By Vitali Shaposhnikov: When Bernard Hopkins left the ring after his rematch against Jean Pascal, his name and boxing legacy was through the roof. This was not only because of the fact that he is the oldest boxer to achieve this kind of a goal, but it was the way he did it. Hopkins outclassed and outsmarted the much younger Pascal, in his Pascal’s own backyard. It was exceedingly impressive to see Hopkins look so young and fresh; it was as if he just hit his peak. In a way, this fight reminded me of his domination of Kelly Pavlik back in October of 2008.
So what happens next? Is Chad Dawson on the horizon, or is there a better fight out there for the renewed and highly sought out Bernard Hopkins?
The idea of Hopkins facing Sergio Martinez is already circulating around the internet. While weight would be an immediate issue, I don’t see this fight as being impossible to make. It’s more than likely that Hopkins would not want to go down in weight, and that Martinez would hesitate gaining any, but there must be some middle ground both men would take on for the right payday.
I think that Martinez could comfortably come in and fight at 165lbs, which should be close enough for Hopkins to play with and consider. This would be a good fight for Martinez to win, and even better one for Hopkins to dominate. Who is this fight more dangerous for? Undoubtedly Martinez. Stylistically, if in the same shape as against Pascal II, Hopkins would give Martinez trouble in the fight. Constant moving and snappy jabs is something that Hopkins can deliver throughout the fight. While Martinez has a better than average jab, catching Hopkins will not be as easy as it was to pepper Serhiy Dzinziruk. Having said all that, I believe it would be Hopkins who would avoid this fight if ever proposed.
Of course considering that Martinez is younger, very athletic, and a proven champion, would place him as the favorite in that fight. Maybe I spoke too fast when I mentioned that I see Hopkins being the more dangerous opponent, but it’s Bernard’s awkward yet smart style that I can’t get over.
Can this fight become reality? You tell me!