By James Blears
It’s high time that Bernard Hopkins, 46, picked on someone his own age! World Boxing Council Secretary General Mauricio Sulaiman summed up the staggering achievement of Bernard becoming the oldest champ in boxing history: “This was a magical moment where Bernard defeated age. He defeated a young and hungry champion Jean Pascal and he did it in front of almost twenty thousand fans who were overwhelmingly in favor of Pascal.
“Bernard was so smart, so brilliant and so dedicated and so well prepared. It was an anthem to all those who honor physical education, age and the good things in life. It was a great homage, and a great victory for mankind.
“And this time Bernard did it differently. That’s why the fight was so exciting because he was determined and said 'I’m not going to run away, give me the best that you have, because I’m going to give you the best that I’ve got….and he won!'”
Following his Tokyo Olympic marathon triumph, way back in 1964, Abebe Bikila astonished the crowd by doing a series of stretching exercises. And Bernard’s push ups in the minute interval between round six and seven were also extraordinary, in the mind games league. Mauricio Sulaiman described them with just one word: “Unbelievable!”
Few possess the awesome one punch power of that stripling George Foreman, who dispatched Michael Moorer with an anvil right in 1994. Or the incredible condition and reflexes of an evergreen Bernard Hopkins, who wants to call it a day…only when he chalks up his half century.
Mauricio Sulaiman agrees that George and Bernard are incredible exceptions to the general rule, but he also suggests: “It is very encouraging for young people.”
So… gracious in defeat Jean Pascal has but eighteen years and a smidgeon in which to win back the WBC light heavyweight title, and pip Bernard at the post…and pillar?