By Dan Ambrose: ESPN2 Friday Night Fights analyst Teddy Atlas doesn’t see things going well for 47-year-old Bernard Hopkins on Saturday night against the younger Chad Dawson in Atlantic City. Atlas feels that Dawson is too careful, too young, too smart and too big for Hopkins to find success against.

Atlas said “Hopefully, [Hopkins has] no injuries. When you’re 47-years-old like Hopkins is, a lot of people thought he was going tough and found a way to get out of the fight, and go at it again and maybe figure it out better this time. But I’m going to figure it [Hopkins’ left shoulder] was a legitimate injury, and at 47, guess what? You get legitimate injuries. The joints start to go. So, that, of course, is still up in the air as possible problems for Hopkins as he continues at this age. Hopkins at his best is a counter puncher; a careful guy, a smart guy; a thoughtful guy; a defensive mind. He needs you to cooperate a little bit, throw punches from too wide or too close; the opposite of what Dawson does. Dawson is naturally bigger, taller, and he’s long. He’s got a wingspan. He [Dawson] keeps you at the end of his punches. He fights careful. He doesn’t give opportunities for what Hopkins does – counter punching, making a fool out of you, throw shots when you least expect it. Dawson, if he fights a disciplined fight, which I think he will, because of that wingspan and all those physical advantages, I can’t see Hopkins doing well in this fight. And as the fight goes on, again at 47, well, more wear and tear.”

I completely agree with Teddy. Hopkins won’t have the same opportunities to land his counter punches in this fight because Dawson isn’t an aggressive fighter like the type that Hopkins is used to fighting. Dawson doesn’t throw wide shots and he doesn’t over-commit with his punches like say Kelly Pavlik and Jean Pascal, two fighters that Hopkins did well against.

The reach of Dawson is going to be a problem for Hopkins, as is the hand speed and the combinations that Dawson likes to throw. Dawson is also a counter puncher, and when Hopkins lands his shots, Dawson will be firing back each time but not with only with one punches. He’ll be throwing three punch combinations and Hopkins will have problems with that unless he can find some speed and the fountain of youth.