The Executioner, 48 year old Bernard Hopkins, had a historic performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York defeating the 17 years younger Tavoris Cloud in a unanimous decision victory. Hopkins becomes the oldest champion to win a recognizable belt in boxing history and he did it easily. Father time might be around the corner, but he is losing the battle against Hopkins who continues to amaze and make young fighters look bad.
On March 9th, 2013, Bernard Hopkins looked as if he has plenty of gas in the tank. He fought against a perfectly tailored opponent for his counter punching and slick style. Tavoris Cloud was a great match-up for the veteran Hopkins. Cloud’s forward movement, low punch counts, and lack of lateral movement was recipe for disaster for the 31 year old light heavyweight champion. I mentioned in a previous piece that Cloud would will likely be another light heavyweight that has come and gone, and Bernard Hopkins made sure of that. The Executioner once again defies the odds of time, and is champion again. He vows to fight for five more years, and with the performance tonight, the money he makes, and the popularity that follows him, how can you blame him.
I am generally not excited when a Hopkins fight is announced, but as they approach, I generally gain interest and some excitement to see the chess game he plays in the squared circle. Whether you like him or not, you have to respect him and how he consistently embarrasses young fighters. He is an oddity in sports and a legitimate boxing great. Here’s to the Executioner as we all try to stay ahead of father time. I just turned a year older today, and I hope I can stay as healthy and perform in my profession as well as Bernard Hopkins at his age.
Great point! Hopkins controlled this fight the whole time. Embarrassing a supposed great fighter in Cloud. There is an undeniable difference between “good” fighters and Legends. We need more b-hop’s! Until then…..keep fighting old man.
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