Bernard Hopkins vs. Jean Pascal: A Legend's Loss Might Be Our Win

This coming Saturday, Dec. 18, Bernard Hopkins (51-5-1) will meet Jean Pascal (26-1-0) in Quebec City, Canada.

Both men will put their careers on the line for the WBC light heavyweight title, as well as the International Boxing Organization light heavyweight title. Of course there is a small army of people out there who are rooting for, and expect B-Hop to school this younger kid in Pascal and prove once again that he is the top dog in the backyard.

When looking at this matchup, most could and more importantly should agree that this could be a decent bout. Pascal is not only younger, hungrier, stronger and faster, but will also be facing the veteran at home in Canada. 

The only advantage Bernard has over Jean is his extensive experience in the sport, thus instantly making him a smarter fighter.

This might come in very handy, as after watching some of Pascal’s fights, I noticed just how sloppy this guy is. Anytime he "thinks" the opponent is vulnerable, Jean leaps in, arms flying from wide angles, looking like a pelican getting ready to take flight.

This is exactly when Bernard will flourish and land some of his tricky counter shots and accumulate points. Hopkins is excellent at luring boxers in, and Jean Pascal will be no exception.

So who will win this fight?

One thing I can tell you for sure, and it’s that the only person, who can make this fight exciting, is Pascal. This is in no way disrespecting the legend in Bernard Hopkins, but there is nothing else Hopkins can offer to the world of boxing and his fans.

His fights are stale, boring and no longer meaningful.

The significance of his fights fades not only as he ages, but as his boxing style stops selling. He had a tremendous career, and has nothing else to prove. If he continues with trying to prevent time from doing its job, much sooner rather than later Bernard will get hurt in the ring by a younger fighter.

The concept is simple: the effect of time on a human’s physiology is that it slowly diminishes physical as well as psychological abilities.

To answer my own question: if Bernard can and will retire after this fight, I wish him a victory; if he plans on continuing boxing, I hope he gets knocked out by Pascal and takes that as a sign to hang up the gloves and leave with a bag full of success.

Think about it, what more can he do? Who can he safely fight? Against whom can he sell out an arena?