts in his body, he is the perfect example of what every fighter should be. Every fighter should look up to him if they want to have a long, prosperous career."
