MONTREAL (AP) — Bernard Hopkins became the oldest fighter to win a major world championship, taking the WBC light heavyweight title Saturday night from Jean Pascal at the age of 46.
Hopkins (52-5-2) broke the age record set by George
Foreman in a heavyweight title victory over Michael Moorer in 1994. Hopkins won
at 46 years, 4 months, 6 days. Foreman was 45 years, 10 months.
"I won't retire until I'm 50," Hopkins
said.
He won the WBC, IBO and The Ring magazine titles
from the 28-year-old Pascal (26-2-1), the Montreal fighter who was making his
fifth defense before 17,560 at the Bell Centre.
The bout was a rematch of their Dec. 18 draw in
Quebec City.
"He's a great champion. He has great defense
and a lot of tricks. I was a young champion," Pascal said of Hopkins in
the ring afterward. "These two fights will help take me to the next level.
I learned a lot from Bernard and his style."
The Philadelphia native played up his uncanny
fitness in the pre-fight banter and looked the fresher man throughout the bout,
taunting Pascal by doing push-ups as he waited for him to start the seventh
round and doing them again after the fight.
Hopkins landed more punches and was able to slip many
of Pascal's power shots, answering with clever jabs and scoring more than once
on right-hand leads.
Hopkins didn't, as planned, wear a Philadelphia
Flyers jersey into the ring, but one of his corner men did.
In the co-feature, Chad Dawson showed masterful
defense and crisp punching in scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over
Montreal's Adrian Diaconu in a light heavyweight elimination bout.
Hopkins will next fight Dawson (30-1).
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)
