LAS VEGAS (Reuters):BERNARD HOPKINS and Winky Wright clash in Las Vegas tonight in a catch-weight bout between two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
“It’s going to be a great fight,” Wright, a former two-times light-middleweight champion, told reporters. “When you’ve got two great, Hall of Fame fighters that want to win, the excitement is always there.”
Not everybody agrees.
Both fighters are known more for being technically-sound counter punchers than crowd-pleasing brawlers.
Differing styles
Southpaw Wright (50-3-1, 25 KOs), who is coming off adisputed draw with reigning middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, is famed for a tight defence and blistering jab. However, he insists there is more to his arsenal.
“You look at my last four or five fights, they’ve been exciting. I always bring the fight, I always come to fight,” he said. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.”
Hopkins is dismissive of Wright’s chances.
“We know what Winky can do,” he told reporters. “I’ve been hearing it for six months: ‘Bernard, what do you think about his defence? Bernard, what do you think about his jab?’ That’s two weapons.”
Hopkins said he was a better all-round fighter.
“I can box, punch, slug, counter roll, hard to hit, awkward style, I can hit you from every angle.”
Hopkins (47-4-1, 32 KOs) won the IBF middleweight championship in 1995 and defended his title 20 times, adding the WBA and WBC belts en route, before losing on points to Taylor 10 years later.
In June last year, he stepped up to the light-heavyweight division and scored a dominant victory over defending champion Antonio Tarver.
He initially announced his retirement after that bout but has since decided extend his career at the age of 42.
“I’m just blessed that I’m an athlete that took care of myself, that didn’t take any sustained beatings in the ring, lived a perfect, drug-free, alcohol-free lifestyle,” he said. “That is part of why I’m here today, ready to fight one of the premier fights of the year, against a credible and quality opponent.”
