HBO's Bob Papa, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones Jr. preview the May 21 fight for the light heavyweight championship, a rematch between champion Jean Pascal and 46-year-old living (and fighting) legend Bernard Hopkins. Pascal and Hopkins went to a very controversial draw in December on Showtime.
It's odd all these years into their rivalry to hear Roy Jones Jr. talk about Bernard Hopkins in a complimentary fashion. Jones says that the first fight was "the best boxing exhibition I've ever seen Bernard Hopkins put on in his entire career."
Kellerman offers, "If it goes six, seven, eight rounds, I expect Hopkins to be coming on," noting that Pascal expends a lot of "nervous energy" in the early rounds, and tends to run his own gas tank dry. It's a valid criticism and one that has been noted before, but you can't just not say it. It's quite clearly true.
How much are you looking forward to this fight? For now it still seems to be very quietly flying under the radar considering it's an HBO main event for a legit championship featuring a legend trying to become the oldest man to ever win a championship.