By Dan Ambrose: WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) is interested in fighting a rematch against Antonio Tarver (29-6, 20 KO’s) after watching the 42-year-old Tarver easily dismantle the International Boxing Organization (IBO) cruiserweight champion Danny Green on July 20th earlier this month.

Hopkins already beat Tarver five years ago by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision in 2006, but would still like the opportunity to prove that he can still beat him after all these years. However, Hopkins has a full plate in front of him already with a tough match-up on October 15th against two-time former light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) and there’s not telling who will win that fight. Hopkins has looked good in beating guys like Jean Pascal, Roy Jones Jr, Enrique Ornelas and Kelly Pavlik in the past three years, but it might prove more difficult to beat a skilled fighter like Dawson.

If Hopkins can get by Dawson, he wants to fight the IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute. Hopkins is also interested in taking on the WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck, who is considered to be the best fighter in the cruiserweight division by a lot of boxing fans. Tarver, it would seem, is just one more guy that Hopkins would like to take on, but he may not have time to squeeze him in with all the other fights that Hopkins has in front of him. It all could go sour for Hopkins if he can’t beat Dawson. At that point, the interest in seeing Hopkins fight Bute, Huck and Tarver will nosedive and Hopkins will have to rebuild, especially if Dawson out-boxes him and makes him look old.

Green already said that he wants a rematch with Tarver, and that’s probably the best bet for Tarver if he wants to get another nice paying fight. Tarver proved that he can dominate the slugger and a rematch would likely be no different.