By Jackie Kallen
Here we go again. Hopkins/Pascal II. Age versus youth and the countdown to Hopkin’s eventual retirement.
Will it be this fight? Or will the Executioner continue his reign as one of the top names in the business?
Let’s face it–when Hopkins turned pro in 1988, Pascal was in first grade.
When he won his first title, Pascal was only 10 years old. The age difference is significant. Yet their fight last December was a close one, ending in a draw. Take that, Father Time!
Neither fighter has been knocked out in their combined 83 matches and both men have similar KO stats (over 50%). Hopkins’s last loss was his 2008 bout against Calzaghe. Pascal lost to Carl Froch that same year. So they are pretty evenly matched.
On paper, though, you have to give the edge to the younger man. Especially since the fight is in Montreal–Pascal’s home territory. That hometown advantage is always a plus, but everyone over 40 is pulling for Hopkins, hoping to show the world that 46 is the new 30.
I am going with Pascal by decision. If it is a close fight, I believe Hopkins will stick around for some more paydays. If he gets stopped, Hopkins may decide it is time to hang ’em up.
Jackie Kallen is a boxing manager who has been in the business for over three decades. Her life inspired the Meg Ryan film “Against the Ropes” and she was a part of the NBC series “The Contender.” www.JackieKallen.com, www.facebook.com/JackieKallen
