Living legend and guaranteed future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins has not boxed since his heavy points loss to light-heavyweight champ and KO artist Sergey Kovalev. That fight took place in November of 2014 and the amazing 49-year-old (Hopkins hit 50 the following January) used every ounce of his experience, his savvy and his sheer toughness to see it through to the final bell against a man who usually halts his opposition.
But Hopkins, as proud a fighter as you could care to mention, is not satisfied with having lost in his last fight; so he plans to make sure the Kovalev fight isn’t his last fight. According to RingTV.com, B-Hop is “not retired,” instead training and working out in the gym daily, and he wants to fight again this year some time, possibly in a farewell fight.
“He actually met with us a couple of months back,” Golden Boy’s Eric Gomez told The Bible of Boxing. “He told me and Oscar, ‘Look, I’m in training. I’m in the gym every day. If the right situation comes up, let me know. I’m interested.’ And we’ve had a couple of calls after that. We’ve been going over some ideas. He does want to fight again. He hasn’t retired. It would have to be something meaningful to get him back in the ring. It’s not like he needs a tune-up fight or anything.”
Gomez says Hopkins would love to fight in his hometown of Philadelphia, ideally before the end of this year, but perhaps some time next year. Getting the right fight, a meaningful fight he can win, is the biggest issue to be resolved. Hopkins, 55-7-2(32) and 52-years-old (or young) in January, would probably box at light-heavyweight, but the clean living athlete who never, ever lets himself get out of shape, could probably make super-middleweight if the right fight was open to him in that weight class,
Hopkins has seen it all and done it all in boxing; everything that is, apart from ensure he exits the sport on a win. After all he’s achieved – becoming one of the finest middleweight champions in history, winning titles at light-heavyweight and defeating so many great fighters – Hopkins has earned the right to leave the sport the way he sees fit – as a winner.
