THE Oxford English dictionary, defines alien as“…something or somebody strange and frightening; different from what you are used to.” Tonight, the former “Executioner”, who now prefers “The Alien,” moniker, Bernard Hopkins, faces perhaps his most dangerous opponent, the hardest punching 175-pounder today, Sergey Kovalev in the WBA,WBO and IBF light heavyweight title unification bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, US.
Ageless wonder Hopkins, 55-6-2, 2 NC, 32 KOs, who will be two months and seven days shy of his 50th birthday, enters the ring against the undefeated Kovalev, 25-0-1, 23 KOs with an awesome 92 per cent KO ratio, to prove his moniker by trying to defy age yet again.
Even though Kovalev has an enviable KO ratio, it is inconceivable that Hopkins would have taken this fight if he wasn’t 100 per cent sure his antics could produce a win.
Not everyone, of course, agrees that the ‘Alien’ will continue to frighten opponents and keep strapping those coveted belts around his waist because Father Time may finally catch up with him tonight.
Still, it’s remarkable that the fight is happening and it’s a testament to Hopkins’ desire to still challenge himself with the toughest fights available. And given Kovalev’s power and reputation, this isn’t just the toughest fight available; it’s probably one of the toughest in the entire sport.
The question of Father Time has been on the lips of most boxing pundits and fans for quite some time now as far as Hopkins’ career goes, but he beat younger opponents–Antonio Tarver, Kelly Pavlik, Jean Pascal and, more recently, Tavoris Cloud and Beibut Shumenov to once again lift the 175-pound title.
A victory tonight (morning here) would make Hopkins—once again breaking his own record—the oldest man in boxing history to capture and unify a world championship, and it would come at the cost of the division’s most dangerous puncher. Every subsequent fight has only increased his record.
Promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who was knocked out by a body shot from Hopkins in 2004, (I still remember how De La Hoya cried from that wicked left hook to the liver) understands full well the significance of what Hopkins is doing.
“Not only are we talking about the fighter who is the best in this era, but he can possibly be the best in any era,” De La Hoya said. “When you talk about comparing the ‘80s and the ‘70s and the ‘60s and the 1990s and the 2000s, well, Hopkins is a fighter you can say would have competed, if not would have been the best, in any era. We’re not talking about just a fighter, any ordinary fighter. We’re really talking about an alien, Hopkins, who is still fighting the toughest and the very best. This man tells it old school. We will never ever in our lifetime see a fighter like Bernard Hopkins, probably ever again.”
The question is, how is Kovalev going to react to an alien? Said De La Hoya, promoter of the fight: “He’s never fought an athlete like Hopkins before. So, the question is, ‘how is he going to react once they hit the 4th, 5th, 6th round?’ It will be very interesting, but obviously we’re with Hopkins 100 per cent.”
In the ring, Hopkins has done it all, including shock numerous young champions who thought that the spirited Philadelphian was just too old to compete at the elite level. Is he going to do it his way again or be forced to pass the torch from one generation to the next?
John DiSanto of PhillyBoxingHistory.com, says: “I think Kovalev is too patient and too physically strong for the kind of tricks Hopkins will try to play on him. I have no doubt that Hopkins will have his moments and give Kovalev his toughest test to date. But Kovalev will ride those moments out and continue to score with heavy shots when the opportunity arises.
“The kind of punches Kovalev lands can age an opponent in a hurry, even one like Hopkins, who has seemed to live outside the normal laws of aging for so long. Hopkins’ chin is legendary, and he’s never come close to being stopped.
“But I see this one ending in the later rounds, when Hopkins, or perhaps his longtime trainer, Naazim Richardson, sees the wisdom of retiring in the corner.”
“This man is a threat to anybody,” Hopkins said about Kovalev. “This won’t be an easy fight. He’s a dangerous puncher. Anybody that fights this guy has the opportunity to not be the same.” Will the ‘Alien’ be the same tonight?
Comments: mwale.simon@yahoo.co.uk 0966 755574/0953744074