Bernard Hopkins: Joe Smith fight makes it hard to decide whether 51-year-old deserves admiration or not

BERNARD HOPKINS is a legend so it’s difficult to decide if he deserves admiration or admonishment after revealing he will have one last fight.

Hopkins is 51 and takes on Joe Smith, a big-punching top-ten light-heavyweight, over 12 rounds at the Los Angeles Forum on December 17.

It could turn out to be the most foolhardy task Hopkins has ever undertaken when you consider the facts.

Smith, from Long Island, New York, was born nine months after Hopkins made his professional debut 28 years ago. He’s tough, ambitious and has scored 18 knockouts in his 22 victories.

What must be cause for alarm is that Hopkins hasn’t fought for two years since he lost every round challenging double world champion Sergey Kovalev.

Not to mention the fact he will be climbing through the ropes just 29 days before his 52nd birthday.

Ageism is considered a crime these days, so I’m reluctant to criticise the highly intelligent and articulate Hopkins over competing in a hazardous sport at such advanced years.

There’s no doubt no one knows the safest way to nullify an opponent better than Hopkins, who held the world middleweight title for almost ten years and made a record 20 defences.

Hopkins has an obsession, bordering on the fanatical, with honing his body to keep it at peak fitness at all times.

That’s why, physically, he looks as good now as when he started out at 23 after serving five years in jail for armed robbery.

Yet there’s no denying Hopkins is middle-aged — and he would be better off playing with grandchildren instead of fooling around with the firepower Smith is going to be throwing his way.

Brit Joe Calzaghe, who outpointed Hopkins in Las Vegas shortly before he retired eight years ago with a perfect 46-0 record, reckons the Philadelphia phenomenon can be only 50 per cent of what he was then.

But Joe told me: “Bernard is a wily old bird — and he wouldn’t be taking on this kid Smith unless he was confident he can beat him.

“I’m 44 and to me it doesn’t make sense to fight on into your fifties. His reflexes must be considerably impaired.”