Pascal vs. Hopkins: Latest News, Analysis, Weigh-in Results and More
Former Undisputed World Middleweight Champion Bernard Hopkins will make his second attempt at trying to become the oldest boxer to ever win a major world title when he faces Canadian star Jean Pascal for the second time on Saturday.
There has been no shortage of trash talk leading up to the fight, and both fighters are prepared to back it up. Their first fight ended in a controversial draw, and both fighters felt they had done enough to earn the decision.
Hopkins (51-5-2, 32 KO) already has achieved all-time great status, holding the record for most middleweight title defenses at 20. Pascal (26-1-1, 16 KO) would hope to achieve a record as incredible as that, but he has to make it through the 46-year-old first.
Check back for all the latest news, analysis, weigh-in results and Friday Night Fights thoughts from Teddy Atlas.
“This fight is in the control of one man, the 28 year old, not the 46 year old,” said the world-renowned trainer on ESPN Friday Night Fights. “He has control. You can do more as a 28-year-old than at 46.”
“Sometimes, Pascal gives you that landscape, he’s fragmented. He allows the experience of Hopkins to show up.”
“If Pascal decides to fight a steady fight, I think that, maybe, Hopkins could get stopped.”
“It’s all up to Pascal.”
“I don’t think that it’s in the hands of Hopkins. He needs help. Pascal does a lot of jumping in, then, well, a very experienced guy like Bernard Hopkins, can time Pascal coming in. That’s the way he can win it, timing. He’s going to do it the old fashioned way, timing.”
Atlas also gave his thoughts on last week’s fight between Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham. Ward won a unanimous decision to advance to the finals of the Showtime Super Six Tournament.
“Can someone teach him(Abraham) to throw a straight punch?”
“This speaks to why we don’t have great fighters like before.”
“Abraham can’t throw anything straight, and Ward knows what to do with that.”
Atlas also spoke on who he would rather have Ward fight in the finals; Carl Froch or Glen Johnson, who will be fighting June 4th to determine the other finalist.
“If I’m in Ward’s camp, I would pick Johnson, but he’s very similar to Froch. He’s always looking to be the boss, but at 42 years of age, I take the younger guy as the tougher fight. I’d rather go in there with the older version of the tougher guy.”
Both fighters hit the scales today but not without some controversy.
On both boxers' first attempts, they missed the light-heavyweight weight limit of 175 lbs. Pascal made it on his second attempt at 174.14 while Hopkins took two extra hours to shed off an extra four ounces to officially weigh in at 174 lbs.
"That's what happens with old age. I ate good," Hopkins told the Montreal Gazette. "Egg whites and juice."
"I lost a pound just now. Don't go in the bathroom I just used," the 46-year-old added.
Tomorrow's anticipated rematch will be airing live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on HBO, starting at 10 p.m. ET.
The undercard bout will feature Chad Dawson and Adrian Diaconu in a light-heavyweight matchup between two fighters looking to face the winner of the main event.
HBO Boxing commentators Max Kellerman, Bob Papa and Roy Jones Jr. give their reflections on tomorrow's rematch between Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins.
Pascal (26-1) will be defending his WBA and IBO light-heavyweight championship while Hopkins (51-5-2) will be looking to become the oldest boxer to ever win a major world title at the age of 46. Their first match ended in a controversial draw after the Canadian star dropped future Hall-of-Famer twice in the first two rounds.
Hopkins came back in the fight after Pascal decided to "take off" the rest of the rounds and let the older veteran come back in the fight and out-work him to win the fight on one scorecard by two points. The two other judges had the fight scored even at 113-113 and 114-114, resulting in a majority draw.
On the undercard, Chad Dawson (29-1) also returns after suffering his first defeat to Pascal last August to take on the tough Roman-Canadian fighter Adrian Diaconu (27-2). Both fighters' only losses are two Pascal so it makes for a very important and intriguing matchup to figure out who will be next for the winner of the main event.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The Montreal Gazette reported that Bernard Hopkins missed the light-heavyweight weight limit by .4 ounces on his first attempt but was able to to make the 175 lb. weight limit after he was given two hours to make the cut.
Hopkins' opponent and champion, Jean Pascal, also missed weight on his first try but successfully made weight on his second attempt. Both boxers weighed in at 174 lb.
The two will be fighting in a rematch of their 2010 draw in Montreal tomorrow night for the WBA light-heavyweight championship currently held by Pascal.
At 46, Hopkins will be trying to become the oldest boxer to ever win a major world title.
The intense face off between Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins is one of the best so far. Hosted by Max Kellerman, it lets the fighters engage in a back-and-forth trade off of words before they trade fists in their fight.
HBO has featured the faceoff pieces for several mega-fights, including Pacquiao vs. Cotto, Pacquiao vs. Clottey, Bradley vs. Alexander and Mayweather vs. Mosley.
The 12-minute video is an engaging, funny and serious encounter between a legend in Hopkins and a rising star in Pascal.
They argue over who they thought won the fight, and Hopkins even attempts to leave at one point after Pascal mentions he was okay with a draw result in their first meeting. Pascal kept his WBC light-heavyweight title after the draw, keeping Hopkins from becoming the oldest fighter to ever win a major world title.
The fight will be airing at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. It will be broadcast from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.




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