B-Hop Wants Oleg Maskaev

Bernard Hopkins considering return to action

Ageless Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins is mulling over the possibility of returning to active duty, to the surprise of no one who wasn’t born yesterday, to the surprise of no one whose middle name’s not Gullible.

It was while watching Hasim Rahman‘s uninspired loss of his WBC title to Oleg Maskaev last month that B-Hop realized that there’s still enough in his tank, and enough unfinished boxing business in his heart, to give serious consideration to getting back in the fray.

With all four of the major heavyweight titles (IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO) in the hands of fighters from the former Eastern Bloc (Klitschko/Valuev/Maskaev/Liakhovich), the 41-year-old Hopkins claims he wants to win part of heavyweight crown and return it to the good old USA.

“The state of the heavyweight division in America is dead, Ex told Tim Smith, writing in SecondsOut. Bernard Hopkins is the only boxer who can bring the title back.

After Hopkins defied the odds and common wisdom and destroyed light heavyweight champ Antonio Tarver in June, the Philly born and bred, Graterford grad kept the promise he made to his deceased mother and decided to hang em up for good.

But, B-Hop said, “I was watching that fight and it when it was over, it hit me. Rahman was supposed to be the last line of defense for the America heavyweight” and “He couldn’t do it. But I was inspired to comeback and do it. It’s not something that is unheard of. Michael Spinks did it. Roy Jones did it. I can do it.”

If anyone can do it Bernard Hopkins can. Let’s just hope the judges for Peter/Toney have prior engagements if and when Bernard and Oleg get it on.