By John F. McKenna (McJack): 47 year old World Boxing Council (WBC) and Ring Magazine light heavyweight champion Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (52-5-2-2 NC, 32 KO’s) will attempt to roll back the clock one more time when he faces “Bad” Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) on April 28 in Atlantic City. The fight will be carried live by cable giant HBO.

Hopkins became the oldest man to win a world championship when at the age of 46 he defeated Jean Pascal last May. Last October Bernard was injured in his first match with Dawson when he was thrown to the canvas by Chad. Dawson was initially proclaimed to be the winner when Hopkins could not continue, but after a protest by Golden Boy Promotions, the result was reversed to a “No Contest”.

In the lead up to the 2nd encounter between Hopkins and Dawson, the usually talkative Bernard has been surprisingly quiet. Many boxing observers have interpreted Hopkins’ deviation from the norm as a sign that he is not as confident as he normally is ahead of the April 28 match up with Dawson.

Hopkins is well known for using his vast experience to defeat his opponents, including relying on psychological warfare. Some boxing pundits liken his tactics to a major league pitcher who loses his fastball, after which he has to resort to throwing “junk” to remain competitive. In any case “The Executioner” has been able to fight at a championship level long after his contemporaries have resorted to sitting in their rocking chairs. Along with that, Hopkins has always maintained himself in top physical condition even between fights. In addition, Bernard has never abused his body through the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes.

Even with all that Hopkins has going for him, some boxing fans believe that the time is ripe for a talented, much younger and most likely stronger fighter such as “Bad” Chad to topple Bernard from his throne and send him into retirement. They theorize that even with his bag of tricks, this is the one time that Hopkins cannot stave off the hands of father time. Dawson the reasoning goes is the one fighter who cannot be intimidated by Hopkins.

The fact that Hopkins has remained relatively quiet may be a psych job in and of itself. Bernard has seen it all and done it all and more than likely he has another surprise or two up his sleeve.