Hopkins to face IBF champ Cloud in March
WHEN HE DROPPED a 12-round, majority decision to challenger Chad Dawson on April 28, a loss that ended his reign as the WBC light-heavyweight champion, Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins considered ending his 24-year professional ring career. He turns 48 on Jan. 15.
WHEN HE DROPPED a 12-round, majority decision to challenger Chad Dawson on April 28, a loss that ended his reign as the WBC light-heavyweight champion, Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins considered ending his 24-year professional ring career. He turns 48 on Jan. 15.
"I won't be boxing forever," said Hopkins, the oldest man ever to win a widely recognized world boxing title. "That's not going to happen. Who knows? Maybe at this time next year, I'll go fishing."
For now, it would appear, the fish are safe. But a real whopper - IBF light-heavyweight champ Tavoris "Thunder" Cloud - might soon be on the hook.
Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KOs) will attempt to break his own record on March 9 when he takes on Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Cloud, of Tallahassee, Fla., will be defending his title for the fifth time.
He also will be bidding to make history - as the first fighter to knock out Hopkins or even to stop him inside the distance.
"He reminds me of [previous opponents] Jean Pascal and Antwun Echols," Hopkins said of Cloud, who turns 31 on Thursday.
- Bernard Fernandez