By Allan Fox: Wearing a black hood, ski mask and a pair of dark sunglasses, 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) opted not to speak in his final press conference on Wednesday with IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) to promote their fight on Saturday night on HBO at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Tavoris Cloud
Can Hopkins beat Cloud on Saturday?
By Thomas Cowan: Not too many boxing fans are backing Bernard Hopkins to beat IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud on Saturday. There are many reasons that most people fancy Cloud to win, there’s 48 reasons to be precise, but I’m not sure people should write The Executioner off so quickly.
Hopkins has been dismissed as “too old” for years but he’s still going. A lot of people thought he would be completely outclassed by Joe Calzaghe but Hopkins gave Calzaghe the toughest fight of his career and was very unlucky to lose to a split-decision. I scored the fight as a draw. He was also written off as a no-hoper when he agreed to fight Jean Pascal. He got a draw in the first fight and then defeated the Canadian to break George Foreman’s record as the oldest ever world champion.
Hopkins vs. Cloud this Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
By Allan Fox: 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) has a critical battle this Saturday night against IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Hopkins has had a two-year dry spell in between victories, and he can’t afford to lose to Cloud if he wants to remain relevant at 175. Hopkins, #2 WBA, #6 IBF, #9 WBO, is still ranked high despite not having won a fight since 2011, but those inflated rankings won’t continue for very long with Hopkins not winning and fighting only once a year.
Hopkins fought only once in 2012 in losing to Chad Dawson by a 12 round majority decision in April. If Hopkins takes another year-long break after the Cloud fight, he’ll be 49-years-old and it’s just hard to imagine him doing anything at that ripe old age.
Hopkins vs. Cloud: Bernard to find out how much he has left on March 9th
By Eric Thomas: 48-years-old is awfully old for someone to still be fighting in the sport of boxing, especially someone still fighting on a high level. Former two division world champion Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) will find out if he’s got enough youth left to beat IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) on March 9th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
As good as Hopkins has been during his 25-year professional career, he’s not won a fight in two years, and he’s not looked good.
In his last win over Jean Pascal in May, 2011, Hopkins was very impressive, getting the better of the younger Pascal with combinations, and using movement and inside fighting to dominate the fight in winning a 12 round decision.
Can the “Executioner” still do it at 48?
By Mohammed Aba: On March 9th one of the greatest middleweights to have ever laced up the gloves will be facing a young, determined, undefeated champion. Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins the rugged Philly boxer has already cemented his legacy in the books as the oldest boxer to win a legitimate title, and also the only boxer to hold four world titles simultaneously.
Hopkins of course is no stranger of being an underdog either, as he was against Tarver, Calzaghe, Pavlik, and Pascal. In those four fights losing one controversially he silenced his critics by putting on a clinic showmanship on Tarver, Pavlik, and Pascal. Now again he is the underdog against the 17 years younger Tavoris Cloud.
Hopkins: My experience will beat Cloud
By Allan Fox: 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) is going into his March 9th fight against IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) having not won any fights in two years when they meet up for this HBO televised fight from the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Hopkins feels that he’s going to win this fight based on his experience.
Hopkins said to thaboxingvoice.com I have the exposure and I have the experience. I have three bullets and he has one. What’s going to win this fight is Bernard’s experience and his inexperience.”
Will Bernard Hopkins retire if he loses to Cloud?
By Omar Torres: Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2) was a world class fighter for most of his career, beating fighters like Roy Jones, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Winky Wright, Kelly Pavlik, and Jean Pascal and also winning Ring Magazine belts in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. But there is one opponent that Bernard Hopkins or any fighter or athlete in the world can’t beat and that is father time.
Yes, Hopkins has impressively seem to have found the fountain of youth and still is performing at a high level for his age, as he has broken George Forman’s record in being the oldest boxer to win a championship title in 2011 as he beat Jean Pascal for the WBC light heavyweight title at 46 years old, But for how long will this last?
Bernard Hopkins turns 48 today, faces Cloud on March 9th in Brooklyn
By Dan Ambrose: Former two division world champion Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) turned a ripe 48-years-old today, January 15th, and he’s scheduled to fight for the IBF light heavyweight world title against champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) on March 9th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Hopkins will have been out of the ring for over a year when he steps inside the ring to face the unbeaten 31-year-old Cloud on 3/9, and there are now a lot of questions about whether Hopkins still has it. Hopkins is hoping to become the oldest fighter to ever win a world title. No ones ever done it at 48, so it would be a big deal if Hopkins can wrestle the IBF title away from the much younger Cloud.
It’s been two years since Hopkins last won a fight in defeating WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal in May 2011, and that’s a long time for a fighter Hopkins’ age to be going between victories.
Hopkins vs Cloud – What Have They Got?
By Michael Byrne: Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) and Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) will be meeting on March 9th at the Barclays centre in Brooklyn, NY. The immediate questions going into the fight are: what has Hopkins got left at the age of 48, and what does Cloud actually have?
Hopkins is Hall-of-Fame worthy, no doubt, but does he still have what it takes at this stage in his career to deal with Cloud’s volume of punches? Certainly he can’t keep up with him, but look for him to smother Cloud and bring the fight down to his own pace. Hopkins lost a closely-fought war with Joe Calzaghe back in 2008, and could quite easily have found himself on the winning side of that split-decision.
Hopkins vs. Cloud approved by IBF for March 9th
By Allan Fox: The IBF has reportedly approved the March 9th fight between IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) and 47-year-old Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s), according to RingTV. The Hopkins-Cloud winner will have to defend the title next against IBF mandatory challenger Karo Murat, which might take some of the excitement out of picking up the title if you’re Hopkins.
Should he beat Cloud, Hopkins will no doubt be more interested in facing someone with a name or at least a large following like WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly.