Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Smith

Bernard Hopkins has more than earned the right to go out on his own terms, and he's going to do exactly that. A legend of the sport of boxing and one of the craftiest to ever step between the ropes, the 51-year-old Hopkins has decided he has one more fight in him, for better or for ill.

He will take on Joe Smith Jr. on Saturday at the Forum in Inglewood, California, for what he says will be the last bout of his storied career.

This is no canned exhibition match, nothing like those farewell testimonial games afforded retiring legends in soccer. This is the real deal, a scheduled 12-round bout for Smith's WBC International light heavyweight title. Yes, that's right, after all is said and done, Hopkins could go out with a glimmering strap slung across his shoulder.

Or, he could go out battered and broken, losing to a powerful man just over half his age and doing unnecessary harm to his aging mind and body. There are eminently justifiable concerns about this bout even taking place, but none of those worries about waning energy levels and fading reflexes will stop the show on Saturday.

Hopkins is a marvel of the sports world no matter the outcome of Saturday's fight. Here's how you can catch what is expected to be the final bow of one of the sport's greats.

I personally don't think Hopkins should have taken this fight, the risk is far too high for the possible rewards

I think Hopkins will win. He's made a career out of slipping and farting around the ring and making young guys look bad. Kovalev was too much for him but I think he'll beat Smith.

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Originally Posted by vidgil

I think Hopkins will win. He's made a career out of slipping and farting around the ring and making young guys look bad. Kovalev was too much for him but I think he'll beat Smith.

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I too think Hopkins can pull it off, but this is a very dangerous opponent. I'm a bit weary of this fight to be honest.!

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Originally Posted by Hulk

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Originally Posted by vidgil

I think Hopkins will win. He's made a career out of slipping and farting around the ring and making young guys look bad. Kovalev was too much for him but I think he'll beat Smith.

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I too think Hopkins can pull it off, but this is a very dangerous opponent. I'm a bit weary of this fight to be honest.!

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I'd love to see Hopkins finally get sparked out to be honest!

It would make up for the many times he put me to sleep ;D

Remember B Hop in his prime against Tito and appreciate that he is taking on these young killers and beating most of them at an age when he should be in slippers.

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Originally Posted by vidgil

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Originally Posted by Hulk

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Originally Posted by vidgil

I think Hopkins will win. He's made a career out of slipping and farting around the ring and making young guys look bad. Kovalev was too much for him but I think he'll beat Smith.

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I too think Hopkins can pull it off, but this is a very dangerous opponent. I'm a bit weary of this fight to be honest.!

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I'd love to see Hopkins finally get sparked out to be honest! It would make up for the many times he put me to sleep ;D

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Fuck you for saying such a thing.You cunt.

Obviously with a 2 year layoff already being a dinosaur it's possible Hopkins will have slipped too much physically, but he still looks good, and I have a feeling Joe Smith is about as special as his name is. Much as the age gap is ridiculous, that's been the case in most every Hopkins fight for the last 10 years, and it that time its likely every single opponent he's faced was considerably better than this guy. All we have to go by for Smith is the Fonfara fight, where he was hurt himself and caught a guy trying to finish him recklessly. He looks quite slow and crude, we know Hopkins isn't going to rush at him early, I think it's a tame points win or late stoppage for the old man and a pretty easy one to call at that.

You have to compartmentalize when it comes to Hopkins. Or at least I do. I have to separate the fact that I ‘don’t like the person from the fact that he is a great fighter. His boorish behavior has not gone unnoticed but his victories over Pavlik, Tarver and Tito were something special

Can't really knock Smith as opponent after demolition job he did on Fonfara. Also cannot forget he was rocked with a counter punch. As with most Hopkins opponents I think most important thing is to not fall for the head games or become just happy to be a part of event. Ruin the party, don't box him and go for early KO or be blinded by the event lights and sniped all night.

glad this is at the Forum and not a bad card really.

I'm a huge Hop fan so I'm likely biased, but I see him winning this fight by doing what he does best these days: shutting down the other guy's offense, slowing things down, and edging rounds on the way to a decision. A few thoughts on Hop and his stellar career:

1. His fight vs. Tito was the most complete and impressive performance (IMO) that I have seen. If someone ever asks me what a good fight to watch to see greatness, this is the fight I recommend. Hop was brilliant that night and displayed a complete package of mental toughness, ring intelligence, ring generalship, boxing ability, punching power, stamina, killer instinct...etc., and he did it vs. a top p4p fighter.

2. Hop has developed the reputation of a spoiler late in his career (rightfully so). This is tragic because Hop was actually right hand crazy and reckless early in his career and then became one of, if not the most, complete fighter of his generation (Floyd, Roy...etc., were more naturally gifted, but I can't think of another fighter other than Floyd who was even close to as well rounded as Hop).

3. Archie Moore and George Foreman (maybe Larry Holmes also) were the face/poster children for successful older fighters. While both had great accomplishments at advanced ages, I feel neither consistently beat top teir competition like Hop did. In my opinion, Hop surpasses both on the list of historically great old guys.

El Bump!

usyk mchunu starting now... 208 and 206lbs on the night....

or paige van zant is the ufc on the other channel :S

why is the crowd booing already, they bought tickets for a b hop fight :S if they dont like this then the main event might not be for them either :S

Wonder how much of Mchunu Usyk people watched. He's content to do this all night and finds holes.

mchunu is looking good so far, usyk will need to step it up before mchunu racks up too many rounds

aha now usyk is starting to get going, he seems to have it worked out now, although i gace mchunu the first three rounds :S

Nice 5th round, both clipped and Usyk waves him in. about 3-2 Usyk. For a big dude he shifts fast

down goes mchunu, not badly but i think the end could be near, usyk is wearing him out, he has become very lively these last few rounds... mchunu is still swinging and looks a bit dangerous. 57-56 for usyk after round 6

This was a nice fight. I'm not sure if Usyk cruised that round or was genuinely having some problems again, either way Mchunu is pretty crafty and still landing some sneaky stuff. HAha as I type that, dropped again. Think he's on the way out now.

Usyk is very very good. Mchunu is a slick operator, although he's got to be extremely short for a cruiser?

Pretty impressive by Usyk and definitely makes for action fights. Took his time with a counter cagey guy but went from 0-60 when he wanted. Hope he doesn't fall for the cruiser curse and jump to heavyweight right off.

Cruiser is pretty barren though, and Usyk looks like a big dude. Wouldnt surprise me if he did that, as long as he eased into HW I don`t see why not.

it will be interesting to see what he does, i think he will stay around at cruiserweight for a while, it should be pretty easy for him to build up a big fanbase in eastern europe and unify as many titles as he can. The cruiserweight division seems pretty big in russia so I think there is a lot of money to be made taking on soviet union guys .. by the look of him I would think he would go up to heavyweight eventually though, although maybe it was just mchunu(he would be very tall as a hobbit) making him look huge, he doesnt seem to be gaining a load of weight after the weigh in either.

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Originally Posted by p4pking

Cruiser is pretty barren though, and Usyk looks like a big dude. Wouldnt surprise me if he did that, as long as he eased into HW I don`t see why not.

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He should buy a front row ticket to David Hayes next fight vs that cruiserweight Bellew fellow and taunt him menacingly ;D Might get a call. HBO had him on for a reason and pushed the heavyweight talk..

Usyk is big at 6'3" and has a long reach, I can't recall it exactly so I will look it up after I post. But he is having no issues making Cruiser, he will be there a while.

Edit-reach is 78, should have just went with what I thought, would have been right.

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Originally Posted by Spicoli

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Originally Posted by p4pking

Cruiser is pretty barren though, and Usyk looks like a big dude. Wouldnt surprise me if he did that, as long as he eased into HW I don`t see why not.

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He should buy a front row ticket to David Hayes next fight vs that cruiserweight Bellew fellow and taunt him menacingly ;D Might get a call. HBO had him on for a reason and pushed the heavyweight talk..

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Yes sadly he may as well do that. What I kept thinking was I can`t believe Bellew beat a guy who beat Mchunu, though it was impossible to find that Makabu fight. May I overrate Mchunu as a boxer, or underrate Bellew as a cruiser, or that was a one off, who knows.

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Originally Posted by p4pking

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Originally Posted by Spicoli

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Originally Posted by p4pking

Cruiser is pretty barren though, and Usyk looks like a big dude. Wouldnt surprise me if he did that, as long as he eased into HW I don`t see why not.

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He should buy a front row ticket to David Hayes next fight vs that cruiserweight Bellew fellow and taunt him menacingly ;D Might get a call. HBO had him on for a reason and pushed the heavyweight talk..

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Yes sadly he may as well do that. What I kept thinking was I can`t believe Bellew beat a guy who beat Mchunu, though it was impossible to find that Makabu fight. May I overrate Mchunu as a boxer, or underrate Bellew as a cruiser, or that was a one off, who knows.

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Whatever Mchunu lacks in stature dude is a crafty defensive fighter. It's just a matter of approach when you do A and B equals C. Hey Bellew also lost to a guy who lost to Darnell Boone in very convincing fashion ;D

for the record and with respect..Jo Jo Diaz bored the shat outta me.

Hopkins better stick to his word and go out clean. Always enjoy when you experience a guy 'live' from 1st day to his final bell, all respect :teacher:. Hopkins earned everything he has.

Hopkins' physique has taken a dramatic decline, especially from the waist down.

Joe came to fight! strength obvious annnnd he's cut.

hopkins is really starting to get his punches landing now, smith jr is certainly bigger and more active, if the scorecards are fair this is going to be close.. I hope b hop pulls it out though

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Originally Posted by Spicoli

Nice 5th round, both clipped and Usyk waves him in. about 3-2 Usyk. For a big dude he shifts fast

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Usyks footwork is damn impressive. It's why I rate him so highly. Like Loma half his work is done where the opponent is disarmed. Not sure what feed you watched on but the UK announcers I watched were giving him every round, said only the 3rd was close. It was interesting when they went to his corner and his trainer told him before the 6th to add in the uppercut and boom he floors him with it. Then before the 9th he tells him to go to the body then hard upstairs and end it, then boom, just as instructed. Like he was just getting work in.

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Originally Posted by Ron Swanson

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Originally Posted by Spicoli

Nice 5th round, both clipped and Usyk waves him in. about 3-2 Usyk. For a big dude he shifts fast

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Usyks footwork is damn impressive. It's why I rate him so highly. Like Loma half his work is done where the opponent is disarmed. Not sure what feed you watched on but the UK announcers I watched were giving him every round, said only the 3rd was close. It was interesting when they went to his corner and his trainer told him before the 6th to add in the uppercut and boom he floors him with it. Then before the 9th he tells him to go to the body then hard upstairs and end it, then boom, just as instructed. Like he was just getting work in.

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lederman on hbo gave mchunu the first 2, i thought mchunu won the first 3

Holyshit I need a fuckin drink...??? Dude please bleach my eyes

ah hopkins wants to get him disqualified... he isnt going back in... hopkins is hopkins till the end !

Can someone make a loop of Benn climbing back into the ring under 20

newsflash: Hopkins looked KTFO :-X

I like Hopkins, but that was all punches and you can't really see where he would have even taken the slightest impact on his ankle. Clean KO for me, dayum.

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Originally Posted by palmerq

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Originally Posted by Ron Swanson

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Originally Posted by Spicoli

Nice 5th round, both clipped and Usyk waves him in. about 3-2 Usyk. For a big dude he shifts fast

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Usyks footwork is damn impressive. It's why I rate him so highly. Like Loma half his work is done where the opponent is disarmed. Not sure what feed you watched on but the UK announcers I watched were giving him every round, said only the 3rd was close. It was interesting when they went to his corner and his trainer told him before the 6th to add in the uppercut and boom he floors him with it. Then before the 9th he tells him to go to the body then hard upstairs and end it, then boom, just as instructed. Like he was just getting work in.

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lederman on hbo gave mchunu the first 2, i thought mchunu won the first 3

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I saw that, not really sure what you saw. Mchunu had moments but from my perspective Usyks workrate and accuracy carried the rounds. But they were certainly closer than the late rounds so I can see seeing the 2nd and the 3rd the other way. The first website I read had Usyk taking every round, I feel that is generous.

*TKO, quit job, whatever. It was a decent fight all told.