By Bill "Two Scoops" Emes
IBF light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (54-6-2, 32KOs), 49-years-old, is not overlooking his next opponent, despite the significant edge in experience and skill. On April 19th at the DC Armory in Washington, DC - Hopkins will enter a Showtime televised unification clash with WBA champion Beibut Shumenov (14-1, 9KOs). Even with the big gap in age, Hopkins has been more active than the much younger Shumenov.
"I don't underestimate him or look at his record. I look at him as being someone who wants to be undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world. I have something he wants and he has something I want. Somebody is going to be a liar that night and I'm not going to be him. My goal is to be the undisputed light heavyweight champion in 2014, by any means. I think I'll be the second fighter in boxing to be undisputed champion in two weight divisions. If you know boxing, you know that we rarely get undisputed in any weight division," Hopkins told BoxingScene.com.
"I'm not sleeping on Shumenov. He's coming eager and he's coming ready. He says that he's fighting a legend and I'm going to show him that I'm one."
