By Mark Vester
Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was one of the many guests that attended a retirement party for Bernard Hopkins last Friday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. During the dinner of the gala event, Hopkins revealed to the New Jersey Herald that he advised Holyfield to retire instead of moving forward with his scheduled August 18th bout with journeyman Jeremy Bates in Texas.
"I told him he should be done with it. He's done everything he can do in this sport. What else is left for him to accomplish? And he doesn't need the money, so why keep fighting? I told him he should just enjoy his kids and give back to the sport in some other way," Hopkins said.
Holyfield did not offer a response to the strong words of the recently retired light heavyweight champion, but Hopkins is hoping that he takes his advise.
"He just kind of put his head down and started eating his salad. But he heard me. He understood where I was coming from."
