Philadelphia middleweight icon Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins 48 -- 5 -1 (32 -- KO's). It was recently announced that he is slated to yet again, climb into the ring and face middleweight champion Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik 34 -- 0 30 (KO's) on October 18, of this year.
Hopkins is a remarkable boxer who has done and still seems to be able to do a lot in the ring. But at the age of forty three and the fact that he cannot go the full twelve rounds anymore or terminate the fight before then, he is presented with two dilemmas - His age and the adversary he faces. It is true that Hopkins still moves gracefully across the ring, has the best sneaky right hand and throws magnificent punches. He is as picture perfect and technically sound as any fighter can be.
In Pavlik, Hopkins is taking on a wrecking ball. Jermaine Taylor demonstrated the explosiveness of Pavlik can be suffocated to a degree with lateral movement and angles but Hopkins does not have the stamina to overcome Pavlik's physical and athletic advantages. Stamina is the one of the keys required to unlock Pavlik's undefeated streak