Best of Bernard Hopkins as Tweeted by Golden Boy

Earlier today, the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson press conference was held at the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum in Hollywood, California. As a keyboard palooka stuck in central New York with a nine-to-five grind, I only caught up on it later on Twitter.

Twitter might have been the best way to go. Maxboxing writer Steve Kim tweeted that the event was comparable to a prison sentence, but as distilled by whoever is manning the Twitter deck for Golden Boy Promotions, it was vintage B-Hop.

The Maxboxing YouTube upload of the press conference is linked.

I'm more excited for the fight now than I was when I woke up this morning. And it was already an event that I was factoring into a busy weekend.

Some of the best lines related to Hopkins assessing his own legacy, contemplating the truly "Believe it or not" aspect of his career as a clear-cut world champion at 46 years of age: "My goal is to be fighter of the year, to make history again. There aren't any athletes four years from 50 in any sport to do it."

Anybody who has heard Hopkins call a Friday Night Fights knows that he is a boxing guy through and through. So he understands and appreciates as well as anybody how remarkable his current journey truly is.

And he knows that a solid thrashing of a contender as worthy as young Chad Dawson will truly push his legend not only beyond any boxer who has come before, but past modern athletes of any kind. We're getting into mythological territory here—Hopkins has become a Nestor for modern times.

I've written it at least a few times and said it probably 175: The only professional athletes in any sports who performed like Hopkins at this age were Nolan Ryan, Randy Couture, Gordie Howe and Satchell Paige. Perhaps George Blanda, though in his 40s he was mostly a kicker. Jack Nicklaus doesn't count because golf isn't a sport.

If the Executioner manages to tool Dawson on Saturday, Hopkins steps ahead of those other gentlemen and enters a class of his own.

The most successful boxers have always been the ones who can build a niche fanbase, to augment their following among the hardcore fans. Usually it is a fanbase built around ethnicity, nationality or locality.

The niche fanbase Bernard Hopkins has created for himself is men in their 40s and 50s. For professional athletes, this is a lucrative fanbase to attract. Professional boxers who have fought successfully into their 40s have done very well in their post-fight careers. George Foreman is probably as famous in America as Muhammad Ali. Archie Moore transitioned from boxing into an acting career. 

Do you think Hopkins knows he's pitching to this crowd? Check out this chestnut: "I'll win this fight big, and I want to embarrass another young so-called gun of the world." Middle-aged guys everywhere roar their support!

Of course, all the best material was aimed at taunting the opponent who is young enough to be his son:

"I want you to bring out the best in me. I'm challenging Chad Dawson to knock me out. I want the best Dawson."

"If Dawson brings everything to the table and I bring everything to the table, the people who buy the PPV won't be disappointed."

"I'm going to bring my part. I just hope Dawson brings his. Then you have a party, then you have a fight."

It's no secret that Hopkins wants to force Dawson to mix it up. While there is no question that Hopkins expects to win Saturday night, with his boxing intellect, he has to realize Dawson just might have the style and physical advantages necessary to win a very boring decision. 

Hopkins has to force a more close-quarters, pressure fight on Dawson. And if Dawson is feeling the desire to get aggressive, that makes the guileful vet's job that much easier. 

Hopkins even had some trash talk for Dawson's corner, taking a shot at past opponent and current Dawson trainer, Winky Wright: "He's got Winky. Fine. I don't understand why you hire a guy to help you take the drivers test who failed his."

I halfway believe Hopkins deliberately provoked that mutual-admiration society with Emanuel Steward during the early days of promoting this fight, in order to inevitably drive Dawson away. 

Now he's trying to climb in Winky's head. He wants to make sure that entire corner is looking to come knock him out. A warrior that's been around as long as Hopkins knows how to win the battles on every front. 

I'll go on the record now: Hopkins 117-112.