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Despite announcing his retirement from boxing last June, former middleweight king Bernard Hopkins confirmed last week that he will be returning to the ring on July 21 to face crafty veteran Winky Wright. Even though his defeat of then-IBO light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver last summer meant his legacy was solidified, Bernard Hopkins will lace up the gloves again in pursuit of another big win.
The match was seemingly one the 42-year old couldn’t resist. Many, though, wonder if Winky was the “Wright” opponent.
While no one will deny Hopkins’ ability to defy age and odds, many question the future Hall-of-Famer’s decision based on Wright’s style. After all, Wright is a more complete boxer than B-Hop’s last opponent Antonio Tarver, having pushed current middleweight champion (and Hopkins’ foe) Jermain Taylor to the brink of losing his title last year.
Moreover, at this moment, Wright is one of boxing’s best defensive fighters, breaking down opponents with the purest forms of the sweet science. So the question remains; why in the world would Hopkins come back to fight Wright?
Like it or not, the answer is simple. Bernard Hopkins still believes he is the best in the world and loves when critics think otherwise. He wants to battle the world’s best fighters. After bouts with Roy Jones Jr. and Oleg Maskaev fell through, Hopkins took the next best option. When all was said and done, though, the Germantown, Philadelphia native truthfully saw little threat in fighting Wright.
Even though he is financially secure and a partner in a thriving boxing promotions business, Hopkins looks at this comeback much like a stock broker looks at potential investments. If he believed there were a severe risk of losing to Wright, he would have proceeded with caution and may have stayed retired. [details]
The match was seemingly one the 42-year old couldn’t resist. Many, though, wonder if Winky was the “Wright” opponent.
While no one will deny Hopkins’ ability to defy age and odds, many question the future Hall-of-Famer’s decision based on Wright’s style. After all, Wright is a more complete boxer than B-Hop’s last opponent Antonio Tarver, having pushed current middleweight champion (and Hopkins’ foe) Jermain Taylor to the brink of losing his title last year.
Moreover, at this moment, Wright is one of boxing’s best defensive fighters, breaking down opponents with the purest forms of the sweet science. So the question remains; why in the world would Hopkins come back to fight Wright?
Like it or not, the answer is simple. Bernard Hopkins still believes he is the best in the world and loves when critics think otherwise. He wants to battle the world’s best fighters. After bouts with Roy Jones Jr. and Oleg Maskaev fell through, Hopkins took the next best option. When all was said and done, though, the Germantown, Philadelphia native truthfully saw little threat in fighting Wright.
Even though he is financially secure and a partner in a thriving boxing promotions business, Hopkins looks at this comeback much like a stock broker looks at potential investments. If he believed there were a severe risk of losing to Wright, he would have proceeded with caution and may have stayed retired. [details]
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