Bernard Hopkins Targets Fall Return, Beibut Shumenov Possible Opponent

Michael Woods tweeted earlier this evening from the BWAA awards dinner that Bernard Hopkins says he's not done yet, and that he's planning a fall return. Hopkins, 47, says he's spoken with representatives for WBA light heavyweight titlist Beibut Shumenov.

Hopkins, who lost to Chad Dawson on April 28, already said he had no plans to retire just yet, mere days after the fight with Bad Chad. The living legend and surefire Hall of Famer has one fight remaining on his HBO contract, and if the talk of Shumenov is true, and winds up happening, that doesn't really sound like a "cash-out" fight to me, so he could well intend to fight on after that, too.

Shumenov (13-1, 8 KO) fought this past Saturday, beating Enrique Ornelas in Las Vegas. Adviser Don Chargin said there have been offers from Hopkins, Nathan Cleverly, and Mikkel Kessler, the latter two now a bit more believable after Hopkins confirms his own interest in facing the 28-year-old Kazakh.

Do you have much interest in Hopkins vs Shumenov? Shumenov, for all his faults (like crap matchmaking), is an entertaining fighter to watch at his best, and has the energy to push Hopkins, I think. I don't think I'd pick him to beat Bernard, because it's a big step from Danny Santiago and Ornelas to Hopkins, but I think it could be as interesting a fight as there is for Hopkins, as he closes out his HBO deal.

Personally, I'd rather see him go to Wales and fight Nathan Cleverly, just because that fight can actually draw and would have good atmosphere, but Bernard's never been wild about the idea of leaving the States to fight, and he's not in the Roy Jones position where he has to, either.