Is Bernard Hopkins Un-Retiring?

What’s an Executioner to do?

Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, fresh off his odds-bashing win over former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver less than a month ago, fresh off his long-awaited retirement from active duty, has been having second thoughts, or at the very least misgivings, about hanging the gloves up for good.

What was supposed to be a smooth transition from pugilist to mogul (via Golden Boy Promotions) has not been as smooth as B-Hop anticipated. Maybe he needs more time to adjust to his new life. Maybe there’s no adjusting, at least not smoothly, to the life of a retired titleholder, as scores of onetime boxing champs can attest.

As Hopkins recently told Dan Rafael at ESPN.com, he is, in his own words, “bored as hell. I’m sitting here in this kitchen and I am bored as hell. I’ve been retired three weeks and I am bored as hell. I can’t stand still. I’m either mowing the lawn, washing the car or picking weeds.”

Anyone who has ever mowed a lawn, washed a car or picked weeds knows just how routine those activities can be, and they were never intended to replace the rush of performing in front of a live audience in the squared circle, so it may take some time for Bernard to adjust, if he ever fully adjusts.

“I cannot shut my body down from being so active, Hopkins said. I’ll get sick. I’ll go out and run. That’s in me. Maybe it will wear off in 10 years. I’ve been programmed to be like this for so many years, so it will take time for me to settle down.”

At 41, no matter what he ultimately decides to do with restless self, time is on Hopkins’ side.