By Allan Fox: Bernard Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) is going to have a big test on his hands against IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) on March 9th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This is a different kind of test for the 47-year-old Hopkins compared to the guys he’s been facing lately. Hopkins has been fighting guys like Chad Dawson, Jean Pascal and Roy Jones Jr. for the past three years, and none of those guys throw a lot of punches.
The only thing that Hopkins had to worry about in those fights was an occasional flurry from them, and this made it easy for him to conserve energy for his aging body. However, Cloud is a much busier fighter, who likes to throw nonstop punches to wear down his opponents, and it’s going to be tough for Hopkins to be able to stay in there with that kind of guy.