By Chris Williams: According to Fight News, a fight between 44-year-old Bernard Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KO’s) and International Boxing Organization cruiserweight champion Danny Green (28-3, 25 KO’s) is in negotiations for a bout that will take place in 2010. There isn’t any word as to where the location of fight will take place, but you can bet that it likely won’t be taking place in Australia. Hopkins made comments after the Roy Jones Jr. fight against Green, which ended with Green stopping Jones in the 1st round on December 2nd.

Hopkins didn’t agree with the quick stoppage of the fight, and said in effect that’s why he would never fight in Europe, confusing Australia for Europe. However, it doesn’t matter where this fight takes place. It will be an exciting one regardless of the location of the fight. Green, 36, isn’t all that well known to U.S. fans, because the vast majority of Green’s bouts have taken place in Australia. Only recently did Green fight in the United States, defeating Julio Cesar Dominguez by a 5th round stoppage in August.

Hopkins had been planning on fighting Jones next in a fight that would have likely given both fighters a good payday. However, Green destroyed those plans with his 1st round blitz of the 41-year-old Jones. Hopkins briefly sounded as if he still wanted to go ahead and fight Jones, but it appears that he’s changed his mind about the futility of that fight given Jones’ quick stoppage loss.

In his last fight, Hopkins defeated middleweight contender Enrique Ornelas by a 12 round decision on December 2nd. It was a dull fight with Hopkins, throwing few punches every round, clinching often but still winning most of the rounds. Hopkins seemed to tire in the later rounds of the fight, giving away a couple of rounds. That’s understandable because Hopkins hasn’t fought in over a year since beating Kelly Pavlik by a 12 round decision in October 2008. However, Hopkins didn’t just look rusty. He looked like he’d aged a little since the Pavlik bout, and didn’t look nearly as impressive against Ornelas compared to how he looked against Pavlik.

Perhaps Hopkins could have thrown more punches if he wanted to, but then again maybe couldn’t. At his age, there’s a good chance that Hopkins is finally starting to show signs of slowing down as a fighter. That’s not good news for Hopkins fans if that is indeed the case. Green is a young 36, and is the stronger fighter. Green jabs harder than Hopkins, has a better work rate and has bigger power in both hands.

What Green doesn’t have is Hopkins’ hand speed and movement, that won’t matter if Hopkins doesn’t throw enough punches. If he tries to punch and clinch his way to victory against Green, like he did in Bernard’s fights against Joe Calzaghe and Ornelas, then Hopkins may find himself having problems with Green’s better strength. Green doesn’t let himself get tied up like other fighters.

Instead, Green muscles his opponents off on the inside, refusing to be tied up. In that respect, Green reminds me a lot of Miguel Cotto, who doesn’t allow fighters to clinch with him. If the clinching is taken away from Hopkins, then he’ll have no choice but to trade with Green. I can’t see Hopkins winning a slugging war with the bigger, stronger Green. It just won’t happen. Hopkins won’t outwork Green, because Bernard has become to economical with his punches in the past three to four years. I see this fight ending badly for Hopkins with him getting badly outworked and made to look like an old man.