Boxing Perspective: Can Bernard Hopkins Turn Back The Clock One More Time?

Philadelphia’s ageless warrior Bernard Hopkins gets one more chance to show the world of boxing that in his case age is just a number when he meets undefeated middleweight world champion Kelly Pavlik at a catchweight in a non-title bout in Atlantic City on October 18.

The 43 year old former longtime middleweight champion has proven time and time again that he can’t be written off after a career of bucking conventional wisdom, but will “The Executioner” be able to impose his will on the much younger Pavlik as he has done with so many other opponents?

Hopkins needs to be able to control the pace of the bout and was able to do so against the likes of Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright over the last two years, winning those fights in convincing fashion as a result.

But Hopkins could not do the same against Joe Calzaghe in April and as a result could not keep up with the younger former super middleweight kingpin as the bout wore on.

Pavlik, while not as naturally big as Calzaghe or Tarver, is much younger and a great offensive threat to the defensive mastery of Hopkins and that could prove the undoing of the modern day great Philadelphian.

If Hopkins cannot outmuscle and outmaneuver Pavlik, it’s likely that he’ll be made to finally look old as the younger middleweight champion produces a pace that the old master cannot hope to keep up with.