Boxing: Bernard Hopkins is Young Enough to Destroy Dawson (VIDEO)

The Executioner isn’t done yet. At 46 years of age, Bernard Hopkins remains an imposing force in the world of Boxing. Al Dannity looks ahead to his fight with Chad Dawson on Saturday night.

B-Hop cares not for your age concerns
Felix Trinidad was supposed to be too fast for Bernard Hopkins; Trinidad didn’t go the distance. Kelly Pavlik was supposed to be too strong; he didn’t remotely hurt Hopkins. Controversial losses to Joe Calzaghe and Jermain Taylor may have muddied his record along the way but we shouldn’t have been surprised when he reclaimed his throne atop the Light Heavyweight division. It took two fights to finally put Jean Pascal away but there is no question, the Executioner is still in charge.

Hopkins’ style meant he was always likely to age more gracefully than a typical pro but nobody could have foreseen this. They are dashes of grey in his beard and along his eyebrows but at 46, he does not look like a man who has seen too many fights. There are more likeable men in the ring but Bernard Hopkins doesn’t care about being liked. He wants to be feared.

Dawson’s mental hurdle
Saturday night is more than just a title fight for Chad Dawson. The former champion enjoyed a nice reign at the top, picking up wins over Tomasz Adamek, Antonio Tarver, and Glen Johnson. Just as his resume was starting to look elite he ran into Jean Pascal.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nv-sQ-RLw8[/youtube]
The decision may have been the result of a technicality but look at what Pascal did to Dawson. He hurt the former WBC champion, roughing Dawson through the middle rounds. The head butt was dirty but decisive. When it comes to hurting opponents and using dirty tricks, Pascal is a rank amateur compared to Hopkins. Dawson simply can’t allow the Executioner to bully him the way Pascal did.

The verdict
Dawson simply isn’t an aggressive enough fighter for this clash. His comeback, a points win Adrian Diaconu, was clear cut but did little to inspire confidence amongst Boxing betting fans. When going into a fight with Hopkins you don’t just need confidence at the start; you need to be able to withstand an onslaught of intimidation. The Executioner continues the mental war while he’s pounding away on opponents. It never lets up until the fight is over. That’s the world Dawson is about to enter. It’s a world he isn’t ready for. I like Hopkins to retain his title.